18 September – 10 October 2026
Rose Theatre

A riotous new comedy by Al Smith
With original songs by Grant Olding
Based on the novel by Jerome K. Jerome
Directed by Christopher Haydon

Jerome, George and Harris are lifelong pals. Whenever one is in a spot of bother the others will always jump in to help him out. So what could possibly go wrong as they set out on a carefree boat trip up the Thames – from leafy Kingston to Oxford’s dreaming spires?

Nothing at all. Except torrential rain, alarmingly eccentric dogs and a bout of hallucination brought on by some of the most dangerously rancid cheese ever cultivated. This is a rollicking story of three men, one boat and eighteen extremely angry swans.

Directed by Christopher Haydon (Emma) and with physical comedy created by John Nicholson (Tweedy’s Massive Circus), this world premiere brings Jerome K. Jerome’s classic novel to hilarious life. A celebration of abiding friendship and calamitous adventure, this is Jeeves and Wooster meets Apocalypse Now.

The cast consists of Jonny Weldon (Disney+’s Rivals, Netflix’s One Day, and 101 Dalmatians at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) as Jerome, Bronté Barbé (Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, Disney’s Newsies: The Musical, and Oklahoma! at Chichester Festival Theatre) as Harris, Richard David-Caine (The Witches at the National Theatre and BBC’s Horrible Histories) as George and Calum Donald-Bruce as Montmorency.

The creative team joining Smith, Olding (who also serves as Musical Director and Sound Designer) and Haydon includes John Nicholson (Movement Director & Comedy Consultant), Simon Kenny (Set & Costume Designer), Simisola Majekodunmi (Lighting Designer), Juliet Horsley CDG (Casting Director), Chris Pirie (Puppetry Director), Claudette Williams (Voice & Dialect Coach) and Rebecca Wear (Associate Director – Drama League Rose Directing Fellow).