HOUSEMATES FESTIVAL to Return to Brixton House With Seven New Plays

Brixton House will return with the fourth edition of Housemates Festival, its biennial celebration of new work, running 1–19 September 2026. Seven new productions by Danny Bailey, Alejandra Chamorro Cuevas, Max Hyner, Lara Grace Ilori, Abir Mohammad, Razak Osman and Ariana Xeno tackle women's healthcare, queer faith, politics, race, loneliness and survival under capitalism, told through surreal comedy, spoken word, autobiography and music. These exciting new voices draw deeply on South London's histories and communities, told through their Black British, Latinx, Queer and South Asian perspectives.

Brixton House has significantly expanded its artist development offer this year, as artist submissions for Housemates Festival tripled, showing growing need for more support. Alongside the seven productions, an expanded series of open-mic nights, readings and industry panels builds community, sharpens audience engagement, and offers a selection of further development for writers who made it to the shortlisted selection.

Festival includes:

• SUGA by Max Hyner (1-5 Sep) is a lyrical, surreal and comic critique of survival through late-stage capitalism, rooted in the cockney rhyming slang of the writer's own South London upbringing.
• Tube Chronicles by Razak Osman (1-5 Sep) is a hilarious and touching journey through the London Underground. The autobiographical solo show is about the sacrifices we make to chase our dreams alongside the daily grind.
• We Can't Be Friends by Abir Mohammad (8-12 Sep) explores the individuality of faith in parallel stories. Two queer Muslim characters seek connection, belonging and the right to reach their own interpretation.
• Pressure by Danny Bailey (8-12 Sep) follows a Brixton family through three generations of uprisings. Drenched in music and drawing on the rich history of Black Britain, the play asks where revolution begins…
• Goodbye by Alejandra Chamorro Cuevas (15-19 Sep) brings a darkly comic love story from Colombia to London for the first time - a two-hander set in London's first assisted suicide clinic, where dying with dignity turns out to be surprisingly complicated. Starring Samuel Anderson (BBC One's Amandaland).
• Runner Girl by Lara Grace Ilori (15-19 Sep) follows a young Yoruba woman and her journey to understand her mind and body on her own terms. Explored through spoken word, the piece blends movement, original music and prayer.
• Stomach by Ariana Xeno (15-19 Sep) was inspired by a recent government survey which found 80% women feel unheard by healthcare professionals. Three stories offer hopeful avenues to open up conversations on the gender health gap, sisterhood and female relationships.
• Beyond the productions, a packed development-focused programme includes open mic nights, readings, collaborative spaces for new ideas, and industry conversations, designed to help artists navigate the next steps of their career/ designed to support artists at every stage of their journey.

Camille Koosyial, Brixton House and Housemates Producer, said: “Growing up in South London, I didn't often see stories or career pathways that reflected people like me, so Housemates feels incredibly important. It's about creating space for artists to tell bold, original stories without having to fit traditional industry expectations. Brixton House's commitment to artists and community gives us the freedom to champion new voices, remove barriers and connect with audiences in meaningful ways. My favourite thing about the festival is its sense of possibility, you never know where the next brilliant artist or story will come from.”

Ruth Hawkins, Brixton House Executive Creative Producer, said: “Access to the time, space, resources and professional networks that creatives rely on to develop isn't always available. Housemates Festival responds to this opportunity gap. We create a vital pipeline for artists to test ambitious ideas, develop their practice, connect with the industry and build meaningful relationships with audiences. We strive to grow and expand our investment in these voices, year on year, helping to shape a more representative and relevant creative sector.”

Housemates Returns extends the runway for underserved artists often shut out of the industry's usual routes, to build champions and engaged audiences for the work. Emmanuel Akwafo's 'Limp Wrist & The Iron Fist' played to sold-out audiences in last year's return run. Other successful shows include 'Jeezus the Musical!' (earning Sergio Antonio Maggiolo and Guido García Lueches the Untapped Award and The Stage Fringe Five in 2025) and Emily Glaze's 'Basic Bald B*tch' (featuring at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe).

Since launching in 2022, Housemates has staged 24 productions, reached over 7,000 audience members and this year attracted over 200 new work submissions. This year's line-up also deepens Brixton House's relationships with returning artists: Danny Bailey curated 2025's 'Uprising Festival' and opened 'The Futurists' exhibition for Windrush 2026; Lara Grace Ilori, who acted in a previous Housemates production, returns as writer-performer with 'Runner Girl'; and former Brixton House front-of-house team member Lucie Lutte, now founder of Limitless Presents, brings her new event 'A Space For Us All' to test out writers' new work with emerging actors.

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