Glitch - The true story of the Post Office scandal
6th February - 17th April 2026
UK National Theatre Tour
“A powerful, emotional and fascinating story from the excellent RABBLE Theatre.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ West End Best Friend
Written by Zannah Kearns
Dramaturgy by Beth Flintoff
Running Time: 80 mins
Pam Stubbs has been sub-postmistress of Barkham Post Office for over twenty years, respected and loved by the community. But when unexplained discrepancies start appearing in her accounts, Pam soon finds herself at the heart of the biggest miscarriage of justice in English legal history.
"Glitch" is an inspirational true story, based on the experiences of Pam and her colleagues. The play was created with sub-postmistresses and masters affected by the events, key members of the legal process and commissioned by the University of Reading.
Pam Stubbs, Sub-postmistress “Thank you for your kindness. Thank you for your production. I think it will resonate and help people understand what happened. I think watching Glitch will help people begin to understand how people caught up in this actually felt: what did they lose from their lives? With the play you get to witness someone going through the experience as if it’s happening right in front of you."
Tracy Felstead, Sub-postmistress “It was truly amazing. I really do hope you go on tour with this as I know my friends and family would love to watch it. You guys made it about US not POL, which was fantastic and I thank you for all you have done.”
Janet Skinner, Sub-postmistress “You have done Pam, Tracy, myself and others proud. I really hope you have the chance to share it with so many others around the country. Again, thank you.”
Seema Misra, Sub postmistress “Your production was amazing. Thank you so much for keeping the story alive”
Ian Warren, Sub-postmaster “I thought it was incredible. I was riveted. Just riveted."
Nick Wallis, Investigative Journalist “Go and see this piece of theatre. It has a visceral effect that is very, very powerful.”
Dominic Cavendish, The Daily Telegraph ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A Powerful response to a national disgrace. First Class.”
The Curtain Theatre Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Impeccable”
Mature Times ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Magnificent”
Northern Arts Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “exactly the kind of confronting theatre this story deserves”
Get the Chance Wales ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Deserves Widespread viewing”
Suffolk Theatre Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Excellent”
Broadway Baby ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Outstanding Production”
Suffolk News ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Powerful”
West End Best Friend ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The excellent RABBLE Theatre... A powerful, emotional and fascinating story.”
The Guardian “Superb quartet of actors. A distinctive and original piece”
Newbury Theatre ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A very impressive production.”
Buzz News ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Beautifully moving”
The Spy in the Stalls ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Subtle and involving”
Newbury Today ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A powerful account of human suffering... captivating... seamless.”
Glitch Education Pack
Our Education Packs are designed to help teachers and students engage with a production, providing context, enhancing understanding and linking performance to curriculum.
The Glitch Pack was created by Reading University and RABBLE. It is designed for KS3 / KS4 students and also explores the Post Office Horizon Scandal, highlighting how drama can shine a light on injustice giving a voice to people who aren’t heard.
National UK Tour 2026
Watch: A glimpse into the production
A Nick Flintoff Film
Discover more:
In this short film, Professor Elizabeth Conaghan, lecturer at Reading University School of Law, explains the wider story behind the scandal and explains how she got to know Pam Stubbs.
How audiences are responding:
See how audiences are reacting after watching Glitch on its current tour around the UK.
Cast
Joanne Howarth - Pam Stubbs, Sub-Postmistress of Barkham
Joanne Howarth will play the leading role of Pam Stubbs, the sub-postmistress of Barkham wrongly accused of stealing tens of thousands of pounds.
Joanne was in RABBLE’s The Last Abbot of Reading. She is a ‘Shakespeare’s Globe’ Associate Artist where she worked on 5 seasons of Shakespeare and The Crucible last year and has been in 11 shows for the RSC, recently as Margaret Thatcher in Falkland Sound.
Joanne started her career at The Wolsey, Ipswich and has played many places on the ‘Glitch’ tour including The Importance of Being Ernest in Chester, Our Lady of Blundellsands in Liverpool, and Henry V in Scarborough. Other favourites this millennium include Told By An Idiot’s You Can’t Take It With You at The Royal Exchange Manchester, Parliament Square there and at The Bush, Goodnight Mr Tom in the West End, King Lear with Glenda Jackson at The Old Vic and The Pull of Negative Gravity at 59E59st Off-Broadway.
Television includes Wallander, Grange Hill, Spooks, It’s A Sin, Call the Midwife and EastEnders.
Naveed Khan - David, Daljit, Green and Sir Alan Bates
Naveed Khan trained at The Oxford School of Drama. He will be playing the roles of David, Daljit, Green and Sir Alan Bates.
Theatre - Tamburlaine, Buddha of Suburbia and Tartuffe (RSC), Pitcairn (Shakespeare's Globe, Chichester Festival Theatre & Out of Joint), Parlour Song (Greenwich Theatre), A Thousand Splendid Suns (Birmingham REP), Around the World in 80 Days (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds), Paradise of the Assassins (Tara Arts), Darknet (Southwark Playhouse) 59 Minutes to Save Christmas (The Barbican & Slung Low), Flood - To The Sea & Flood - Abundance (Slung Low & BBC), The Trial (Watford Palace Theatre), Pioneer and After the Rainfall (Curious Directive).
TV - QuarterLife (Amazon Prime), Black Ops (BBC), The Cleaner (BBC), Ludwig (BBC), Generation Z (All3Media International), Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes (ITV), This City is Ours, (LeftBank), Sex Education (Netflix), Breeders (Sky), Not Going Out (BBC), Tell Me Everything(ITV), Living in Fear (Sky), Humans (Channel 4), Electric Dreams (Channel 4), Hold the Sunset (BBC), Josh (BBC), Birds of a Feather(ITV), River (BBC) and The Catherine Tate Show (BBC).
Feature Film - Bridget Jones - Mad About the Boy (Universal), Fuze (Sigma Films), Death on the Nile (20th Century Studios), Between The Lights (Laal Blue Dot), Northern Comfort (Good Chaos), What’s love got to do with it? (Instinct), Body of Water (BFI & BBC Films), Survivor (Millennium Films),Second Coming (BFI/Film4).
Sabina Netherclift - Kay Linnell, Swift and Hilary
Sabina Netherclift will be playing the roles of Kay Linnell, Swift, Hilary and others.
She trained with Jacques Lecoq in Paris and has worked extensively as a performer, movement director and director. Her acting credits include Glitch stage 1 and Off the Block (RABBLE Theatre), The Great British Bump Off (South Street Arts Centre), The Red Ladies, The Feast During the Plague, The Overcoat (Clod Ensemble), and The Nativity (Young Vic). On screen, she has appeared in Doctors (BBC) and The Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome (BBC).
She co-founded Filament Theatre, alongside composer Osnat Schmool, and is a resident artist at South Street Arts Centre. Sabina lectures at GSA and is a regular teacher for RABBLE Theatre’s participation programme.
Laura Pennycard - Nora, Tracey, Jan, Judge
Playing Nora, Tracey, Jan, Judge is Laura Penneycard.
For RABBLE, Laura has been involved in various development projects, Off The Block new writing festival and the radio production of Who Killed Alfred Oliver?. She has been involved in Glitch from the very beginning.
Laura graduated from The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama 2002. Theatre credits include The Mousetrap, Firework Maker’s Daughter, Master and Margarita directed by Blanche McIntyre & Of Good Report chronicling the work of Spike Milligan & co. She has toured with Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Bristol Old Vic, Birmingham Stage, Yellow Coat Theatre, Queens Theatre Hornchurch, Torch Theatre, Rosa Productions, Greenham Trust and ACT Productions.
TV & film credits include Doc Martin and multiple historical horrors.
Creative Team
Writer: Zannah Kearns
Dramaturg: Beth Flintoff
Director: Gareth Taylor
Design: Caitlin Abbott
Lighting Design: Oliver Welsh
Music & Sound: Brain Rays
Produced by RABBLE Theatre and Matthew Linley
Based on an original concept by Elizabeth Conaghan
Initial Commission and Originator: University of Reading
Original Co-Director: Gemma Colclough
The Story of the Project
In 2022, Elizabeth Conachan of the University of Reading’s School of Law contacted RABBLE Theatre to ask if we’d be interested in developing a new play, based on the largest miscarriage of justice in English legal history. The university, it transpired, base much of their teaching on the case of local sub-postmistress, Pam Stubbs of Barkham P.O..
Because RABBLE Theatre tell local stories of national significance and champion women, we quickly agreed that this was a project that strongly aligned with our aims.
Following significant research by writer Zannah Kearns, who worked closely with Pam, the School of Law and legal professionals involved in the case, Zannah created a script that deals brilliantly with the complexities and emotional challenges of the story, with dramaturgy from RABBLE’s associate writer Beth Flintoff.
PhD student and RABBLE’s then Director of Outreach, Gemma Colclough, led the play through a research and development process with student actors from both the Film, Theatre and Television and Law departments, working alongside RABBLE's professional creatives.
In 2024, the play previewed at the University of Reading’s Minghella Theatre, with Gareth Taylor joining as Co-Director.
We are very grateful to Arts Council England for recognising the value of the work and for investing £85,000 into the 2026 national tour of the play. Our gratitude also goes to the University of Reading’s Community Fund and Arts Committee, which enabled the play’s initial development and staging, and to the vital business sponsors featured below, who have supported RABBLE Theatre.
Throughout the development of this play, RABBLE worked with investigative journalist, Nick Wallis, who is widely credited as being the principal source of information on the Horizon Post Office Scandal. To learn more about Nick's remarkable work and the wider story of the Post Office Scandal, please click here.
Watch how we created the show with the University
“As a theatre company, we have the opportunity to speak for those who have been oppressed. Pam refused to be intimidated and her story is one of immense courage, determination and inspiration that we are privileged to amplify.”
Toby Davies, Artistic Director & Co-Founder RABBLE Theatre
“We have seen in recent weeks just how important drama and storytelling can be to make an impact in society, by appealing to the imagination of public and politicians alike.”
Professor Robert Van de Noort CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading.
We are grateful to the following sponsors for their support:
