National Theatre Announces 18 Productions In 2027 Programme Including West Side Story, James Graham and Punchdrunk
National Theatre have announced their programme for 2027 consisting of 18 productions including eight world premieres across their stages and beyond.
There is an overarching theme in the programme interrogating the last century, bringing together national and global perspectives spanning continents and speaking with fresh urgency to the questions that define the times we are living in. Together, these plays both old and new explore how resilience and hope endure in the face of conflict and division.
Included in their programme was the announcement of what may be the worst kept secret in theatre. A major revival of the Broadway classic West Side Story will run at the Olivier Theatre in winter 2027, with exact dates to be confirmed. The production will be co-directed by Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell, with Jerome Robbins’ original choreography reproduced and adapted by Julio Monge. An open casting call went out recently with anyone interested needing to have submitted before it closed earlier today.
West Side Story isn’t the only musical in their programme. The world premiere of Glorious Madness is a new British musical with the music and lyrics of the legendary Grammy and Brit Award-winning artist Joan Armatrading. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, this new love story has a book by Iman Qureshi, in a co-production with KPPL Productions. It plays at the Dorfman Theatre in Spring 2027.
Other world premieres include Major, a new play by James Graham, reuniting with director Jeremy Herrin and following on from their acclaimed production of This House, takes audiences back to the defining moment when John Major took over as Prime Minister from Margaret Thatcher. It will play at the Olivier Theatre in Spring/Summer 2027.
National Theatre Director Indhu Rubasingham reunites with writer Moira Buffini to direct new play The Great Indaba, dramatising how the 1998 Good Friday Agreement took a big step forward at an extraordinary meeting in South Africa. It will play at the Olivier in Autumn 2027.
At the Dorfman Theatre from 4th February - 13th March 2027 is Samira, a new play by Carmen Nasr and directed by Emily Burns. Set during the Arab Spring, the cast includes May Calamawy, Joshua McGuire and Sirine Saba.
British Nigerian writer Oladipo Agboluaje’s new epic family drama The Adeyemis – A Family Saga will be directed by Lucian Msamati with three-time Emmy winning actor Uzo Aduba making her National Theatre debut in the cast alongside Lucian Msamati. Catch it at the Dorfman in Winter 2027.
Natasha Gordon adapts Bernardine Evaristo’s acclaimed novel Mr Loverman at the Lyttelton Theatre from 25th February - 17th April 2027. Directed by Paulette Randall, initial casting includes Gary Beadle, Jo Martin and Danny Sapani.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the National Theatre’s South Bank home, next summer the multi-award-winning theatre company Punchdrunk will create a new immersive production, conceived and directed by Felix Barrett, and curated by writer Lucy Kirkwood. Interestingly, Ghostlight just has the words “National Theatre” in its listing. At a launch event this morning, I asked Indhu if it would play one of their three spaces or someone else. All she would say is it “would reveal a different side to the building” audiences haven’t seen.
There are more reimagined classics to enjoy at the National next year, beginning with a new production of Tennessee Williams’ rarely performed masterpiece, Suddenly Last Summer. Michael Grandage will direct Emma Corrin, Arty Froushan and Harriet Walter at the Olivier Theatre from 19th February - 24th April.
Marking a celebrated artistic partnership, former National Theatre Director Richard Eyre will return to reunite with playwright David Hare and stage a new production of his landmark, award-winning play, Plenty, ahead of its 50th anniversary, with initial casting that includes Emilia Clarke making her National Theatre debut. It plays at the Lyttelton in Spring 2027.
As previously announced, Death of a Salesman and A Whistle in the Dark will run in rep, with Paul Mescal starring in both. Joining him in the repertory productions of Arthur Miller’s modern classic directed by Rebecca Frecknall and Tom Murphy’s Irish masterpiece directed by Caitríona McLaughlin are Monica Dolan, Ciarán Hinds, Tracy Letts and Aisling Loftus. Both productions run at the Lyttelton in Summer/Autumn 2027.
National Theatre Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie will stage a new production of Tom Stoppard’s absurdist classic Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,, 60 years on from the first London and Broadway productions, with Mawaan Rizwan and George Fouracres in the title roles. It plays the Lyttelton theatre in Autumn/Winter 2027.
Ballet Shoes, the National Theatre’s hit stage adaptation, will embark on a major UK tour, co-produced with Chris Harper Productions. Casting includes Strictly Come Dancing’s Anton Du Beke. The production will be working with Frozen Light, who will be providing multisensory performances for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities for select venues on the tour.
Audiences in all English regions will see productions from the National Theatre in their areas: The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will tour directly from its Dorfman run into seven major regional theatres and The Last Wild, in a co production with the Unicorn Theatre, will tour in a new adaptation for primary school and family audiences to seven venues.
Take Your Seats, will return in March to share Indhu Rubasingham’s family staging of The Jungle Book with audiences globally, for free via YouTube. This special week-long streaming initiative from National Theatre at Home, gives anyone, anywhere, access to world-class theatre for free. To ensure it can be enjoyed by the widest audience globally, The Jungle Book will be captioned in five different languages alongside English, including Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish and Tamil.
Indhu Rubasingham, Director and Co-Chief Executive of the National Theatre, says:
‘Next year’s programme brings together a remarkable range of work that looks across the last century to explore the perspectives, cultures and conflicts that continue to shape our world. Some of these stories are unfamiliar, some are rediscovered, and others are boldly reimagined for the times we are living in.
From new musicals and immersive theatre, to filmed productions translated into local languages and plays interwoven in repertory, each of these shows is shaped by extraordinary artists and united by themes of resilience and hope. Above all, at a time when we’re constantly asking what’s true, this programme puts the experience of truth at its heart.
In the Olivier, we are premiering two new plays by leading British playwrights, each returning to pivotal moments in the 1990s, a period that drastically shaped political futures, and each exploring themes of leadership, division and the possibility of forgiveness.
It means a lot to me to present this season of incisive plays, reflecting the international spirit at the heart of our National Theatre. With twentieth century classics, eight new plays and global stories, we are proud to continue our work of bringing the National Theatre to the world, and the world to the National Theatre.’
Kate Varah, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive of the National Theatre, says:
‘Our 2027 programme reflects a scale, ambition and reach that places us at the heart of the UK’s thriving cultural ecosystem. At a time when original storytelling has never felt more important, we're investing in new writing, championing bold artistic voices and sharing the magic of theatre with audiences, wherever they are.
And, to mark six decades since our first Broadway transfer and in celebration of the National Theatre’s enduring cultural exchange with America, we have classic American plays on our London stages, our smash-hit Inter Alia transferring across the Atlantic, and we continue to expand our reach in schools across America.
It's remarkable that our work today reaches millions of people across 184 countries worldwide. From our stages to communities across the UK and audiences around the globe, we're bringing the very best of British theatre to more people than ever before.’
Tickets for Suddenly Last Summer, Mr Loverman and Samira go on sale from midday on Thursday 24th September. On sale for all other 2027 shows will be announced in due course.