With Abigail’s Party directed by Nadia Fall beginning previews this week, launching Stratford East’s 140th anniversary season, the theatre today announces new shows and events for this milestone year, and Fall’s final season as the theatre’s Artistic Director.
Featuring productions that exemplify the creative spirit that Stratford East is synonymous with, this season carries the baton of the past brightly into the now, and beyond into the future.
A new adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm by Tatty Hennessy, directed by Amy Leach. Co-produced with Leeds Playhouse in association with Nottingham Playhouse.
Azuka Oforka’s debut play The Women of Llanrumney, directed by Patricia Logue and starring Suzanne Packer (Casualty) who returns to Stratford East, having previously presented work at the venue as co-founder of the BiBi Crew. Co-produced with Sherman Theatre.
Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris returns to Stratford East, directed by Matthew Xia, in a co-production between Actors Touring Company, Stratford East and Royal & Derngate, Northampton in association with Belgrade Theatre, Leeds Playhouse and Liverpool Everyman.
New British musical Lovestuck by two of the co-creators of the hit podcast My Dad Wrote A Porno, James Cooper (Book & Lyrics) and Jamie Morton (Director), with Bryn Christopher (Music & Lyrics) and Martin Batchelar (Music). Co-produced with Wildpark Entertainment.
A community production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet co-produced with Sadler’s Wells, adapted by Kwame Owusu, co-directed by Emily Ling Williams and Malik Nashad Sharpe, bringing young artists and the local Newham community together with a professional cast.
20 years after staging the original production, Stratford East presents, in association with Washington Square Films, a new production of reggae musical The Harder They Come, book by Suzan-Lori Parks, featuring songs by Jimmy Cliff, additional new songs by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Matthew Xia. Based on the cult film produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written by Trevor Rhone.
Alongside the main stage programming, there will be a series of events – the first, a panel talk exploring Stratford East’s heritage of championing Black and Asian artists and audiences, hosted by Chinonyerem Odimba, Artistic Director of tiata fahodzi, with the panel including Roy Williams, Tanika Gupta, Jo Martin and Dipo Baruwa-Etti. The second, a panel talk delving into Stratford East’s history of staging political work. Hosted by Mark Thomas with a panel including Amy Leach.
Stratford East’s programme of one-night events also continues, with the return of Live at Stratford East; Canned Laughter, a mixed bill comedy night raising funds for the Trussell Trust; and Kiell Smith-Bynoe: Kool Story Bro, with further events to be announced.
Nadia Fall, Artistic Director of Stratford East, said today: “I am excited to announce our 140th anniversary season, which is also my final season as Artistic Director of Stratford East. Though I’m already teary about leaving at the end of the year, this programme is very much my love letter to the theatre, staff, artists and audiences. And we certainly intend for it to be a brilliant celebration of our big birthday!
In the new year, we will begin with an adaptation of George Orwell’s modern classic Animal Farm in a visceral and moving production. Up next is an extraordinary debut play, The Women of Llanrumney by Azuka Oforka, which leaps from laugh-out-loud funny to downright harrowing, set on a plantation in Jamaica on the eve of a revolutionary uprising. Due to popular demand, Dave Harris’ thought-provoking satire Tambo & Bones, which cooked up a veritable storm last year, returns, once again directed by Matthew Xia.
In the summer, the co-creators of the hit podcast My Dad Wrote A Porno debut their hilarious and life-affirming new musical Lovestuck, a romcom with a shocker of a meet-cute. The theme of love continues with Romeo & Juliet, a large-scale community show bringing our talented young artists and local community together with a professional cast to tell Shakespeare’s great love story. Finally, in the autumn, we present the groundbreaking musical The Harder They Come, featuring the incredible reggae music of Jimmy Cliff together with a new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks, based on the cult film.
I hope the upcoming season brings you joy, romance, food for thought and a sense of community, everything I feel our beautiful and historic theatre has embodied over the last 140 years – and continues to embody.”
Eleanor Lang, Executive Director of Stratford East, also commented: “We are delighted that alongside the productions we are announcing today, thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards our 140th celebrations, we will be opening up the theatre to more people. We will hold a series of events looking at Stratford East over the years, host open days and celebrate our history through an updated Front of House exhibition. We have been part of the Newham community since 1884 and we want to make sure we continue to be here for the next 140 years. We can’t do this alone, so later in the year we will be launching a birthday fundraising campaign to ensure our future.”
Priority booking for Stratford East Members and customers with access requirements opens on Tuesday 3 September at 12pm. Public booking opens on Thursday 5 September at 12pm.
These new productions join previously announced shows including Abigail’s Party by Mike Leigh, directed by Artistic Director Nadia Fall (6 September – 12 October 2024, Press Night: Thursday 12 September) and Pinocchio by Trish Cooke and Robert Hyman, directed by Omar F. Okai (23 November 2024 – 4 January 2025, Press Performances: Saturday 30 November). Visiting productions include Wonder Boy by Ross Willis (Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 October 2024, Press Night: Tuesday 15 October), Ballet Black: Heroes (Wednesday 23 – Saturday 26 October 2024) and The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (Tuesday 29 October – Saturday 02 November 2024, Press Night: Tuesday 29 October).
