English Touring Theatre has set out a 2027/28 season of six productions, four of them world premieres, which begins in Edinburgh and Dundee in the new year and ends at the Royal Court in 2028, where Jessie Buckley stars in Afterbirth.
The company describes the programme as the largest it has ever mounted. Alongside the four new plays come two classics, Romeo and Juliet and Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company, and the work is spread across co-producers in England, Scotland, Wales and Luxembourg.
Artistic director and joint chief executive Richard Twyman and executive producer and joint chief executive Sophie Scull said: “Our 2027/28 season brings together four fearless world premieres alongside two much-loved classics, and marks our biggest year ever. At a time when opportunities for touring work are increasingly under pressure, the scale and ambition of this season feels particularly significant.”
Afterbirth, Royal Court Theatre
The season closes in London. Oscar winner Jessie Buckley leads the world premiere of Afterbirth, a new play by Royal Court associate playwright Nina Segal, directed by Maria Aberg with set and costumes by Rosanna Vize. It is a funny, angry and unsparing look at the bewildering weeks after a baby arrives, centred on a new mother called Annie who insists, repeatedly, that she is fine.
The production was first confirmed as part of the Royal Court's 2027 programme. It is an English Touring Theatre commission, developed through the Royal Court's Genesis Next Generation Programme and co-produced by the two companies in association with Brian & Dayna Lee. It plays the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre from 15 January to 26 February 2028, with a press performance on 24 January 2028.
Company, The Yard Theatre
The Yard in Hackney Wick will stage a musical for the first time in its history, a new production of Company directed by its own artistic director, Jay Miller, which we covered in full this morning. It runs from 27 May to 10 July 2027, with press night on 8 June, then moves to Theatr Clwyd from 9 to 18 September 2027 before a UK tour whose further dates are still to come. The production is made in association with Theatr Clwyd.
Pericles, Prince of Lebanon, Bristol Old Vic and Luxembourg
Sami Ibrahim's reworking of Shakespeare follows a father and daughter separated by war across Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Libya and Greece, setting the original verse against modern speech. Richard Twyman directs and Amer Hlehel plays the title role; the full cast is in our earlier report. It opens at Bristol Old Vic from 25 February to 20 March 2027, with a press performance on Wednesday 3 March, and then plays Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg from 14 to 16 April 2027, in association with MMXX.
Romeo and Juliet, UK tour
Chelsea Walker directs a contemporary staging with Matthew Anthony Ralph, in his professional stage debut, as Romeo and Lauren Conroy as Juliet; the rest of the company is named in our casting story. Co-produced with the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse, it tours as follows:
- 30 January - 27 February 2027: Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (press night 4 February)
- 3-20 March 2027: Leeds Playhouse, Leeds
- 23-27 March 2027: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
- 13-17 April 2027: Northern Stage, Newcastle
- 20 April - 8 May 2027: Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham
The Ferry, Scottish tour
Scottish playwright Linda McLean has written The Ferry, a new play about county lines exploitation developed from an idea by Paul Rattray and directed by the Tron's artistic director, Jemima Levick. Its central figure is Freddy, fifteen and recently orphaned, who accepts a job and a rail ticket from Glasgow to Dundee from a man called Chris. At the end of the line is Broughty Ferry, where he becomes entangled with Darren, a recovering heroin user looking after his father Rab, whose dementia is advancing, and Darren's aunt June. A programme of outreach work with young people will run alongside it in each city.
- 6-20 February 2027: Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee (previews from Saturday 6 February, press night 11 February)
- 23 February - 6 March 2027: Tron Theatre, Glasgow
- 9-20 March 2027: Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Twelve Letters To My Name, Sheffield Playhouse
Lettie Precious's coming-of-age play Twelve Letters To My Name follows Tobi and Jay, newly arrived in Sheffield and the only two Africans in their class, as they try to keep hold of their names and find their footing far from home. A co-production between Sheffield Theatres, English Touring Theatre and Graeae, it grew out of ETT's Nationwide Voices programme, supported by the John Ellerman Foundation, and receives its world premiere at the Sheffield Theatres Playhouse from 12 to 26 June 2027.
Of the six productions, the London run of Afterbirth is the one listed on Best of Theatre, where its show page carries the performance schedule and booking details for the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs.
