Theatre News

Five new plays directed by Andy Sandberg will form Riverside Studios season

Three world premieres are up first

| London |

8 July 2026

Riverside Studios will host five new plays directed by Andy Sandberg as part of its mainstage season.

Starting this September, the programme will launch with three world premieres. The first, Affluenza, is written and directed by Sandberg, and runs from 26 September to 21 November. Inspired by true events surrounding a shocking legal defence, it follows a teen’s drunken car ride, which ends in devastation.

It will be followed by Sacrilegious by Tom Schulman, which runs from 5 December 2026 to 23 January 2027. The comedy is set on the holiest day of the year, when an idealistic young rabbi dares to challenge the billionaire president of his congregation.

Into the new year, Scott Elmegreen and Drew Fornarola’s Expecting will run from 30 January to 27 March. The piece explores why couples are waiting longer to have kids, or debating whether to have them at all.

The final two plays will be announced in the coming months, but will continue to largely be set in America while exploring globally relevant themes. Casting and creative teams are to be announced.

Sandberg said: ‘New writing has always been my passion, and there is nothing more exciting than discovering and nurturing a brilliant original play. Our hope is that each of these stories will resonate with audiences and become part of the theatrical canon for years to come. These are all timely and thought-provoking scripts designed to entertain while also inviting audiences to engage more deeply. I absolutely love working in the UK, and I am honoured to be working alongside a brilliant team of UK colleagues to bring this season to life. The experiences I have had directing in London have been some of the most gratifying of my career, and I can’t wait to launch these new productions at Riverside Studios.”

The mainstage season at Riverside Studios is presented by ABS Productions, Whitney Edwards, Flora Major, Judith Manocherian, Sondra Biller, and Berman-Cohen Productions. DEM Productions serves as general manager.