King's Head Theatre Announces Main House and Cabaret Shows For 2024

King's Head Theatre has released details of the forthcoming shows this spring / summer, both at the venue's new purpose built 200-seat Main House, and the intimate and versatile 50-seat Cabaret House. 

MAIN HOUSE SHOWS

Barry McStay's critically acclaimed play Breeding returns to the King's Head Theatre from 21 March – 14 April. Directed by Tom Ratcliffe (and originally programmed as part of his 2023 Guest Artistic Director season at the pub theatre), the funny yet moving drama follows married couple Zeb and Eoin as they are forced to lay bare their fears and secrets as they navigate the precarious road to adoption and queer parenthood. Breeding is the first production in the new space to be supported by the Angels of Angel fund, used to create and produce new work at the King's Head. 

Multi-Fringe First winners Natasha Roland and Xhloe Rice will bring their shows And Then The Rodeo Burned Down and What If They Ate The Baby? to London. The New York based duo have taken Edinburgh by storm the past two years with these two shows they will be performing in rep.

And Then the Rodeo Burned Down returns to the King's Head by popular demand from 24 March – 7 April, following a run in New York and a momentous Edinburgh Fringe sold-out run with rave reviews and a coveted Fringe First Award. The thrilling hour of clowning, physical theatre & comedy sees two cowboys in a race against time to capture the culprit, put out the metaphorical fires & save the show.

With double entendre, tightly choreographed physical theatre, and a soundtrack packed from Vaudeville to Rap, What If They Ate The Baby? is a political response to the changing laws surrounding reproductive rights in America, placing the audience right in the middle of the action. The show, which runs from 26 March – 7 April, is a queer theatrical dystopia, dissecting the relationship of two all-American housewives, trapped in their shared liminal space of the household and their own love affair.

Legendary storyteller and performer Miss Coco Peru returns to perform in the UK for the first time since 2018 in her show Coco Peru: Bitter Bothered & Beyond from 9-13 April. Her new show is the culmination of a lot of feelings; expect home truths, song, cutting satire, belly laughs and some good old fashioned draggy story telling!

Following a sold-out, award-winning run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story is making a royal visit from 17 April – 5 May. The show by Awkward Productions (Gwyneth Goes Skiing, how to live a jellicle life) sees Diana in heaven as she shares the untold and untrue tale of her extraordinary life. Combining drag, multimedia, audience interaction, puppetry and a lot of queer joy – the unique celebration of the people's princess is as hilarious as it is tasteless.

Ned Campbell's reimagination of Keiran Hurley's 2012 critics award-winning play Beats will return to the King's Head Theatre from 18-27 April, following its recent sold-out run at the theatre. With a live DJ on-stage, the play follows Johnno McCreadie, a teenager living in a small suburban Scottish town at the time of the act. Beats is a coming-of-age story exploring rebellion, apathy and the irresistible power of gathered youth.

Marking 20 years since FRIENDS (The Last One) aired, FRIEND (The One With Gunther) comes to London for a strictly limited two-week run from 14-26 May. The show sees the entire 236 episodes of the hit 90s TV show, FRIENDS, retold through the eyes of Gunther, Central Perk's very own ‘seventh Friend'. The award-winning show was created by acclaimed comic actor Brendan Murphy, who also created and performs the multi-award-winning Buffy Revamped. FRIEND will be performed by Joseph Maudsley who recently toured the world with the Olivier award-nominated show Potted Potter, including a season that won Best New Show in the Best of Las Vegas Awards. He debuted in FRIEND at Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 receiving critical acclaim and delighting audiences, before taking it on a UK tour.

Touring sensations New Old Friends bring their farcical comedy Houdini's Greatest Escape for a five-week run from 26 May – 30 June fresh from its UK tour. After famous escapologist Harry Houdini and wife Bess are framed for a murder can they clear their name in this knockabout thriller? Featuring a hard-working cast of four playing multiple roles on an almost harder-working set, and illusions designed by TV's Pete Firman (Netflix's Good Omens, BBC One's The Magicians).

Following a critically acclaimed, sell out run at the Turbine Theatre, the solo musical Diva: Live From Hell returns to London from 4-29 June, with Luke Bayer (Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Millennials, RENT) returning to star. Inspired by All About Eve, the musical is a blood-stained love letter to Broadway about rivalry, vengeance and killer ambition.

Harlow Playhouse's award-winning production Tom Ratcliffe's Wreckage will return to London from 2-7 July. The play, which won the Lustram Award (Edinburgh Fringe 2022) and is shortlisted for the Theaterpreis Hamburg 2024, is a touching story about continuing bonds and love that only evolves, and never dies.

Later in the year, Jonathan Maitland (An Audience with Jimmy Savile, The Interview, The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson, Park Theatre) will premiere the stage adaptation of his acclaimed book https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/pt-goodbod-and-friends How To Survive Your Mother from 23 Oct - 24 Nov 2024, centred around his relationship with his mother, and growing up in Britain's first ever gay hotel.

The theatre will also see a performance by the Stella Wilkie Award Winner 2024, Prenzlauer Berg Players Presents: "Romeo & Juliet" by William Shakespeare by Lily Aylward. East 15 Acting School students studying on the 3-year Contemporary Theatre course present two seasons of new plays each year, at the Debut Festival. The shows are written, performed, directed and produced by all the students on the course.

The Award is judged by the King's Head Theatre producers and the winner receives a subsidised slot to perform their show on the King's Head Theatre stage. Previous winners include Fat Rascal (Unfortunate the Musical), Molly Byrne (Double Take Theatre) and Sebastian Gardner (Paper Mug Theatre, who returned with their show A Partnership, which performed at King's Head Theatre during their Springboard Season).

CABARET HOUSE

The inaugural launch show of Klub Obskura will take place in the King's Head subterranean cabaret lounge on 29 March. Klub Obskura is a club night/ cabaret show created by Karma Obskura, London's broken drag doll. Many alternative drag and cabaret artists struggle to find shows to present their work, but Klub Obskura aims to change this. KO offers these performers the chance to share their art in a Klub setting that celebrates them. They also champion those who feel outcast by today's society including disabled, neurodivergent and gender nonconforming artists.

Following sold out runs at King's Head Theatre & VAULT Festival in 2023, PT Goodbod returns with PT Goodbod and Friends, a killer night of cabaret comedy on 12 April – audience participation is inevitable, injuries are easily avoidable. Joined by a gaggle of pals and performers, this killer night of cabaret comedy seeks to test PT's theory: if laughter truly is the best medicine, can it also be a treadmill for the mind.

EUROVISION

Eurovision Your Decision will run in the Main House in the lead up to this year's finals from 29 April - 11 May. Hosts Katie and Demetrius will introduce memorable hit songs, performed live, from past Eurovision Song Contests with the audience voting on their favourite song to be performed again at the end of the show.

The King's Head Theatre also brings back their Eurovision Watch Party on 11 May. All tickets include a free shot on arrival (or non-alcoholic alternative) & raffle tickets for the audience to cast votes to see who will be crowned the voting King/Queen/Non-Binary royalty of KHT Eurovision 2024.

Full details and tickets available https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on.

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