National Youth Theatre to Stage LET THE RIGHT ONE IN in 2026
This world premiere production is written by Tatty Hennessy.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Feb. 04, 2026
The National Youth Theatre's 2026 REP season will include a production of Let the Right One In, NYT alum Jack Thorne's (Adolescence) stage adaptation of the hit Swedish novel and film by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It will be performed at Underbelly Boulevard Soho from 5 - 23 May 2026, directed by Olivier Award winner James Dacre and starring Britain's best young performing talent from the NYT.
A dark coming-of-age vampire thriller, Let the Right One In continues the REP's 2026 ‘Love Bites' season as part of its wider 70th anniversary celebrations, which also includes Dracula, running at the NYT Workshop Theatre from 21 February - 13 March. This world premiere production is written by Tatty Hennessy, writer of the 2025 UK Theatre Award-winning and Olivier Award-nominated adaptation of Animal Farm, and directed by UK Theatre Award Best Director Nominee Atri Banerjee.
As previously announced, the REP Season will be launched at an anti-Valentine's Day screening at ODEON Luxe Holloway, supported by Hammer Films, part of John Gore Studios. Graduates of the NYT REP Company include BAFTA nominee and Gangs of London star Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Scottish BAFTA winner and The Ridge star Lauren Lyle, and Ian Charleson Award-winner Francesca Amewudah Rivers.
NYT alumni Jack Thorne is a world-leading dramatist and NYT alumnus. His credits include Lord of the Flies (BBC) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, This is England, Enola Holmes and His Dark Materials (BBC/HBO). His first play presented in a professional venue was A Bedroom for National Youth Theatre at the Lyric Hammersmith in 2004.
James Dacre is an Olivier and UK Theatre Award winning Director and Producer who recently founded Living Productions. He was Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate Theatres for ten celebrated years from 2013-2023, three of which saw a major training partnership with the National Youth Theatre. James is Chair of Theatre503, a Board Director of Spirit of 2012, a Trustee for The Theatres Trust and Talawa Theatre Company and a Franco-British Young Leader. He was Guest Festival Director for Nevill Holt Opera in 2024, Associate Director at the New Vic (2010-13) and has created work across the West End and for The National Theatre, Southbank Centre, Barbican, Royal Exchange, Hackney Empire, English Touring Theatre, Stratford East, Traverse, English Touring Opera and four productions at Shakespeare's Globe. Several of his productions have toured to America and internationally.
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