Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway gets immersive stage adaptation

A bold new immersive reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway will premiere in the UK in spring 2026, bringing the author’s radical modernist masterpiece vividly to life for contemporary audiences.

The production opens at Storyhouse, Chester, running from 29 May to 6 June 2026, before embarking on a UK tour.

Created by award-winning director Jen Heyes and Olivier Award-winning writer and performer Kit Green, this new stage version promises a powerful and sensory exploration of Woolf’s timeless themes of identity, memory and loss.

Why Mrs Dalloway was a radical modernist masterpiece

First published in 1925, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway revolutionised 20th-century literature with its stream-of-consciousness narrative, immersing readers in a single June day in post-war London. Rather than relying on traditional plot and dialogue, Woolf charted the inner lives of her characters through memory, perception and fleeting emotion — capturing the complexity of human consciousness in real time.

Her focus on female identity, mental health and the lingering effects of war was strikingly modern for its time, offering a deeply introspective view of everyday life beneath the surface of polite society. Alongside works by James Joyce and T. S. Eliot, Mrs Dalloway cemented Woolf’s place as one of the defining voices of literary modernism.

This world premiere is a co-production between Storyhouse, Harlow Playhouse and CutToTheChase Productions.

Director Jen Heyes, known for her visually striking and emotionally charged theatre, said: “With Mrs Dalloway, I wanted to capture the daring, radical energy at the heart of Virginia Woolf’s novel and make it vividly alive for today.

Collaborating with the phenomenal Kit Green and the inspiring team at Storyhouse, we’ve created a unique hybrid production that bursts with drama, life, uplifting music, laughter, and reflection – a sensory world that pulls audiences straight into Clarissa’s party.”

Heyes’s previous work includes Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles, Blood Wedding, Tony Teardrop and HEDDA (after Ibsen), as well as the internationally acclaimed Truth to Power Café.

Kit Green: performer, writer and innovator

Co-creator Kit Green, an Olivier Award winner and National Film Awards nominee, takes the lead role in this new adaptation. Known for their eclectic career spanning theatre, cabaret and broadcast, Green is the creative force behind characters such as Tina C and Ida Barr, and has toured globally with projects including The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions and Sex Strike.

Green’s latest album, Four Letter Words — a collaboration with classical musician Yshani Perinpanayagam — is released this month.

Suzie Henderson, Creative Director at Storyhouse, said: “We are thrilled to premiere this bold new production of Mrs Dalloway following its development at Storyhouse over the last couple of years.

It’s a privilege to collaborate with Harlow Playhouse and CutToTheChase Productions, alongside Jen Heyes and Kit Green. Together, we’re bringing Virginia Woolf’s masterpiece to the stage in a fresh and exciting way that will speak directly to audiences today.”

Mrs Dalloway runs from 29 May to 6 June 2026 at Chester Storyhouse, followed by a UK tour – dates to be announced.

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Main photo: Mrs Dalloway - Storyhouse (image provided by production)