English Touring Theatre announces 2026/27 season of shows

English Touring Theatre has announced its new season.

The season opens with Application 39 by Ahmed Masoud, which will premiere at Bristol Old Vic in September 2026 before visiting Theatre Royal Stratford East and touring. The speculative fiction play follows two municipal IT workers in Gaza who interfere with a bid to host the 2048 Olympic Games.

This is followed by Lanny, adapted by Bea Roberts from the novel by Max Porter, directed by Nancy Medina. The production will run at Bristol Old Vic from October to November 2026 and centres on a village shaped by folklore and memory, including the presence of a supernatural listener in the landscape.

A new production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Chelsea Walker, will open at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in January 2027 before touring to Leeds Playhouse, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse, where it will conclude its run in May. The show was also announced in the Lyceum’s season.

Richard Twyman will also direct the premiere of Pericles, a new version by Sami Ibrahim inspired by Shakespeare’s play. Set across locations including Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and Libya, the piece follows a family separated by conflict. It will run at Bristol Old Vic in February and March 2027 before performances in Luxembourg in April.

The season concludes with 12 Letters to My Name by Lettie Precious, presented in Sheffield in June 2027 in a co-production with Sheffield Theatres and Graeae. The play follows two young people newly arrived in England navigating identity and belonging.

Alongside the productions, the company has announced “The New Classics”, a partnership with Guildhall to commission adaptations of existing works for student performance and future tours.