Damian Lewis leads Rupert Goold's first season as Artistic Director of the Old Vic, starring in Henry V from 26 January 2027. Milly Alcock in Julie, a Goold revival of Sondheim's Assassins and Arinzé Kene in Kohlhaas make up the rest of the first four shows.
The Old Vic has named the first four productions of Rupert Goold's time as Artistic Director, and the 2027 season runs from January to September. Goold directs two of them himself: Henry V with Damian Lewis, and Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Assassins.
Goold comes to the Waterloo theatre after 13 years at the Almeida. Alongside his own two productions, the season brings in Rebecca Frecknall's Julie, with Milly Alcock in the title role, and Arinzé Kene's one-man show Kohlhaas.
Goold said: "I am thrilled to be presenting my first Season with a collection of plays that speaks to the Old Vic's rich history of classical theatre, European repertoire and musical revivals. I hope my Old Vic will be able to draw on this theatre's storied legacy of sensational acting in groundbreaking and accessible productions."
Henry V
Damian Lewis, known on screen for Homeland and Band of Brothers, makes his Old Vic debut as the warrior-king in a new staging of Shakespeare's history play directed by Rupert Goold. Performances run from 26 January to 27 March 2027, with press night on 9 February.
The production follows Henry's army from the walls of Harfleur to the field at Agincourt, and questions what turns a leader into a legend. Set design is by Miriam Buether, costume by Evie Gurney, lighting by Jack Knowles, sound and composition by Adam Cork, choreography by Hannes Langolf and casting by Bryony Jarvis-Taylor CDG.
The role carries some history in this building: Laurence Olivier played Henry V at the Old Vic in 1937, and that performance became the model for the Olivier Award statuette.
Julie
Milly Alcock (Supergirl, House of the Dragon) plays the title role in Rebecca Frecknall's contemporary reworking of August Strindberg's Miss Julie. Frecknall adapted and directed it for Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, where it had its world premiere, and it is her first production as the Old Vic's Associate Director. It plays from 10 April to 29 May 2027, with press night on 20 April.
The action unfolds in a kitchen on the night of Julie's 21st birthday party, where she seeks out her father's employees John and Christine and a reckless flirtation turns into a fight over class and desire. The creative team includes Chloe Lamford (set), An D'Huys (costume), Jack Knowles (lighting), George Dennis (sound), Amy Ball CDG (casting), Ingrid Mackinnon (intimacy) and Sam Lyon-Behan (fights), with more names to come.
Both Frecknall and Alcock make their Old Vic debuts here. The theatre last staged Miss Julie in 1966, with Maggie Smith in the role.
Assassins
Rupert Goold directs Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's satirical musical, which gathers a band of misfits who have tried to kill a President of the United States and asks why so many Americans have turned to violence to be heard. It runs from 15 June to 21 August 2027, with press night on 1 July.
This is the first time Assassins has played the Old Vic. The musical won five Tony Awards in 2004, including Best Revival, Best Direction and Best Orchestrations. Chloe Lamford designs the set and Bryony Jarvis-Taylor CDG is casting director. No cast has been named yet, and the rest of the creative team is still to be announced.
Kohlhaas
Arinzé Kene closes the four announced shows with Kohlhaas, a one-man piece translated and directed by Omar Elerian. It plays from 27 August to 4 September 2027, with press night on 31 August.
Marco Baliani and Remo Rostagno adapted Heinrich von Kleist's 1810 novella, the true story of Michael Kohlhaas, whose fight for justice after a nobleman wrongfully seizes two of his horses sets him against the political establishment. Brighton Festival premiered it in 2026 as its first original production, and it reunites Kene with Elerian after their Olivier-nominated Misty. Lighting and smoke effects are by Jackie Shemesh, set and costume by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita, sound by Dan Pollard and Matthew Herbert, and composition by Herbert.
Also announced
A new scheme for under-30s, Old Vic New Rush, offers £20 front-row seats for the first five previews of every main house show. A limited number are released two weeks before each first preview on a first come, first served basis, and sign-up is through the Old Vic's website.
The Greene Studio will host its first ever season in 2027, led by three directors under the Old Vic New Directors banner: Sara Aniqah Malik, Yasmin Hafesji and Roberta Zuric. Goold and Frecknall will mentor them, and that programme is due to be announced in early 2027. The Old Vic has also set up an ongoing partnership with Internationaal Theater Amsterdam to co-produce new work and exchange artists.
Executive Director Laura Stevenson said: "Our ambition is to be a welcoming place for people of all ages to experience the joy and power of theatre. We are excited to build on this ambition through the launch of our new ticketing scheme for under 30s and I look forward to seeing lots of Rush audiences in the front row this Season."
