Smash-hit Kiln Theatre play Retrograde by Ryan Calais Cameron (For Black Boys…) is transferring into the West End.
Retrograde will play the Apollo Theatre in London from 8 March to 14 June 2025.
Retrograde will star Ivanno Jeremiah (Constellations, Donmar West End; Humans, Channel 4), reprising his role as Hollywood icon Sidney Poitier, alongside Stanley Townsend (Kaos, Netflix; The Normal Heart, National Theatre) as Mr Parks, and Oliver Johnstone (Antigone, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre; All My Sons, The Old Vic) as writer Bobby.
The production is directed by the Kiln Theatre’s Artistic Director Amit Sharma.
Ryan Calais Cameron’s gripping thriller captures the moment when a young Sidney Poitier is about to sign a career-defining Hollywood contract that could make him a star. But there’s a catch. Will he put his career before his principles? In a time of betrayals, will he name names? Will he sign his life away?
Joining director Amit Sharma in the creative team are Frankie Bradshaw (Set and Costume Designer), Amy Mae (Lighting Designer), Beth Duke (Sound Designer) and Juliet Horsley CDG (Casting Director).
Retrograde follows Ryan’s smash West End hit For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy , which played the Apollo Theatre in 2023, and the Garrick Theatre in 2024.
Retrograde is running at the Apollo Theatre in London from 8 March to 14 June 2025.
Currently playing at the Apollo Theatre is Fawlty Towers The Play, until 1 March 2025.
More about tickets to Retrograde at the Apollo Theatre London
What They Said
Writer Ryan Calais Cameron said in a statement: “I’m absolutely thrilled to see Retrograde take its next step onto the West End stage. This play holds a deeply personal resonance for me as a writer. Sidney Poitier’s journey — his courage, conviction, and the weight of the choices he faced — is not just his story; it’s a reflection of the challenges and dilemmas many of us still navigate today. I can’t wait for audiences at the Apollo Theatre to join us in this moment of reflection, urgency, and ultimately, celebration.”
Actor Ivanno Jeremiah said: “It’s an honour to share this work in the West End at the Apollo Theatre, paying tribute to the Titans of Hollywood’s Golden Era. Ryan Calais Cameron’s imaginative portrayal of the 1950s, based on real events, ignites intelligent debate, questioning morality, ambition, and integrity amidst wealth—from a 1955 NBC corner office to today’s world. It challenges us to consider the limits we may not cross.”
Actor Stanley Townsend said: “With morals and ethics on the ropes, and a man’s life in the balance: Retrograde is a Runyonesque rollercoaster with a ticking time bomb on board.”
Actor Oliver Johnstone said: “Retrograde is one of the best new plays I’ve read in a long time. Ryan’s writing is electric. So I’m excited to be working on it alongside two actors whom I greatly admire and an incredibly talented creative team.”
Director Amit Sharma said: “I’m incredibly proud that Retrograde transfers from a sold out run at Kiln Theatre to the West End’s Apollo Theatre. When I first read Ryan Calais Cameron’s vital new play, I knew its themes were as relevant today as the era in which the play is set; centring around the iconic Sidney Poitier and the Golden Age of Hollywood, it’s a tale full of twists and turns. A magnificent and essential story that audiences will now have another opportunity to experience.”
Producer and theatre owner Nica Burns said: “When I saw Retrograde at Kiln Theatre I was gripped for 90 thrilling minutes. Full of twists and turns, the whole audience sat on the edge of their seats until the very last moment. This is a wonderfully exciting evening inspired by true events. In only three years and with two plays, Ryan Calais Cameron has swiftly become a significant West End playwright who has also introduced new audiences to the theatre. An extraordinary achievement.”
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