Lyric Hammersmith Theatre Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan has announced an ambitious 2027 programme featuring world premieres, London premieres and the return of a critically acclaimed audience favourite.
The season brings together an impressive line-up of directors including Sarah Frankcom, Tom Jackson Greaves, Rufus Norris, Monique Touko and Roy Alexander Weise, alongside writers and adaptors such as Conor McPherson, Inua Ellams, Kieran Hurley, Alistair McDowall and Stewart Pringle.
Highlights include Rufus Norris’s first London production since leaving his position as Artistic Director of the National Theatre. Norris will direct Stewart Pringle’s Brock’s Mill, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in association with the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.
The season also welcomes the return of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding following its sold-out 2026 run. The Tony Award-winning comedy reunites writer Jocelyn Bioh and director Monique Touko, the team behind the acclaimed School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play.
Conor McPherson will adapt Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s bestselling novel Before the Coffee Gets Cold in a world premiere production, bringing the internationally beloved story to the UK stage for the first time.
Rachel O’Riordan will direct a new stage adaptation of Graeme Armstrong’s acclaimed novel The Young Team, adapted by Kieran Hurley and produced in partnership with National Theatre of Scotland.
The Lyric will also present the world premiere of Alistair McDowall’s adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, directed by former Royal Exchange Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom.
Elsewhere, Fuel will bring Inua Ellams’ Alfred Fagon Award-winning drama Once Upon a Time in Sokoto to the venue in a production directed by Roy Alexander Weise.
The musical adaptation of Markus Zusak’s bestselling novel The Book Thief will receive its London premiere. The production features a libretto by Jodi Picoult and Timothy Allen McDonald, music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, and direction by Tom Jackson Greaves.
Alongside the main house programme, the Lyric has announced a new residency partnership with Hackney Showroom. The collaboration will see the company take over the Lyric’s Studio Theatre throughout 2027, including two world premieres and the launch of the new festival NICE PAIR.
Rachel O’Riordan said: “This 2027 season at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is a statement of intent: a big, bold celebration of our audience and the artists who make such incredible work here. Three World Premieres, three London Premieres and one returning favourite, this year of incredible work represents the Lyric’s eclectic, imaginative, ambitious spirit.
“New plays are the lifeblood of theatre and this year we are proudly sharing six major new works, including Stewart Pringle’s innovative Brock’s Mill and Inua Ellams’s Once Upon a Time in Sokoto. Adaptations of much loved novels, both contemporary and classic, are a vibrant part of our programme. These stories have moved, delighted and challenged readers on the page; now we look at them again on-stage, reimagined by exceptional artists.
“Personally, I am so proud to be directing Kieran Hurley’s stage version of The Young Team by Graeme Armstrong. The novel is a cultural phenomenon – heartbreaking, vital and hilarious – and I cannot wait to bring this new version to audiences in Scotland and London in partnership with National Theatre of Scotland.
“Partnership is at the heart of this season. I am so pleased to be working with NTS, RSC. Fuel, Melting Pot, Deus Ex Machina Productions and more. In addition, we are introducing a brand-new creative partnership with the powerhouse Hackney Showrooms. Watch this space for cutting edge new work in our Studio throughout 2027.
“We can’t wait to welcome you. Come in and be moved, thrilled, entertained and delighted.”
The 2027 season runs from January to November, with tickets for all productions now on sale and priced from £10.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
