Arcola Theatre has announced its Autumn/Winter 2026 season, running from 9 September 2026 to 20 February 2027, with five productions including three world premieres.
The East London venue’s latest programme brings together classic revivals and new writing that explore themes of power, uncertainty, survival and redemption.
Leading the season is The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen, presented in a version by David Edgar and directed by Arcola’s Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen.
The production will star Olivier Award-nominated actor Greg Hicks as architect Halvard Solness, examining ambition, legacy and the fear of irrelevance.
Arthur Miller’s Incident at Vichy, directed by Olivier and Tony Award-nominated director Melly Still, also features in the line-up, exploring moral responsibility in Nazi-occupied France.
New work forms a major part of the season, including Julia Pascal’s The Banality of Evil: Hannah Arendt, France, 1940, which examines exile and survival through the stories of three women imprisoned during the Second World War.
John Webber’s Fire Fire, directed by Jennifer Tang, explores climate activism, grief and unexpected connection in a two-hander set around a protest.
Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s stage adaptation of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, directed by Nicky Allpress, will premiere at Arcola before touring the UK, bringing a chilling psychological thriller to the stage.
Arcola Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen said, “At Arcola, we are drawn to work that engages urgently with the world we live in. That world, today, feels like a world in flux. Responding to this uncertainty, across the season, we explore the many forms power can take. The power of governments, institutions and ideologies, but also the quieter power of memory, desire, fear and conscience. These are plays about individuals wrestling with responsibility in a changing world, asking how we retain our humanity when the pressures around us demand compromise.”
Executive Producer Leyla Nazli added, “We programme our seasons with audiences at the heart of every decision, and this year is no exception. From edge-of-your-seat thrillers to thought-provoking dramas and powerful new voices, these productions invite audiences to laugh, reflect, question and connect. We are proud to offer a programme that not only entertains, but also challenges and creates meaningful opportunities to offer audiences not easy answers, but vital questions about courage, compassion and our obligations to one another.”
Tickets for the season range from £12 to £39, with Pay What You Can performances continuing every Tuesday.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
