The first production photos from Affluenza are here, putting Noah Schnapp and Janette Manrara on stage in Andy Sandberg’s new play at Riverside Studios. Press night is Monday 5 October.
Affluenza is in previews now at Riverside Studios, and Danny Kaan’s photographs show the whole company on the set for the first time. Press night is Monday 5 October at 7pm. The run closes on Saturday 28 November.
The world premiere is the stage debut of Noah Schnapp, known to screen audiences from Stranger Things. Janette Manrara, best known from Strictly Come Dancing, trades the dance floor for a straight play. The rest of the six-strong cast is Rupert Young (Bridgerton, Dear Evan Hansen), Juliet Cowan (Broken Glass at the Young Vic), Wallis Currie-Wood (Madam Secretary on CBS, Elektra in the West End) and Donald Sage Mackay (Indian Ink at Hampstead Theatre, Girl from the North Country in the West End).
Andy Sandberg wrote the play and directs it. It is set among the super-rich of the Hamptons. A teenager drives drunk, the night ends in tragedy, and a court is left with one question: can a person be so wealthy that they cannot tell right from wrong? The story draws on real events around a notorious legal defence, and it looks hard at privilege, family legacy and the American justice system. The production’s own line puts it neatly: “Privilege is inherited. So are the consequences.”
Demand pushed the run past its original dates before previews had even begun, as we reported last week. Sandberg said: “We’ve been thrilled by the audience's reaction to Affluenza in previews. The extraordinary cast have brought my characters to life in the most wonderful way, and we’re set for a phenomenal run between now and 28 November.”
Affluenza is the first of five new plays in the Mainstage Season 26/27 at Riverside Studios, and Sandberg directs all of them as the season’s artistic director. Next up is Sacrilegious by Tom Schulman, the Oscar-winning writer of Dead Poets Society, from 5 December 2026 to 23 January 2027, with press night on 15 December. Then comes Expecting by Scott Elmegreen and Drew Fornarola, from 30 January to 27 March 2027, with John Bradley, Joe Dempsie, Katie Leung and Jamie-Lee O’Donnell in the cast. Both have just gone on sale.
The set is by Charlie Corcoran, with costumes by Hannah Schmidt, who is also associate set designer. Jack Weir lights the show, Emily Drohan designs the sound and Will Van Dyke writes the original music. Casting is by Nicholas Hockaday, and Scott Elmegreen supplies additional material. Cecilie Fray is associate director and Florence Carr-Jones assistant director.
Affluenza is booking now at Riverside Studios until Saturday 28 November 2026, with tickets from £25. Evening shows are Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, plus Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. Two extra performances have been added, on Sunday 4 October at 7.30pm and Tuesday 3 November at 2.30pm, while the Saturday 7 November matinee is cancelled. The captioned performance is on Saturday 14 November at 2.30pm.
