Stratford East theatre in East London has revealed details of its new season, which marks the venue’s 140th anniversary and the final season for outgoing Artistic Director Nadia Fall.
The season kicks off with the already announced revival of Mike Leigh’s 70s comedy drama Abigail’s Party. Directed by Nadia Fall, the show stars Tamzin Outhwaite and runs from 6 September to 12 October 2024.
A new adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm by Tatty Hennessy is coming to Stratford East early next year. Directed by Amy Leach, the play is a co-production with Leeds Playhouse in association with Nottingham Playhouse, and runs from 7 February to 8 March 2025.
Azuka Oforka’s debut play The Women of Llanrumney, directed by Patricia Logue and starring Suzanne Packer (Casualty) returns to Stratford East in 2025, co-produced with Sherman Theatre. The Women of Llanrumney is running from 19 March to 12 April 2025.
Following a hugely successful run at Stratford East, Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris is also returning, once again directed by Matthew Xia. A co-production between Actors Touring Company, Stratford East and Royal & Derngate, Northampton in association with Belgrade Theatre, Leeds Playhouse and Liverpool Everyman, Tambo & Bones runs from 29 April to 10 May 2025.
A new British musical is coming to Stratford East in 2025. Lovestuck is a new musical written by two of the co-creators of the hit podcast My Dad Wrote A Porno, James Cooper (Book & Lyrics) and Jamie Morton (Director), with Bryn Christopher (Music & Lyrics) and Martin Batchelar (Music).
Co-produced with Wildpark Entertainment, and playing from 6 June to 12 July 2025 at Stratford East, Lovestuck is inspired by true events and is billed as a musical romcom about falling in love… with yourself!
A community production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is coming in summer 2025, co-produced with Sadler’s Wells, adapted by Kwame Owusu, and co-directed by Emily Ling Williams and Malik Nashad Sharpe.
The production will bring young artists and the local Newham community together with a professional cast, and plays from 7 to 9 August 2025.
20 years after staging the original production, in autumn 2025 Stratford East presents a new production of reggae musical The Harder They Come.
In association with Washington Square Films, The Harder They Come is based on the cult film produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written by Trevor Rhone, about Ivan, an aspiring singer who arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, determined to live out his dreams on his own terms and make it as a music superstar.
The show has a book by Suzan-Lori Parks, and features songs by Jimmy Cliff, with additional new songs by Suzan-Lori Parks, and is directed by Matthew Xia (Skeleton Crew). The musical will run from 13 September to 25 October 2025.
Other already-announced shows coming to Stratford East include Pinocchio by Trish Cooke and Robert Hyman, directed by Omar F. Okai, from 23 November 2024 to 4 January 2025; Wonder Boy by Ross Willis from 15 to 19 October 2024; Ballet Black: Heroes from 23 to 26 October 2024; and The Mountaintop by Katori Hall from 29 October to 2 November 2024.
Alongside the main stage programming, there will be a series of events – the first, a panel talk exploring Stratford East’s heritage of championing Black and Asian artists and audiences, hosted by Chinonyerem Odimba, Artistic Director of tiata fahodzi, with the panel including Roy Williams, Tanika Gupta, Jo Martin and Dipo Baruwa-Etti. The second, a panel talk delving into Stratford East’s history of staging political work. Hosted by Mark Thomas with a panel including Amy Leach.
Nadia Fall, Artistic Director of Stratford East, who is leaving the venue in December to become Artistic Director of The Young Vic, said in a statement: “I am excited to announce our 140th anniversary season, which is also my final season as Artistic Director of Stratford East. Though I’m already teary about leaving at the end of the year, this programme is very much my love letter to the theatre, staff, artists and audiences. And we certainly intend for it to be a brilliant celebration of our big birthday!” Read the full quote, below.
Book tickets to Abigail’s Party
More about tickets to Tambo & Bones
More about tickets to Lovestuck
What They Said
Nadia Fall, Artistic Director of Stratford East:
“I am excited to announce our 140th anniversary season, which is also my final season as Artistic Director of Stratford East. Though I’m already teary about leaving at the end of the year, this programme is very much my love letter to the theatre, staff, artists and audiences. And we certainly intend for it to be a brilliant celebration of our big birthday!
“In the new year, we will begin with an adaptation of George Orwell’s modern classic Animal Farm in a visceral and moving production. Up next is an extraordinary debut play, The Women of Llanrumney by Azuka Oforka, which leaps from laugh-out-loud funny to downright harrowing, set on a plantation in Jamaica on the eve of a revolutionary uprising. Due to popular demand, Dave Harris’ thought-provoking satire Tambo & Bones, which cooked up a veritable storm last year, returns, once again directed by Matthew Xia.
“In the summer, the co-creators of the hit podcast My Dad Wrote A Porno debut their hilarious and life-affirming new musical Lovestuck, a romcom with a shocker of a meet-cute. The theme of love continues with Romeo & Juliet, a large-scale community show bringing our talented young artists and local community together with a professional cast to tell Shakespeare’s great love story. Finally, in the autumn, we present the groundbreaking musical The Harder They Come, featuring the incredible reggae music of Jimmy Cliff together with a new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks, based on the cult film.
“I hope the upcoming season brings you joy, romance, food for thought and a sense of community, everything I feel our beautiful and historic theatre has embodied over the last 140 years – and continues to embody.”
Eleanor Lang, Executive Director of Stratford East:
“We are delighted that alongside the productions we are announcing today, thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards our 140th celebrations, we will be opening up the theatre to more people. We will hold a series of events looking at Stratford East over the years, host open days and celebrate our history through an updated Front of House exhibition. We have been part of the Newham community since 1884 and we want to make sure we continue to be here for the next 140 years. We can’t do this alone, so later in the year we will be launching a birthday fundraising campaign to ensure our future.”
Related News
Abigail’s Party Reviews: critics agree Outhwaite is a tour de force as Beverley in Mike Leigh’s classic
9 best shows to see in the West End in August 2026
First look photos: EastEnders’ Tamzin Outhwaite in Abigail’s Party in the West End
12 soap stars to watch in the West End this summer
Latest News
Broadway legend Patti LuPone returns to the London Coliseum for Valentine’s Day 2027
Helen of Troy never got to tell her side. Watch the trailer for the play that does
After a sell-out world tour, The Choir of Man returns to the West End this Christmas
