The Empire Strips Back burlesque parody to play the Riverside Studios in London

Acclaimed show The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody is getting a London premiere at Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios this summer.

The burlesque show will play the Riverside Studios from 2 May, and is now extended to 17 August 2025.

The show features parodies of all the classic characters from the George Lucas movie, taking audiences to a surreal galaxy far, far away!

The original version started in a fringe venue in Sydney, Australia and now has three simultaneous productions touring North America.

The show had its US premiere at Hollywood’s Montalban Theatre in a 2022 run, and has gone on to play residencies in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Washington DC, Boston and Atlanta, with international productions in Australia, France, Mexico, and now the UK.

The Empire Strips Back is produced by Foster Entertainment and Neil Gooding Productions, presented with Fever. The show was created by Russall S. Beattie.

Producer Neil Gooding said: “Bringing The Empire Strips Back to London for the very first time is a dream come true. This show started life as a small passion project in a Sydney bar, and now, after touring across the U.S., Australia, and beyond, we’re finally arriving in a city with one of the greatest theatre heritages in the world – and the place where much of the first Star Wars movie was shot!”

Producer David J. Foster said: “London audiences are in for a wild, hilarious, and completely unforgettable night – we can’t wait to take over Riverside Studios and introduce the UK to our unique intergalactic spectacle.”

The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody is running at the Riverside Studios from 2 May 2025, booking to 17 August 2025.