Riverside Studios has set out eight productions for the winter of its 50th anniversary year, among them a revival of Mike Bartlett’s An Intervention, a world premiere comedy from Tom Schulman and an adults-only pantomime.
The Hammersmith venue opened in 1976, and the winter programme it has now confirmed closes out its half-century, running from the start of November 2026 to the end of March 2027 at Riverside Studios. New plays and solo pieces sit alongside a revival, a Christmas pantomime for grown-ups and two larger studio productions that had already been announced.
The anniversary has been shaped partly by the building’s own past, through special performances, creative partnerships and the return of several of the people who made its name across theatre, dance, television, comedy, music and visual art.
November opens with Little Lord Fondleroy (3-5 November), Jordana Belaiche’s solo comedy set in a brutal boarding school for boys, which was named Best Show at the Bitesize Festival 2026. Act of God follows from 9 to 26 November: Jacob O’Connor’s debut play about a Wythenshawe man sent on a course of therapy through poetry, first announced on 29 September.
Two shorter runs overlap later in the month. Are You Even Indian? (17-29 November) follows a British-born Indian woman and an Indian-born man whose romance is tested by family and by the labels others put on them, while In My Own Little World (19-29 November) is a world premiere for Jaz Terry’s one-woman piece about a young trans woman early in her transition, which Terry writes, directs and performs.
The adult pantomime Tinderella takes the Christmas slot from 10 to 30 December. Running across the holiday is Sacrilegious (5 December - 23 January), the world premiere of a comedy by Tom Schulman, the Academy Award-winning writer of Dead Poets Society, in which an idealistic young rabbi takes on the billionaire president of his congregation over a multi-million-dollar donation. Andy Sandberg directs, and press night is Tuesday 15 December.
The new year brings Mike Bartlett’s An Intervention (11 January - 13 February), revived by Want the Moon Theatre twelve years after its Watford premiere and directed by Adam Karim. The season ends with Expecting (30 January - 27 March), a new play about two couples weighing up parenthood, whose cast of John Bradley, Joe Dempsie, Katie Leung and Jamie-Lee O’Donnell was announced earlier today.
The season follows Affluenza, which is already in performance at the venue and is the subject of an Everything you need to know guide on this site.
Rhys Williamson, Head of Programming at Riverside Studios, said: “We’re excited to welcome the last few months of our 50th year with further addition to our programme that reflect the creativity and ambition of Riverside Studios. From bold new writing to inventive theatrical experiences, this season brings together experimental theatre, storytelling, and moments of humour to celebrate 50 years of Riverside!”
