Two LGBTQ+ Productions Will Return to the Bush Theatre This Summer
Tickets for The P Word and Tender are available now!
Two of the Bush Theatre’s recent successes return for Summer 2026. The P Word, Waleed Akhtar’s 2023 Olivier Award-winning play, which charts the parallel lives of two gay Pakistani men under the UK government’s increasingly hostile position against migrants, returns from 28 May to 27 June (press night 1 June) with the original cast of Akhtar alongside Esh Alladi. The production is co-presented by Seventh Productions and Chuchu Nwagu Productions alongside Emmy-winning television personality and producer Tan France, known for his role on Netflix’s decorated series Queer Eye.
Studio hit Tender by Eleanor Tindall continues the Bush’s strong history of play and artist development by transferring to the theatre’s main house, the Holloway Theatre. Subverting expectations of queer love stories, this sold-out success first seen in 2024 runs from 9 July to 1 August (press night 13 July) and tells a thrilling story of two women who find each other without knowing they were looking.
Taio Lawson, Bush Theatre’s Artistic Director, said, “Bringing both ‘The P Word’ and ‘Tender’ back is an opportunity to give a future life to work that is emblematic of our mission to platform stories that discuss our collective place in the world. New work so rarely gets the chance to be revisited. This chance to have a play return that intends to humanise the experience of asylum seekers - at a time of intense dehumanising rhetoric - and to scale up another show that was pushing at the walls of our studio, felt too good to pass up. These are stories that started here, led by artists we are delighted to continue to champion and who make brilliant theatre.”
The P Word Producer Tan France said, “The moment I read the script for ‘The P Word’, I knew I wanted to be part of the London remount. Having grown up in a South Asian Muslim household in the UK, Zafar and Bilal’s story really spoke to me. Their experiences are happening all over the world, and it’s so important to bring these stories to the stage, spark conversations, and reflect on the society we live in. I’m beyond excited to see the show come alive in London and to share it with audiences.”
Tender Producer Jessie Anand said, “I am so delighted to have this chance to revisit Eleanor Tindall’s fantastic play at the Bush. Director Emily Aboud’s enthusiasm and vision for the production have only grown since 2024, so I have no doubt that she and the creative team will create something extraordinary as we transfer to the larger Holloway Theatre at the Bush. The way that audiences embraced ‘Tender’ during our extended Studio run was really special to witness and demonstrated a hunger for queer love stories that are complex and twisty. I can't wait to share the production with more people.”
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