Bush Theatre today announces productions until the end of May 2025, confirming its position at the forefront of new writing, and reaffirming its dedication to talent development and community engagement.
In the theatre’s main house, the Holloway Theatre, Bush Theatre’s Emerging Writers’ Group alumnus Coral Wylie teams up with Overflow director Debbie Hannan in February for their debut play, Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew. Funny, affecting and beautifully queer, Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew journeys through one family’s efforts to reconcile the past, so they can build a better future. The cast of this world-premiere production includes the writer alongside BAFTA and Olivier Award nominee Omari Douglas (It’s a Sin and Constellations), Wil Johnson (Leave Taking) and Pooky Quesnel (Ralph & Katie).
In April, Speed reunites the Olivier award-nominated team of writer Mohamed-Zain Dada and director Milli Bhatia (Blue Mist) in a hilarious and heartfelt break-neck journey through the daily annoyances and deep-buried secrets that leave us spinning. Cast to be announced.
Already announced in the Holloway Theatre, Daniel Bailey returns this month, following the success of Red Pitch in the West End to direct another Bush Emerging Writers Group alumnus Beru Tessema’s Wolves on Road, a co-commission with Tamasha, which takes us on a thrilling deep-dive into the mysterious world of cryptocurrency and with a cast including Alma Eno, Hassan Najib, Ery Nzaramba, and Kieran Taylor-Ford with Jamael Westman and Tom Moutchi.
In the Studio, Vital Xposure make their debut at the Bush in January with …blackbird hour a visceral and moving exploration of a queer Black woman’s call for loving oneself when love has made itself scarce, directed by malakaï sergeant. A finalist for the Bruntwood Prize, Women’s Prize for Playwriting, and the Alfred Fagon Award, babirye bukilwa’s profound insight into caring and belonging begins where their critically acclaimed playwriting debut …cake, seen at Theatre Peckham, ended and visits Bush Theatre as part of a national tour. Vital Xposure has made disabled-led, radical, political performance championing hidden stories and marginalised voices for over a decade. Their theatre productions blend cutting-edge performance with powerful storytelling rarely seen on stage. Performances of …blackbird hour will feature integrated creative captioning and integrated audio description and be performed in a Chilled environment.
Currently in the Studio and playing until 9 November is Statues, written and performed by Bush Young Company alumnus Azan Ahmed, alongside Jonny Khan which explores the impact of loss and what you can gain from it. Statues is directed by Esme Allman. This is followed in November by Tender, a dazzling and moving new story of two people who find each other without even knowing they were looking. Written by Eleanor Tindall (Before I Was A Bear, Soho Theatre) and directed by Emily Aboud, Tender is produced by Broccoli Arts and Jessie Anand Productions, the team behind last year’s record-breaking Bush Studio hit This Might Not Be It.
Lynette Linton, the Bush Theatre’s Artistic Director said, ‘It’s a bitter-sweet feeling to announce my penultimate season as Artistic Director of The Bush, though exciting as it shows just what we’re all about, developing new writers and creatives and inviting them into the Bush family. For Coral Wylie, one of our Emerging Writer’s Group alumnus who has also performed in the Bush Young Company, ‘Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew’ is their first show to be produced on a main stage. For babirye bukilwa and Mohamad-Zain Dada it’s the first visit by writers I’m a huge fan of.
‘Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew’ also marks the launch of the Bush Theatre Producers’ Circle. This new initiative invites philanthropic individuals to join us at the start of the next great playwright’s story, and from page to stage will bring them closer to a Bush Theatre production than ever before.’
More information can be found here
