English Touring Theatre has unveiled its new season, featuring five productions that span new writing, bold adaptations and a major revival, with further titles to be announced.
The programme runs from autumn 2026 to spring 2027 and reinforces ETT’s commitment to touring theatre and developing new work across the UK.
Richard Twyman and Sophie Scull said, “We’re very proud to announce our season of work from Autumn ’26 until Spring ’27. This is a season of ambitious new work, classic titles re-imagined and bold adaptations.”
They continued, “In response to the twin crises in British theatre: significant declines in new writing and a wide scale reduction in touring drama; this season sees ETT reassert its commitment to telling urgent stories that resonate nationally and are accessible to audiences in their local theatre.”
The season opens with Application 39 by Ahmed Masoud, directed by Cressida Brown, which premieres at Bristol Old Vic in September before touring.
The satirical drama imagines Gaza hosting the 2048 Olympic Games and draws on real-life testimony to explore themes of occupation, bureaucracy and hope.
This is followed by Lanny, adapted by Bea Roberts from Max Porter’s acclaimed novel and directed by Nancy Medina, running at Bristol Old Vic.
Chelsea Walker returns to ETT to direct a new touring production of Romeo and Juliet, opening at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in early 2027.
Walker said, “I am thrilled to join forces with ETT, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse to direct Romeo and Juliet. It’s a play I’ve always wanted to direct, and it feels more urgent and moving now than ever before, in a world where decisions are made in the blink of an eye and people are forced to grow up younger and younger. I can’t wait to bring our visceral, contemporary take to audiences across the UK.”
Later in the season, Twyman directs the world premiere of Pericles, Prince of Lebanon, a new play by Sami Ibrahim inspired by Shakespeare and set across modern-day Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and Libya.
Ibrahim said, “I’m so excited to bring Pericles to the stage with ETT and particularly with Richard as director. We’ve been wrestling with the text for years and it’s been a thrilling challenge to mix the original Shakespeare with modern dialogue and a modern story, tracking the journeys of people fleeing across continents.”
He added, “It’s a play about migration and the way families are both torn apart and reunited over decades… I can’t wait to share it with audiences.”
The season concludes with 12 Letters to My Name by Lettie Precious, a coming-of-age story developed through ETT’s Nationwide Voices programme, staged in Sheffield in June 2027.
Alongside the productions, ETT also launches The New Classics, a partnership with Guildhall to develop contemporary adaptations of classic plays for future touring.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
