No longer booking
  • Venue Bush Theatre, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 1 August 2026
  • Running time 1 hours 25 minutes
  • Age guidelines 14+

Tender Tickets London – Bush Theatre

Tender , Eleanor Tindall’s dazzling and deeply moving play about friendship, returns to the Bush Theatre in London this summer.

Two women. A chance meeting. Giddy kisses they never should have shared. Tender is an intimate and captivating story about connection, identity and the unexpected ways people find each other.

Written by Eleanor Tindall (Before I Was A Bear) and directed by Emily Aboud (Pink Lemonade), the production reunites the creative team behind the acclaimed Bush Studio hit This Might Not Be It.

The hugely talented cast features Ian Charleson Award winner Francesca Amewudah-Rivers (Romeo & Juliet, The Line of Beauty) as Ash, and Nadi Kemp-Sayfi (Sherlock Holmes, 101 Dalmatians) returning to the role of Ivy.

Following its previous run at the Bush Theatre, Tender returns to London for a strictly limited season, offering audiences another chance to experience this beautifully observed and emotionally resonant new play. Tender is part of the Bush Theatre’s acclaimed programme of bold new writing and contemporary theatre in London.

Book Tender Tickets

Tender runs at the Bush Theatre London from 9 July to 1 August 2026 for a limited run.

More about the show

“You could say, you might say that my life is perfect”

Ivy seems to have life perfectly mapped out – a flat, a boyfriend and a future she believes is certain. But there’s something she tries not to think about. Something she left behind in her childhood bedroom.

Ash, meanwhile, is starting over. Fresh from a difficult relationship, she has no idea what the future holds. But in her new flat something feels strange – the wallpaper seems to pulse and sometimes it sounds like a heartbeat.

As their lives intertwine, Tender explores intimacy, memory and the fragile moments that can change everything.

Sign-up for booking alerts, offers & news about Tender and other shows:

Photos

Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of Tender?

Starring:

  • Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Ash
  • Nadi Kemp-Sayfi as Ivy

Who are the creative team of Tender?

  • Writer – Eleanor Tindall
  • Director – Emily Aboud
  • Set and Costume Designer – Alys Whitehead
  • Lighting Designer – David Doyle
  • Sound Designer – Ellie Isherwood
  • Intimacy Director – Tommy Ross-Williams
  • Production Manager – Titch Gosling
  • Company Stage Manager on Book – Nikita Bala
  • Producer – Jessie Anand Productions
  • Associate Producer – Broccoli Arts

Important Notes

Photos: Previous cast

Access Performances:

  • Relaxed Performance – 22 July at 7.30 pm
  • Captioned Performance – 25 July at 7.30 pm
  • Audio Described Performance – 29 July at 7.30 pm

Venue Information

Bush Theatre , 7 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 8LJ

Nearest Tube or Train: Shepherd’s Bush (Central Line); Shepherd’s Bush Market (Hammersmith & City Line)

Nearest Buses: 31, 49, 207, 237, 260, 607, C1, 148, 72, 94, 95, 220, 272, 283, 295, N207, 207, 427, 607

Directions

Google Apple

Critics' reviews of Tender

"Intense, sexy and troubled"- DIVA Magazine

"Eleanor Tindall’s meet cute queer love story is appropriately moving" - TimeOut

"Compelling" - The Stage

Frequently Asked Questions

Tender is playing at the Bush Theatre in London
The running time of Tender is 1 hours 25 minutes
The age recommendations for Tender are: 14+
Yes, Tender has matinee performances on the following days: Wednesday, Saturday
Tender is a thrilling and deeply moving play about two women whose lives collide unexpectedly. When Ivy and Ash meet, their connection quickly grows into something powerful and unsettling, as the play explores themes of identity, memory, desire and belonging.
Yes. Tender explores the relationship between two women whose unexpected connection grows into a complex and powerful love story, blending romance with elements of psychological thriller and surreal drama.
Tender was written by Eleanor Tindall, whose previous play Before I Was A Bear premiered at Soho Theatre.
No, sorry, Tender has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

News about Tender

More Great Shows

See all