Key Points
- Greenwich Theatre has launched Greenwich Theatre Productions, a new producing arm to boost in-house production and tour shows across London venues, including King’s Head Theatre, Park Theatre, and Southwark Playhouse Borough.
- The 2026 season features four powerful in-house productions, new writing initiatives, visiting companies, comedy, musical events, one-night engagements, and a year-round Emerging Artists Programme.
- America the Beautiful by Neil LaBute premieres at King’s Head Theatre (9th–21st March 2026), then transfers to Greenwich Theatre (30th March–4th April 2026); includes UK and world premieres across nine short plays in three chapters.
- TWO by Jim Cartwright, an immersive revival with original cast Peter Caulfield and Kellie Shirley, transfers to Park Theatre (1st–25th April 2026).
- The Wasp by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm runs at Southwark Playhouse Borough (6th–30th May 2026), then Greenwich Theatre (4th–12th September 2026).
- In-house at Greenwich: The Swallowing Dark by Lizzie Nunnery (1st–23rd May 2026), a political thriller on immigration; new musical Romeo and Juliet (3rd July–2nd August 2026); family show The Little Mermaid adapted by Anthony Spargo (7th–23rd August 2026); pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk by Anthony Spargo (27th November 2026–10th January 2027).
- Comments from key figures: Sofi Berenger (King’s Head Theatre), Jez Bond (Park Theatre), Chris Smyrnios (Southwark Playhouse Borough), James Haddrell (Greenwich Theatre Artistic Director).
- Focus on contemporary work, emerging and established writers, community roots, sustainability, and cultural hub role amid threats to shared spaces.
Greenwich, (South London News) February 2, 2026 – Greenwich Theatre has unveiled an ambitious 2026 season alongside the launch of its new producing arm, Greenwich Theatre Productions, which will extend in-house shows to venues across the capital, reinforcing the theatre’s commitment to contemporary drama and community engagement.
What is Greenwich Theatre Productions?
Greenwich Theatre Productions marks a significant expansion for the independent venue, rooted in its Greenwich community but now venturing geographically and aspirationally beyond south London. This initiative builds on the theatre’s long-standing dedication to contemporary work, championing both emerging and established writers while extending production lifespans past single runs. Productions will tour to partner venues such as King’s Head Theatre, Park Theatre, and Southwark Playhouse Borough, fostering collaborations that enhance sustainability and audience reach.
As per the official announcement, the producing arm sits parallel to an expansive 2026 season, blending four in-house shows with touring transfers, new writing, visiting companies, comedy nights, musical events, one-night stands, and an Emerging Artists Programme featuring Scratch Nights, work-in-progress showings, and open applications.
Artistic Director James Haddrell emphasised the season’s significance, stating,
“The 2026 season reflects ongoing growth in in-house production and the theatre’s commitment to developing work by both established artists and early-career creatives. The theatre will also continue its fundraising engagements and partnerships, with events scheduled throughout the season.”
Which Productions are Touring London?
The touring programme kicks off with the UK premiere of America the Beautiful by radical playwright Neil LaBute, presented by special arrangement with The Gersh Agency. This triple-chapter collection of nine short plays spans UK and world premieres, opening at King’s Head Theatre from 9th to 21st March 2026, before transferring to Greenwich Theatre from 30th March to 4th April 2026. Full casting details are slated for later February.
Executive Producer and CEO of King’s Head Theatre, Sofi Berenger, commented,
“Partnerships like this with Greenwich Theatre Productions are central to how we programme at King’s Head, creating opportunities for our audiences to encounter established voices like Neil LaBute in new and unexpected ways. By working across two venues, we’re not just sharing a production, but bringing our communities together through a genuinely collaborative theatrical experience.”
Next, the critically acclaimed immersive revival of Jim Cartwright’s TWO transfers to Park Theatre’s Park90 from 1st to 25th April 2026. The original cast—Peter Caulfield and Kellie Shirley—returns to portray all fourteen characters in this working-class pub tale, where regulars gather, glasses shatter, and truths emerge over one night.
CEO and Artistic Director of Park Theatre, Jez Bond, said,
“We’re thrilled to be welcoming Greenwich Theatre Productions’ acclaimed revival of Two by Jim Cartwright to Park90. Transfers like this allow us to work collaboratively across London, pooling resources, sharing audiences and creating space for theatre to be experienced as a genuinely communal act. At a time when third spaces are increasingly lost, staging a play that celebrates the social life of the pub feels more vital than ever, not just as a piece of theatre, but as a way of bringing our communities together.”
Closing the touring slate, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s tense two-hander The Wasp—first seen at Trafalgar Studios in 2015 and recently adapted into a 2024 feature film—runs at Southwark Playhouse Borough from 6th to 30th May 2026, transferring to Greenwich Theatre from 4th to 12th September 2026. It follows childhood friends Heather and Carla reuniting under mysterious circumstances, underscoring Greenwich’s approach to playwrights’ oeuvres as living archives.
CEO and Artistic Director of Southwark Playhouse Borough, Chris Smyrnios, remarked,
“We’re very much looking forward to hosting this revival of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s gripping play The Wasp at Southwark Playhouse Borough, and to be working with Greenwich Theatre Productions, as part of their exciting Spring season.”
What In-House Shows Define the Main Season?
Greenwich Theatre’s main house hosts four key in-house productions, cementing its status as a producing venue and cultural hub for southeast London.
The season launches with a rare revival of Lizzie Nunnery’s The Swallowing Dark from 1st to 23rd May 2026. This political thriller delves into a father and son’s precarious legal status in Britain after fleeing Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe, provocatively addressing rising anti-immigration rhetoric, far-right politics, and the “post-truth” era’s impact on storytelling’s life-or-death stakes.
Summer brings a fresh musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet from 3rd July to 2nd August 2026, blending theatrical and musical elements to inaugurate a recurring Shakespeare tradition in southeast London, appealing across generations.
Family programming features The Little Mermaid, adapted by award-winning writer Anthony Spargo, from 7th to 23rd August 2026. It reimagines Hans Christian Andersen’s tale via music and character-driven narrative, prioritising accessible, high-quality fare for younger audiences.
The year culminates in the annual pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk by Anthony Spargo—winner of the Best Pantomime Script at the 2025 UK Panto Awards—from 27th November 2026 to 10th January 2027.
How Does This Fit Greenwich Theatre’s Broader Mission?
Retaining its independent, community-rooted identity amid threats to cultural spaces, Greenwich Theatre balances local focus with wider ambitions. The 2026 programme champions modern classics with “care, scale, and ambition,” while nurturing new talent through the Emerging Artists Programme.
Throughout the year, expect comedy, new writing initiatives, musical events, and one-night engagements. Fundraising and partnerships persist, ensuring resilience.
James Haddrell reiterated, “As an independent, community-rooted venue at a time when shared cultural spaces are increasingly under threat, Greenwich Theatre remains committed to preserving, contextualising, and re-presenting stories that deserve time, scale, and care.”
