The season will include five plays featuring world premieres of new writing, adaptations, and a major revival.
Richard Twyman, Artistic Director and joint CEO and Sophie Scull, Executive Producer and joint CEO today said, “We’re very proud to announce our season of work from Autumn ’26 until Spring ’27. This is a season of ambitious new work, classic titles re-imagined and bold adaptations. In response to the twin crises in British theatre: significant declines in new writing and a wide scale reduction in touring drama; this season sees ETT reassert its commitment to telling urgent stories that resonate nationally and are accessible to audiences in their local theatre.”
The autumn season will begin with Application 39, written by Palestinian writer Ahmed Masoud and directed by Cressida Brown, a satirical and resonant take on life in Gaza featuring lived testimony. The production will open in September 2026 at Bristol Old Vic, before travelling to Theatre Royal Stratford East, and then embarking on a UK tour.
It will then be followed by Lanny, in association with Bristol Old Vic, where the production will run. Directed by their Artistic Director Nancy Medina, this world premiere is a stage adaptation of Max Porter’s much loved novel adapted for the stage by West Country playwright Bea Roberts.
Chelsea Walker will continue her association with ETT having previously directed A Streetcar Named Desire and Cougar, returning to direct a new production of Romeo and Juliet in a co-production with Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, Leeds Playhouse, and Nottingham Playhouse. The production opens in Edinburgh early next year, before embarking on a tour to Leeds Playhouse, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, and concluding its run on 8 May 2027 at Nottingham Playhouse.
ETT’s Artistic Director Richard Twyman will then direct the world premiere of Pericles, a new play by Sami Ibrahim, inspired by Shakespeare’s play. Set in modern day Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and Libya, Ibrahim’s version brings Shakespeare’s ancient story of displacement into urgent contact with the present, where today’s defining crisis is found hiding inside his most compassionate play.
Finally, the world premiere production of Lettie Precious’ 12 Letters to My Name – in a co-production with Sheffield Theatres and Graeae -will be staged in Sheffield. Originally developed through ETT’s Nationwide Voices programme, supported by the John Ellerman Foundation.
To find out more visit: https://ett.org.uk/