The newly announced season will see actors including Paul Mescal, Aidan Turner, Letitia Wright and Nicola Coughlan starring in productions.
The National Theatre has announced a new season of work, which will mark Indhu Rubasingham’s first season as Artistic Director of the theatre.
This newly announced season will begin with Bacchae, a new play by Nima Taleghani which will run at the Olivier Theatre space from the 13th September until the 1st November. Marking the first time debut playwright has premiered on the Olivier stage, it will be directed by Rubasingham and is set to star Ebony Clarke and James McArdle.
Meanwhile, Robert Hastie will direct a production of Hamlet which will run at the Lyttelton Theatre from the 25th September until the 22nd November. The cast is set to include Hiran Abeysekera in the title role and will be filmed for future cinema release as part of National Theatre Live.
For Caitríona McLaughlin’s revival of John Millington Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World will see a Derry Girls reunion as both Nicola Coughlan and Siobhán McSweeney are set to star in the production that will run at the Lyttelton Theatre from the 4th December until the 28th February 2026.
The season will also see the return of the critically acclaimed production of Ballet Shoes which will run from the 17th November until the 21st February. Noel Streatfeild’s beloved novel was adapted for the stage by Kendall Feaver and directed by Katy Rudd.
Marianne Elliot will direct Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which is set to star Monica Barbaro, Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner.
In addition, Dominic Cooke will direct Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill, with the playwright returning to the National Theatre for the first time since 2019.
It has also been confirmed that the Lyttelton will return to repertory programming for the first time since 2020 in 2027. Olivier nominee Paul Mescal will perform in two shows – A Whistle in the Dark and Death of a Salesman.
The theatre’s Dorfman venue will present several new works including . Pride, a musical based on the 2014 film, will be presented by P&P Productions with the National Theatre.
Winsome Pinnock’s The Authenticator, directed by Miranda Cromwell has also been programmed as well as Carmen Nasr’s Samira, inspired by the story of a Syrian blogger, will mark her debut at the National Theatre, originally commissioned by Kiln Theatre.
In 2026, the Dorfman will stage Man and Boy by Terence Rattigan. It will be directed by Anthony Lau and star Ben Daniels.
Looking ahead to 2027, Punchdrunk will create a new piece for the Dorfman to mark the immersive theatre company’s 25th anniversary and Stormzy will also be working with Rubasingham on a new production with further details yet to be announced.
Speaking about the launch of her inaugural programme, Director and Co-Chief Executive of the National Theatre, Indhu Rubasingham, said: “The National Theatre is a very special place at the heart of our national discourse, and I am incredibly proud to be its seventh Director. I am so excited about everything to come, and the wealth of projects and artists announced today. The National Theatre is a beacon of creativity, humanity and possibilities. It holds the stories of so many people who have made this place mean
so much to so many. This is just the beginning, a flavour of what’s to come, the start of the next chapter.”
To find out more visit: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/news/the-next-chapter/