King John
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
- Opens: Sunday, 7 February 2027 -
Booking until: Sunday, 11 April 2027
King John description
Shakespeare wrote more than thirty plays, but most of us never get to see King John. It is one of his most neglected works — and one of his most fascinating: a portrait of a monarch who knows, deep down, that he doesn't quite belong on the throne.
John has the crown, but not the conviction. His claim to England is shaky, his legitimacy is contested, and the ghost of his more beloved elder brother haunts his every decision. As foreign enemies mass at the borders and domestic plots multiply at court, John must find a way to become the king he insists he already is. It's a play about the gap between the role you claim and the person you actually are — and it is riveting.
Making her Shakespeare's Globe directorial debut is Jaz Woodcock-Stewart — and what a debut to look forward to. Olivier-nominated and internationally celebrated, her production of Die Glasmenagerie at Theater Basel was selected for the 2026 Theatertreffen, Germany's most prestigious theatre festival. She is a Resident Artist with House Productions (makers of Conclave and Zone of Interest) and a recipient of a Berlin Fellowship at the Akademie der Künste.
The intimate, candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is the perfect arena for this most interior of history plays. With Woodcock-Stewart at the helm, Shakespeare's great overlooked masterpiece is about to get the production it deserves.
Book now — you may not get another chance to see King John done like this for a very long time.
