Join these unstoppable women as they dismantle the patriarchy one spark plug at a time.
A bold new British musical written by Nicky Hallett, with music by musician and composer Val Regan is coming to Southwark.
Gwenda’s Garage is an exuberant call to arms filled with humour, heart, and original songs that
celebrates working-class women, lesbians, and the power of collective action.
1980s Sheffield, Thatcher’s Britain: politics, passion, protest… where anything might happen and usually does.
In a small industrial unit, something radical is going on. Three female mechanics defy the odds by setting up their own garage, named after pioneering racing driver Gwenda Stewart. But this garage is about more than cars.
Created by an all-lesbian team of writers and composers, the show draws on oral histories from the founders of Gwenda’s Garage and women who fought to make space for themselves in a hostile world.
The musical is based on a true story. The real Gwenda’s Garage was founded in 1985 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire by three women mechanics: Ros Wollen (aka Roz), Annette Williams, and Ros Wall. They defied the odds in a male-dominated field, by establishing their own repair workshop in what was then a run-down area of the city. Named after Gwenda Stewart, a pioneering, record-breaking racing driver, the garage became a hub for women’s education and activism alongside the day-to-day of car repairs.
The story follows mechanics, Bev, Carol and Terry, their apprentice Dipstick, and ally Feona, as they fight Section 28 and advocate the right to live free from prejudice, creating space for women and LGBTQ+ rights. In 2025, as Queer rights continue to be challenged across the world, this rousing new musical based on real life events couldn’t be speeding on to stage at a timelier moment.
Southwark Playhouse, Borough (The Large)
Address: 77-85 Newington Causeway, Borough, London SE1 6BD
Dates: Thurs 30 October – Sat 29 November 2025 | Press Night: Tue 4 November
Time: 7pm (2.30pm Tuesday and Saturday Matinees) | Running Time: 2 hours (including interval)
Ticket Price: £10 pioneer preview / £16 previews / £28 Standard / £22.50 Concession / £7-£15 PAYG members
Age Guidance: 12+
