Hampstead Theatre unveils 2023/24 season including Lauren Gunderson, Tom Stoppard, Richard Bean, John Logan and more

Hampstead Theatre is thrilled to announce its upcoming season, featuring a line-up of eight new productions set to run from 7 September 2023 to 16 March 2024.

The main stage will showcase three world premieres, starting with anthropology by Lauren Gunderson, directed by Anna Ledwich. The play delves into the intricacies of human nature and our digital footprint. 

Following this, Richard Wilson will direct To Have and To Hold, a new comedy by Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors) about an ageing married couple. Finally, director Jonathan Kent will bring Double Feature to life, a play by John Logan (Red) that is inspired by the fractious artistic relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren. 

Adding to the lineup is a revival of Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll, directed by Nina Raine, offering a fresh perspective on the celebrated play.

In addition to the main stage productions, Hampstead Downstairs will feature three world premieres and one UK premiere. Octopolis by Marek Horn, directed by Ed Madden, follows the study of an intelligenct octopus. Magdalena Miecznicka’s Nineteen Gardens, directed by Alice Hamilton, explores the fall-out from a finished affair. This Much I Know by Jonathan Spector, directed by Chelsea Walker, offers an epic love story spanning continents.Lastly, Out of Season by Neil D’Souza, also directed by Hamilton, follows a group of friends who reunite later in life. 

Tickets for all eight productions are now on sale to members, with general public sales beginning on 25 May.

Greg Ripley-Duggan, producer and chief executive of Hampstead Theatre, expressed his excitement about the upcoming season, stating: “We’re thrilled to bring together eight fantastic writers and seven brilliant directors in a programme that embodies Hampstead Theatre’s commitment to entertaining and thought-provoking original work. From established playwrights like Tom Stoppard and John Logan to emerging voices like Lauren Gunderson and Richard Bean, this season offers an exciting lineup of outstanding plays.”

Despite facing a 100 per cent cut in its NPO grant from Arts Council England, the theatre continues to commission new plays and mentor emerging writers through the INSPIRE programme. Hampstead Theatre has said its future and continued commitment to presenting work is driven by ticket sales, commercial income, and philanthropic support.