The Royal Shakespeare Company and Told by an Idiot will present the World Premiere of The Three Musketeers for Christmas 2026. Known for their anarchic and unpredictable theatrical style, Told by an Idiot bring a fresh, physical and joyously chaotic interpretation of Alexandre Dumas’s beloved novel.
The production runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Saturday 28 November to Saturday 9 January, with a Press Night on 8 December. Tickets go on sale Wednesday 18 March.
Adapted and directed by Told by an Idiot co-founder and Artistic Director Paul Hunter, the show promises a theatrical feast filled with mischievous storytelling, international performers, vibrant live music and what is described as a “charmingly unreliable Spanish narrator”.
 
 
 
 
Set in 1625, or “twenty-five past four”, the adventure follows the young and hopeful D’Artagnan as he travels to Paris to become a Musketeer. Along the way he encounters danger, romance and political scheming, from King Louis XIII’s fragile authority to the machinations of Cardinal Richelieu and the mysterious Milady.
When D’Artagnan’s sweetheart Constance is abducted, he races through streets and battlefields in pursuit, supported at every turn by his newfound comrades: the Three Musketeers. “One for all, and all for one!”
Paul Hunter said: “In 1973 my father took me to the Selly Oak Odeon in B’ham to see Richard Lesters movie ‘The Three Musketeers’. It left a big impression on me, and I am delighted that 53 years later Told by an Idiot will reinvent this classic tale at the RST this Christmas. This raucously funny, romantic adventure yarn has something for everyone, and over the festive period we look forward to entertaining families in the style that only live theatre can do. ‘One for all, and all for one!’“
Told by an Idiot is celebrated for theatre that is ambitious but accessible, experimental yet never pretentious, and rooted in spontaneity, risk and live performance. Their work embraces unpredictability, using anarchic physicality and comedy to create vivid experiences for audiences.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
