Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
The following press release was issued:
WORK-IN-PROGRESS PERFORMANCE OF THE NEW MUSICAL BABYFACE – THE FIERCE WRESTLING MUSICAL BY SEIRIOL DAVIES AT CHESTER STORYHOUSE ON WEDNESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2026 PRESENTED AS PART OF STORYHOUSE QUEER
Jafar Iqbal and PW Productions are thrilled to present a work-in-progress performance of BABYFACE – THE FIERCE WRESTLING MUSICAL, written by Seiriol Davies. With a 11-strong cast comprising musical theatre performers and professional wrestlers, this one-off performance, presented as part of Storyhouse Queer festival on Wednesday 11 February 2026, will be the very first time audiences can buy tickets to see this show. Tickets are £15 and on sale to the public from 11.00am tomorrow, Friday 28 November. www.babyfacemusical.com
BABYFACE is the rags-to-spandex story of best friends Gruff and Rezi, two tender queer souls from Rhyl, climbing the ranks of an industry where selling your persona is everything. Gruff wants to be a poet but his Nanna Dela needs money to keep the local bailiffs at bay; so Gruff must follow the path of his late grandad, the legendary wrestler Rhyl Dryll. Rezi wants to be the first ever female wrestling world champion. But can their friendship survive this crazy, sweaty, hyper-charged world? Will they turn into villains, or will they be… Babyfaces?
Fusing musical theatre and pro-wrestling (yes, with ACTUAL wrestling in an ACTUAL ring!) it’s a laugh-out-loud thrill ride that asks: in a polarised world, what happens when your need for community conflicts with your urge to WIN?
BABYFACE has been in development for three years and was presented in May 2025 in Birmingham as part of BEAM2025, a national showcase of new musicals. Producer Jafar Iqbal has now partnered with leading West End production company PW Productions.
The producers said: “We could not be more excited to bring this fabulous fever dream of a show to audiences in Chester. We look forward to welcoming them and sharing this show at a crucial stage in its development.”
Seiriol Davies said: “This will be a work-in-progress performance of a sizeable chunk of the show. Audiences have the chance to be in at the ground floor of this explosive new musical, seeing it in its rawest, earliest form. There may be casualties! (for insurance purposes we must stress: there will be very few casualties). Get the chance to say you were there at the start! For me it’s terrifying… and electrifying!!”
It follows the success of Davies’ How To Win Against History, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016, returning in 2025, winning The Stage Edinburgh Award and receiving critical acclaim, including:
★★★★★
The Daily Telegraph
‘A work of genius.’
★★★★★
The Stage
‘A glittering production.’
★★★★
The Times
‘Sparkling piece of musical theatre.’
Seiriol Davies is a writer, composer and performer from Anglesey. As well as How to Win Against History, Seiriol has written shows including Milky Peaks (Theatr Clwyd and touring), Betty! A Sort of Musical with Maxine Peake (Manchester Royal Exchange) and Branwen:Dadeni for the Donald Gordon Theatre, Wales Millennium Centre (as co-writer). They have also created work with companies such as Punchdrunk, English National Opera, The Gate Theatre, Underbling & Vow, The Unicorn Theatre and Le Gateau Chocolat. Currently, Seiriol is developing a musical with Hijinx, a queer medieval Shakespearian epic about Henry the Fifth and Welsh folk hero Owain Glyndwr, entitled Sweet Henry Vee with the Birmingham Rep, and Charles Actual Dickens and the Death Ship of Gold with Francesca Moody Productions.
Storyhouse Queer is a week-long community festival held in partnership with Chester Pride celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community in Chester and beyond with film, performances, workshops and more.
LISTINGS
Chester Storyhouse, Hunter Street, Chester CH1 2AR
Performance at 7.30pm on Wednesday 11 February 2026
Tickets are £15
ABOUT JAFAR IQBAL
Jafar Iqbal is an independent producer based out of Cardiff, who works in both the commercial and subsidised sector. He is also Founder & CEO of JHOOM, the first theatre company making work for, by and with the South Asian communities in Wales, connecting them with the UK and the rest of the world. Across two decades of working in the arts, Jafar has worked for and alongside organisations including the BBC, National Theatre, Sherman Theatre, Theatr Clwyd, The Other Room Theatre, National Theatre Wales. He is a Stage One alumni, and the recipient of the prestigious Stage One Bursary. In his previous life as a critic, Jafar wrote reviews for publications such as The Stage and WhatsOnStage.
ABOUT PW PRODUCTIONS
PW Productions is one of the West End’s most prolific and significant theatre producers, responsible for some of the most successful productions in British theatre since it was founded in 1983 by Peter Wilson MBE. Productions have included Spirited Away at the London Coliseum, Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, Stephen Daldry’s production of J B Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, Ross Willis’ Wonder Boy, De La Guarda at the Roundhouse, Nigel Slater’s Toast and many more. The company has acted as General Manager and Production Accountant for more than 500 productions throughout the world. PW Productions, in partnership with promoters and co-producers, has also presented work in Japan, Singapore, Canada, USA, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Austria, Australia and Hong Kong.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
