Almeida Theatre announces new season – the first for artistic director Dominic Cooke, including David Tennant, Caryl Churchill and more

The Almeida Theatre has announced its 2027 season, the first under artistic director Dominic Cooke.

Speaking about the season, Cooke said it brings together “four world premieres, ambitious revivals and a landmark co-production” and explores ideas around “a world in crisis”.

He added: “This season reflects what I hope the Almeida can be: a place for bold ideas and work that entertains while asking something of us. Our aim is artistic excellence for the widest possible audience, and I look forward to sharing this next chapter with everyone.”

Cooke also confirmed the appointment of Ola Ince as associate director, citing her “courage and clarity” as a director. The pair first worked together in 2016.

The season opens with Three and a Bit, a collection of new short plays by Caryl Churchill, directed by James Macdonald. The production runs from 14 January to 13 March 2027, with a press night on 21 January.

Cooke will direct the world premiere of Musculus by Jamie Bogyo in June and July 2027. The play centres on Charlotte, an investment banker, and Luke, a teacher at an all-girls school, whose marriage is tested when a disaster strikes their home.

Chris Bush’s political thriller The Right Woman, directed by Sophie Drake, will premiere in August and September 2027. The play follows three candidates competing to become Labour’s first female Prime Minister. Audiences will decide between three possible endings at the interval.

Alexander Zeldin will bring Beyond Caring, LOVE and Faith, Hope and Charity together for the first time as a trilogy titled The Inequalities. The Almeida Theatre and A Zeldin Company co-production runs from 22 March to 22 May 2027 before touring. The three plays explore work, temporary accommodation and community support, with selected performances allowing audiences to see all three in one day.

The season will also include a new production of The Island, devised by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona. Directed by Ince, the play runs in October and November 2027. Set in a South African maximum-security prison, it follows two prisoners who find solace in performing Sophocles’ Antigone.

Sacha Wares will direct Terence Rattigan’s The Winslow Boy in December 2027 and January 2028. The production will revisit the drama about a family challenging an injustice against their son, with an ensemble of young musicians incorporated into the staging.

David Tennant will lead a revival of John Osborne’s The Entertainer, directed by Cooke, which we’ve covered in more detail here.

The Almeida has also announced Dinner in Leith, a new play by Hammaad Chaudry directed by Ince. The production will launch Almeida Out There, a new annual initiative taking the theatre’s work beyond its Islington building. Set in a Pakistani restaurant in Edinburgh, the play follows student Riaz and English teacher Stuart as their relationship develops into a debate about freedom of speech and cultural identity. Further details of the site-specific production are to be announced in 2027.

The Almeida Young Company will perform Angel to Olympus, a play by Flora Wilson Brown directed by Takiyah Kamaria, on 6 December 2026. The production reimagines Greek mythology in a modern-day setting in North London.