Franz & Marie
Charing Cross Theatre
The Arches, Villiers Street, London, WC2N 6NL
The Arches, Villiers Street, London, WC2N 6NL
Running Time
TBC
Running Since
Mon, 28 September 2026
Booking Until Sat, 14 November 2026
Important Information
| Monday | - | 19:30 |
| Tuesday | - | 19:30 |
| Wednesday | 14:30 | 19:30 |
| Thursday | - | 19:30 |
| Friday | - | 19:30 |
| Saturday | 15:00 | 19:30 |
| Sunday | 15:00 | - |
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More about Franz & Marie
A haunting musical inspired by Georg Büchner's Woyzeck.
Franz & Marie is a unique and visceral musical that breathes new life into Georg Büchner’s classic German tragedy, Woyzeck, with soul-rattling Indie Raw Folk.
It was originally commissioned two decades ago by the award-winning Korean company Acom and created by key members of the Kentish underground cult band, The Singing Loins.
This musical transforms a legendary tale into a heart-breaking tragedy, that explores contemporary themes of class prejudice and toxic masculinity, infused with sharp dark humour.
Franz & Marie is a visceral, journey into the heart of a good man broken by a bad world. Set in the twisted world of late 19th Century European Folklore, after action on the front line a platoon of young soldiers has been stationed in an isolated outpost for months awaiting further orders. Among them is Franz Woyzeck, a man haunted by nightmares since his return. He sees fire in the sky—hallucinations that blur the line between reality and trauma.
Franz lives for two people: his girlfriend Marie, and their baby, Georgie. Forbidden from taking leave during the war, they haven’t been able to marry, but his devotion is absolute- he goes above and beyond to provide for Marie and his child.
The title Franz & Marie refers to Woyzeck’s first name and that of his girlfriend. Much like Romeo and Juliet, they love each other deeply and set out on an unforgiving path that could lead them to a bitter, tragic end. In this musical adaptation the character, and narrative, of Marie has evolved through the new creative process, allowing her to step into the spotlight beside Franz, and earning her a place alongside his, in the title.
Charing Cross Theatre
The Arches, Villiers Street, London, WC2N 6NL
Ideally situated under Charing Cross Station, the New Players Theatre is brimming with history and is proud to be one of London’s last remaining music hall venues. Over 100 years of entertainment lives within these walls creating a beautifully theatrical atmosphere bursting with memories of London’s finest entertainers - and, back in the days, if you were willing to buy a pint and a cigar then your entrance was free! Sadly with the smoking ban now in force we have to charge a little more than that, but we remain a competitively priced, central London venue, giving audiences the chance to see, with ease, a range of entertainment.
We have been striving to continue the spirit of the venue by entertaining audiences with many kinds of events from late night cabarets, plays, comedy and musicals to showcases, fashion shows and music gigs.
The venue is beautiful and still has the original Victorian bar at the back of the auditorium with the original Victorian glass panelling, as you can imagine the atmosphere in this space is one of a kind. The theatre is perfectly complimented with a highly successful bar and restaurant which opens until 2.30am. We are a venue which hardly sleeps at all.
History Of The Theatre
Founded in 1936 this theatre occupied several premises in the West End before locating to its present site under The Arches below Charing Cross Station. The current site was a famous Victorian music hall which went on to produce many musicals, pantomimes and melodramas.
With 275 seats The New Players Theatre is one of the smallest West End theatres. It was rebuilt in 1989 as part of the Charing Cross re-development to meet the demands of national and international producers wanting a theatre which offers a degree of intimacy and is the equivalent of an Off-Broadway space.
The Theatre and Players Bar and Restaurant have recently been refurbished and are now owned and operated by The Pure Group.
ACCESS INFORMATION
The New Players Theatre and Players Bar and Restaurant have unimpeded access from the Strand or Embankment into the foyer of the venue. From here there is level access to Balcony One for the Theatre, box office, unisex toilet facilities, the bars and restaurant. The main stalls level is 16 steps down from the main entrance, with handrails on either side. The toilets for the main stalls are a further 8 steps down from the doors to the theatre. Seating within the theatre is gently raked from row C onwards. Row K on the central aisle is on the same level as the doors to the theatre and has the most leg room of all rows.
Wheelchair users
Balcony One has removable seating for up to 4 wheelchairs. The area has an excellent view of the stage and level access from the foyer. Please call the theatre direct to book tickets: 020 7930 5868 during office hours and ask to speak to one of the admin staff.
Dogs
The venue welcomes guide dogs
