Bush Theatre names 2026-27 season

The season, featuring eight newly announced productions across the Bush's two performance spaces, is the first under artistic director Taio Lawson.

Summary

• The Bush Theatre's 2026-27 season includes eight productions across its two stages
• On the Holloway stage are Before We Forget; Darkling; The Bridge; Global Majority; and Insane Asylum Seekers
• On the Studio stage are The Hungry Ghost; Attention; and Ripples

Artistic director Taio Lawson has named his first season of work at the Bush Theatre, containing five shows in the Bush's larger Holloway Theatre and three in its smaller Studio.

The Holloway season begins with Before We Forget, a Bush Theatre Community production created by the 18-25 Young Company and Amber Ruby, who also directs. Amid a data collapse in an increasingly monetised world, a group of friends has to decide what parts of their memories, and humanity, are worth holding on to. Performances run from 18-22 August.

From 5 September to 24 October is Titas Halder's Darkling, directed by Matthew Xia. In 1984 Bhopal, India, a girl and her family's lives are torn apart by ecological disaster.

The creative team includes designer Simon Kenny, lighting designer Rajiv Pattani, sound designer Beth Duke, composer Niraj Chag, and movement director Anjali Mehra. Darkling is a Bush Theatre and Actors Touring Company co-production.

Next is The Bridge, presented by Palestine Comedy Club in association with Bush Theatre. Following up his Scotsman Fringe First-winning debut The Horse of Jenin, Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada returns with the story of his annual trip to deliver a gift from his mom in the West Bank to her sister in Jordan. Performances run 28 October to 11 November.

The Bridge is written and performed by Shehada, co-written and directed by Sam Beale, and produced by Qasim Salam for Palestine Comedy Club. The movement director is Micaela Miranda, composer and sound Designer is Julius Pollux Rothlaender, and lighting designer is Lily Dawford.

Chris Fung's Global Majority is next, directed by Rupert Hands as a Fun Guy Theatre, Gabriella Sills Productions and Bush Theatre co-production. Performances run from 25 November 2026 to 16 January 2027. The show follows Brian Tran, who is undergoing increasingly difficult interview tests to become the world's most powerful leader. But if he fails, he could face dire consequences in this story described as "Black Mirror meets Succession."

Finally, on the Holloway stage, Samia Djilli and Sarah Allen in association with Bush Theatre present Insane Asylum Seekers, written by Laith Elzubaidi and directed by Emily Ling Williams. Tommy Sim’aan stars as Laith, whose parents escaped Iraq 30 years ago and who has a secret that's catching up with him.

Performances run 12 February to 20 March 2027.

The season's remaining three shows are in the Bush Theatre Studio. Starting off the Studio season, from 1–31 October, is The Hungry Ghost, written by Mei Leng Yew, directed by Ailin Conant, and starring Olivier Award nominee Mei Mac. In this horror rom-com, a woman moves in with her secret girlfriend and, proving her mother's superstitious warning right, invites a ghost into their home.

Next, Tilly Taylor in association with Bush Theatre presents Attention, written by Georgia Bruce and directed by Jules Head. Telling a story of love and what it takes to build a life with someone, the actors choose how to tell the story and try to get on the same page by the end of this physical, queer play.

Bláithín Mac Gabhann and Norah Lopez Holden star. Performances run from 19 November to 23 December.

Bush's final Studio show is Ripples, written by Tafadzwa Muchenje and Rosie MacPherson and directed by MacPherson. The show stars Muchenje as a man fighting for himself and justice as he's about to be deported from Britain, in a story based on true events. Performances run 21 January to 27 February 2027.

The creative team also includes composer and sound designer Lee Affen, technical director Tom Robbins, movement director Zoe Katsilerou, video designer Matt Powell, and lighting designer Charly Dunford. Ripples is presented by Stand & Be Counted in association with Bush Theatre.

Additional cast and creative team information about the above productions has yet to be revealed.

‘It’s a genuinely heady experience to announce a first season of work at the Bush, which aims to broaden the impact of the work we produce, the scope of conversations we have, and the theatre makers with whom we collaborate," Lawson said in a statement. 'In doing so, this season is our first intentional step of blasting open the door to the future of our art form and our relationship with the world around us.

'Each production, whether it’s in our Studio or Holloway Theatre, is the manifestation of great creative minds merging to give the best theatrical experience possible. We hope to enliven both the hearts and minds of our audiences, with feelings that linger and memories that endure.

'I’m excited to open our venue to creatives with a real-world view, whether based in the UK or further afield, and to involve companies including Actors Touring Company, New Earth Theatre, and Stand and Be Counted, as we share a vision of theatre that sparks a fire in hearts and minds, in bold and entertaining ways. This is the start of us, in our own way, transforming, disrupting and exploring what theatre can be.’

Photo credit: Bush Theatre artistic team members Taio Lawson, Frey Kwa Hawking and Olivia Poglio-Nwabali. (Photo by Courtney Phillip; concept by Emilie Chen)