The anniversary programme features five World Premieres, new national and international partnerships, the Unicornās first venture into dance theatre and collaborations with children aged 7ā12 as Creative Associates.
The season highlights the companyās continued mission to connect young audiences with urgent questions about the world, while prioritising inclusion, accessibility, sustainability and hope.
Across two decades, the Unicorn has welcomed more than 115,000 families and schools, staged over 14,000 performances and sold more than a million tickets. Every production in the anniversary season is created with input from local children whose perspectives shape the artistic process.
World Premieres include Pocket Money (26 September to 1 November 2026), an interactive experience for ages 7+ by Nigel Barrett and Louise Mari exploring childrenās financial literacy. The production marks the first collaboration between the Bank of England and a theatre company.
The theatre also moves into dance theatre for the first time with Santaās First Christmas (14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027), choreographed by James Cousins with music by Harry Blake, bringing Mac Barnett and Sydney Smithās festive story to the stage.
As part of a major partnership with the National Theatre, the Unicorn will present The Last Wild (30 January to 7 March 2027), directed by Unicorn Artistic Director Rachel Bagshaw and adapted by Jude Christian. The eco-thriller will feature creative captioning and a national tour.
Running alongside it is Creatures (5 February to 14 March 2027), a new devised piece by Jo Tyabji that encourages ages 3 to 6 to champion the planet through puppetry and music.
The season also includes The Magic Callaloo (19 March to 18 April 2027), directed by Robin Belfield, adapting Trish Cookeās celebrated book into a reimagined fairytale for ages 4 to 8.
Two returning productions complete the line-up. Home Song (2 October to 8 November 2026) by Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong offers a musical journey for babies aged 6 to 18 months. Huddle (27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027) returns in a new imagining of Filskit Theatreās penguin family tale.
The Unicorn also launches Critical Conversations, a new series of talks and events designed to spark dialogue on environmental themes. The theatre additionally announces a partnership with Imaginate, the leading Scottish festival for young audiences.
Rachel Bagshaw, Artistic Director of the Unicorn Theatre, said, “Iām delighted to announce the Unicornās 20th anniversary season, bringing together brand-new partnerships and incredible artists and collaborators from across theatre, dance, literature and the finance world. This season will inspire, educate and entertain young audiences, with some of our most anarchic and expansive work to date.
“Weāre proud to put representation, access and sustainability at the forefront of our vital work and engagement with young people. While this building has an immense past, we also believe that art must engage urgently with the present, to pave the way for the future. At the Unicorn, we make work in a completely unique way, directly with children, who know better than anyone about the realities for young people of the world we live in today. By engaging with our young audiences right now, we simultaneously invest in our audiences and thinkers of the future. I canāt wait to see what the next 20 years will bring.”
Rebekah Jones, Executive Director of the Unicorn Theatre said, āAs we celebrate 20 years of our extraordinary purpose-built theatre in London Bridge, the Unicorn remains rooted in our core belief that every child deserves access to outstanding artistic experiences. Each year we provide over 20% of our tickets fully or partially subsidised for schools and families, ensuring that high-quality theatre is within reach for as many young people as possible.
āTo mark our 20th anniversary, weāre making this inspiring season even more accessible, with 40% of tickets for Pocket Money available at the āpocket moneyā price of Ā£3. As the UKās largest theatre dedicated to creating work for young audiences, it is both our privilege and responsibility to connect children with world-class theatre ā work that not only reaches young people here in the UK but travels internationally, carrying with it our commitment to making and sharing stories that bring joy, imagination and possibility into young lives everywhere.ā
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
