France and England invest in RABBLE's national tour of William the Conqueror

• Arts Council England invest £132,940 in RABBLE Theatre’s UK Tour of William the Conqueror

• France’s Région Normandie support the international collaboration with further investment

RABBLE Theatre are pleased to announce that significant funding has been awarded by Arts Council England and France’s Région Normandie to RABBLE Theatre, to develop William the Conqueror for a national tour of England in 2027. 

Hazel Edwards, South East Area Director, Arts Council England said:

“Arts Council England is pleased to be investing £132,940 into RABBLE Theatre’s national tour of William The Conqueror, commissioned by RABBLE and written by long-standing associate artist, Beth Flintoff. Building on the company’s successful Arts Council England-funded history productions and recent national tour of Glitch – The True Story of the Post Office Scandal, this ambitious new production will enable RABBLE to take its work to new audiences across the country in 2027 - The Year of the Normans.

With a dynamic, contemporary production style, William The Conqueror will bring one of history’s most significant figures to life for modern audiences. The production will also create opportunities for diverse representation on and off stage, while developing international collaborations that reflect the story's connections between England and Normandy.

This investment will support RABBLE to realise its most ambitious production to date, helping the company to scale up its work and reach new audiences with bold, accessible and resonant theatre.

This project has been made possible thanks to players of the National Lottery.”

RABBLE’s production will be a key feature in the international programme of events being produced across eight European countries by Région Normandie, in collaboration with British Council: Millennium: 2027 European Year of the Normans. https://www.millenium.fr.

Jean-Gabriel Guyant, General Delegate of MILLENIUM – 2027, the European Year of the Normans said:

“Région Normandie is delighted to support RABBLE Theatre’s ambitious production of William The Conqueror as a key part of the international programme of events taking place in Millennium: 2027 European Year of the Normans.

The story of William is one that connects our two territories and this collaboration provides an exciting opportunity to explore that shared history through contemporary theatre. Through RABBLE’s partnership with Normandy-based company In Itinere Collectiv, three actors from Normandy will join the production, creating a genuine artistic exchange and bringing French and British artists together on stage.

We are pleased to invest in this partnership, supporting the development of new international relationships and ensuring that Normandy’s artists and creative sector play an integral role in this thrilling production.”

The company, who were founded in Reading in 2012, have developed a remarkable reputation for telling local stories of national significance. Earlier in 2026, Glitch - The True Story of the Post Office Scandal (created through an innovative collaboration between RABBLE, the School of Law at the University of Reading and sub postmistress Pam Stubbs) toured 17 cities across the UK to marked acclaim. It is their historical plays, though, that have led RABBLE to the subject of when our nation was last successfully invaded. William the Conqueror will become part one of RABBLE Theatre’s historical Conquerors Trilogy, with RABBLE’s Henry I (Telegraph Top 5 UK Show) and Matilda the Empress (Guardian Readers’ Top 20 UK Show) forming parts two and three.

Toby Davies, Founder and Artistic Director of RABBLE Theatre said:

“We are deeply grateful to Arts Council England and Région Normandie for investing in our ambitious international collaboration. The prospect of bringing this seminal story, with all its contemporary relevance, to life for today’s audiences is hugely exciting. To be doing so with the support of Arts Council England and our partners in Normandy gives us enormous motivation as we embark on RABBLE’s most ambitious production to date.”

The play is an original commission by RABBLE Theatre, written by RABBLE’s long-time associate artist, Beth Flintoff. RABBLE will be releasing tour dates and making further announcements relating to the project throughout the autumn.

For further information and to learn how the production was created, please visit https://rabbletheatre.com