Titilola Dawudu has announced her inaugural season as Artistic Director and CEO of HighTide, marking a new chapter for the East of England-based theatre company.
The season places regional voices at its centre, supporting writers from early-stage ideas through to full productions, touring work and community-led projects.
Highlights include the world premiere of Caroline: A New Musical by Vikki Stone, the launch of HT Studios as a major new writer development hub, and a new production of The Disappearing Man by Kenny Emson.
Titilola Dawudu said: “It’s remarkable that, as a small organisation, we’re working with such an array of writers with connections to the East of England. This season is about highlighting the incredible talent of writers across the four regions we work in, at every stage of their artistic journeys.
“At the centre of that is HT Studios, our new approach to writer development work – bringing our programmes together and creating clearer pathways for writers to grow.
“That thinking runs through everything we do, including our partnerships, from Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Soho Theatre to our work with the East Anglian Touring Consortium, which is helping to bring Caroline: A New Musical to audiences across the region this April.
“It also shapes new strands, like My Story, which focuses on stories from and with communities, beginning with a collaboration with The Seagull Theatre and will be premiering at First Light Festival this June.
“Across all of it, my ambition is simple: to tell exciting, urgent stories in an uncertain climate – to back writers, take risks, and create work that feels alive to the world we’re living in.”
The season opens with the first production from the East Anglian Touring Consortium, the world premiere of Caroline: A New Musical, based on the true story of the pirate radio revolution.
The musical opens on 22 April at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, and tours to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, New Theatre Peterborough, Mercury Theatre Colchester and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, directed by Douglas Rintoul with co-direction from Alex Thorpe and dramaturgy by Titilola Dawudu.
HighTide will later present the world premiere of The Disappearing Man by Kenny Emson, opening at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in October before touring to Blackpool Grand Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and Key Theatre Peterborough.
Also included in the season is A to B by Tia-Renee Mullings, produced by JFR Productions in association with HighTide and Soho Theatre, which opens at Soho Theatre in June.
At the heart of the season is the launch of HT Studios, bringing together the Jerwood HighTide Writers Group, Playwrights East and HighTide Rising to create clearer development pathways and paid opportunities for writers.
The season also includes the new community project My Story: Lowestoft, premiering at First Light Festival in June, created in partnership with The Seagull Theatre and placing local voices at the centre of new audio work.
The 2026 Jerwood HighTide Writers Group has also been announced, with Kirsty Bushell, Cal-I Jonel, Jonathan Massey, Saher Shah, Jacob Sparrow and Joanna Taylor joining the year-long paid programme.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
