Barbican announces its 2027 spring/summer season

The Barbican has announced its spring/summer 2027 theatre and dance programme.

The season includes the UK premieres of Caroline Guiela Nguyen’s Saigon and Plexus Polaire’s A Doll’s House, alongside world premieres from ZooCo and CRIPtic Arts. Death Note: The Musical will also return following its run at the Barbican in 2026.

French-Vietnamese writer and director Caroline Guiela Nguyen returns to the Barbican following the UK premiere of LaCrima in 2025 with Saigon (11 to 13 March). First created in 2017, the production is set in a Vietnamese restaurant between Saigon in 1956 and Paris in 1996, with characters from different generations reflecting on exile, memory and the lasting impact of history. The production is performed in French and Vietnamese with English surtitles.

Barbican associate artists Boy Blue will celebrate 25 years of the hip-hop company with A Night with Boy Blue (19 to 21 February). The production will feature almost 200 dancers who have taken part in Boy Blue training programmes, alongside performances from the company’s repertoire. A Frontline Battle will take place in the Barbican Theatre on 20 February, with dance workshops also scheduled for the following day.

Plexus Polaire returns to the Barbican for the UK premiere of A Doll’s House (3 to 6 February), part of the venue’s ongoing partnership with MimeLondon. Yngvild Aspeli, artistic director of the French-Norwegian company, stars in the production, which adapts Henrik Ibsen’s play using puppetry.

MimeLondon will also present Andrew Dawson’s Absence and Presence (19 to 22 January) in The Pit. The production explores Dawson’s experience following the death of his father, combining dance, mime, sculpture, personal letters and video. The score is by Joby Talbot.

Belgian company Compagnie Modo Grosso will make its London debut with Tout/Rien (All/Nothing) (12 to 16 January), created by Alexis Rouvre and performed by Loïc Faure. The production uses fabrics, chains and stones to explore the relationship between movement, objects and stage space.

ZooCo will return to The Pit for the third time with the world premiere of Three Men on a Billboard (8 to 13 February). Created by ZooCo and Jackson Used, the production is based on the true story of three men who entered a radio competition in 1982 to win a mobile home by living on a 30-foot billboard beside a motorway. Directed by ZooCo co-founders Fleur Rooth and Flo O’Mahony, the production explores the story alongside the directors’ own creative partnership.

The Pit will also host Witness (4 to 6 March), created in collaboration with Theatre Peckham and Words of Colour and directed by Suzann McLean. Based on the novella by Alex Wheatle, the production follows student Cornell, whose life changes after he witnesses an act of violence. The Barbican will host a two-week residency, including performances for school students with moderated conversations around masculinity and mental health.

CRIPtic Arts will present the world premiere of Romeo & Juliet (13 to 15 May), directed by artistic director Jamie Hale and starring Tatum Swithenbank and Steph Castelete. The production reinterprets Shakespeare’s play through the experiences of its two disabled central characters, exploring independence, autonomy and infantilisation.

As already revealed, the hit Death Note musical will return to the Barbican from 23 March to 15 May, following its 2026 run at the venue. The production is presented as part of the Barbican’s partnership with Trafalgar Entertainment.

The Barbican has also announced the return of its Open Lab programme for 2027/28, supporting early to mid-career theatre and dance artists and companies as they develop new projects, ideas and performances. Applications open at 10am on 30 November 2026 and close at 12pm on 15 January 2027.

Toni Racklin, Barbican Head of Theatre & Dance, said: “Something incredibly special about our theatre and dance programme is that many of the artists we work with return to us year on year, considering the Barbican to be their London home. This season, we welcome back the wonderful Caroline Guiela Nguyen, Boy Blue, Plexus Polaire, ZooCo, CRIPtic Arts, and continue our longstanding partnerships with MimeLondon and Trafalgar Entertainment, who are remounting Death Note: The Musical by popular demand.

“We are also thrilled to be working with Theatre Peckham for the first time on a vital work aimed at schools and young people. Our commitment to artist development continues with the announcement of Open Lab 2027/28, and watch this space for more exciting programming still to come for 2027.”

As already confirmed, the previously announced revival of Sunday in the Park with George has postponed its run at the venue.