Bush Theatre Reveals Lineup For the First Half of 2024

Bush Theatre has announced productions for the first half of 2024.

In the theatre's main house, the Holloway Theatre, Doctor Who's Tosin Cole stars in Shifters, the second play from Susan Smith Blackburn Prize winner Benedict Lombe (Lava).  Olivier Award winner Bijan Sheibani returns with The Cord following the success of his 2019 playwriting debut The Arrival.  In the studio, Kwame Owusu's Mustapha Matura Award-winning play Dreaming and Drowning premieres followed by Sophia Chetin-Leuner's unflinching NHS drama This Might Not Be It.  Also announced today is a new Friends scheme, a partnership between the Bush and the Carers Network, and a new cohort for the theatre's 18-25 Young Company.

'As a venue we go from strength to strength' says Bush Theatre's Artistic Director, Lynette Linton.  'This year we've packed the building with audiences for August in England, Red Pitch, Pass It On, As We Face The Sun, A Playlist for the Revolution and Invisible prior to it transferring to Off-Broadway. 

We're beyond excited to announce a brand-new season, my first working alongside our new Executive Director Mimi Findlay and with new staff coming on board to help build on our success.  We're also launching a new Friends scheme which will enable many more people to see our shows at an affordable price.

To fulfil our mission to really shake up the theatrical canon and continue to have influence over its future - we hold our artists close and want to support them beyond their debut plays. They are part of the fabric of the Bush.  Three of our four new shows are written by previous members of our Emerging Writers Group and two writers are returning for their second main house shows.

Because of the continued impact of Covid and financial pressures on our industry - many theatres are understandably reverting to the safest choices they can make. But for us, it has always been about moving forward. When we think about the programming of a Bush show, we have in mind the legacy that we want to leave behind. This season of shows are not only a good night out but also epic explorations of deeply human stories which force us to ask big questions of ourselves and the world we live in and dig deep.'

  

In the Holloway Theatre 

A Bush Theatre production

Shifters

Written by Benedict Lombe

Directed by Lynette Linton

16 February - 30 March 2024

Monday - Saturday at 7.30 pm

Wednesday matinees - 28 Feb, 6, 13, 20 & 27 March at 2.30pm

Saturday matinees - 2, 9 ,16, 23 & 30 March at 2.30pm

Relaxed performance - 2 March at 2.30 pm & 21 March at 7.30pm

Captioned performance - 7 March at 7.30 pm & 16 March at 2.30pm

Audio-described performance and touch tour - 9 March at 2.30 pm & 14 March at 7.30pm

Press Night – 23 Feb at 7 pm 

“It's only in looking back that I realise we were always in motion, always morphing, always shifting. Weren't we?”

Des and Dre. Destiny and Dream.

Young. Gifted. Black.

Rivals. Friends. Lovers.

She left. He stayed.

Now, tragedy brings Des and Dre crashing back into each other's lives, carrying new secrets and old scars. Caught in the space between memory and reality, they must struggle to navigate the shifting borders that threaten to rewrite their past and reshape their future. 

A fierce romance for anyone desperate for a different kind of love story, Shifters is a tribute to the enduring power and fragility of memory and love. 

Starring Tosin Cole (Doctor Who), this surprising and playful world premiere is a new Bush Theatre commission written by Benedict Lombe (Lava, winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for Playwriting) and directed by Bush Theatre Artistic Director, Lynette Linton (August in England, Clyde's).

This production is generously supported by Charles Holloway, and is part of our artist development programme, Staged by Jerwood. Staged by Jerwood is supported by the Jerwood Developing Artists Fund.

A Bush Theatre production

The Cord

Written and Directed by Bijan Sheibani

Cast includes Irfan Shamji

12 April - 25 May 2024

Monday - Saturday at 7.30 pm

Wednesday matinees - 24 April, 1, 8, 15 & 22 May at 2.30 pm

Saturday matinees - 20, 27 April, 4, 11, 18 & 25 May at 2.30 pm

Relaxed performance - 27 April at 2.30pm, 16 May at 7.30 pm

Captioned performance - 2 May at 7.30 pm, 11 May at 2.30pm

Audio-described performance and touch tour- 4 May at 2.30pm, 9 May at 7.30 pm

Press Night - 18 Apr at 7 pm

“Sometimes when I look at him, I feel like he's me.

But if the baby is me, then who am I? You?”

The arrival of this baby has changed everything.

Amir hovers as his mother holds her grandchild for the first time, mesmerised. The bag of handmade baby clothes she's brought lies at her feet. 

After she leaves, Amir watches his wife feeding their newborn son, so close, almost intertwined. They look so complete, while Amir feels aware of a growing chasm separating him from them, and him from his own mother. 

As sleepless nights, relentless crying and hushed arguments take their toll, Amir grapples with the puzzle of how to be a father, a son, a husband - mashing together pieces that don't seem to fit. All he knows is he's determined not to repeat the past.

 The Cord is an intensely frank and relatable insight into the challenges of being a parent and a child, no matter how old you are. This evocative new play reunites Olivier award-winning writer and director Bijan Sheibani (Barber Shop Chronicles) with the team behind his 2019 Bush Theatre hit, The Arrival. Cast includes Irfan Shamji (The Arrival, Chasing Hares) as Amir.

 In the Bush Theatre Studio

WoLab in association with Bush Theatre

Dreaming and Drowning

Written and Directed by Kwame Owusu

Performed by Tienne Simon

28 November - 23 December 2023

Monday - Saturday at 8 pm

Wednesday matinees - 6, 13 & 20 Dec at 3 pm

Saturday matinees - 2, 9, 16 & 23 Dec at 3 pm

Chilled performance - 7 Dec at 8 pm

Captioned performance - 13 Dec at 8 pm

Audio-described performance and touch tour - 20 Dec at 8 pm

Press Night - 1 December at 7 pm

“I had that dream again. Drowning and gasping but I'm trying not to think about it.”

Malachi's been looking forward to a fresh start at uni for months. He's settling in, he's got a stack of books to read and he's met someone new - Kojo, a musician with a megawatt smile, who's basically perfect.

But something doesn't feel right. He keeps having the same nightmare - sinking, crushed by the weight of the ocean - and it's getting worse… A beast grows in the water, hungry, relentless, hunting him but always just out of sight. As the boundaries between nightmare and reality fracture, Malachi must fight harder than ever to stay afloat.

Dreaming and Drowning is an intimate and visceral deep-dive into the boundless mind of a young Black queer man wrestling with anxiety. This electrifying world premiere of the Mustapha Matura Award-winning play is written and directed by Kwame Owusu (HORIZON), performed by Tienne Simon (Grime Kids, BBC) and produced by WoLab (For a Palestinian).

WINNER Mustapha Matura Award 2022

WINNER RSC 37 Plays Competition

SHORTLISTED Alfred Fagon Award 2022 

Broccoli Arts and Jessie Anand Productions in association with Bush Theatre

This Might Not Be It

Written by Sophia Chetin-Leuner

Directed by Ed Madden

30 January - 2 March 2024

Monday - Saturday at 8 pm

Wednesday matinees - 7, 14, 21 & 28 Feb at 3 pm

Saturday matinees - 10, 17, 24 Feb & 2 March at 3 pm

Chilled performance - 10 Feb at 8 pm

Captioned performance - 14 Feb at 8 pm

Audio-described performance and touch tour - 21 Feb at 8 pm

Press Night - 5 Feb at 7 pm

'You care a lot, that's nice. It shows your age.'

Jay's new. He's just started as a temp at an NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service office. He arrives with little more than a fledgling desk plant and well-meaning plans to change the broken system.

Angela's seen it all. She's been working in this building for over 30 years, and nothing seems to faze her – except perhaps this eager new hire who seems determined to challenge her at every turn.

Exhausted by archaic protocol, Jay starts to bend the rules to breaking point in a desperate attempt to help their patients. Trust is shattered, professional boundaries are crossed, and Jay discovers the reality of what is truly at stake.

This Might Not Be It unflinchingly confronts the hard truths of our crumbling NHS mental health services. This candid portrayal of human lives at the mercy of the system is written by former Bush Emerging Writers' Group member Sophia Chetin-Leuner. Directed by Ed Madden (Octopolis, Hampstead) and produced by Broccoli Arts (Salty Irina, Summerhall) in association with Jessie Anand Productions (Orlando, 59E59).

SHORTLISTED The Women's Prize for Playwriting 2020
LONGLISTED Verity Bargate Award 2020

Previously announced at the Bush Theatre

A Bush Theatre production

Elephant

Written and performed by Anoushka Lucas

Directed by Jess Edwards

14 October - 4 November 2023

Monday - Saturday at 7.30 pm

Wednesday matinees - 25 Oct & 1 Nov at 2.30 pm

Saturday matinees - 21, 28 Oct & 4 Nov at 2.30 pm

Relaxed performance - 21 Oct at 7.30 pm

Captioned performance - 26 Oct at 7.30 pm

Audio-described performance - 28 Oct at 7.30 pm

Press Night - 19 Oct at 7 pm

Olivier award nominee Anoushka Lucas' acclaimed debut play Elephant transfers to the Bush Theatre's main house in a brand-new production. 

Part gig, part musical love story, part journey through Empire, this all-new main stage production of Anoushka Lucas' 'exquisite' (Evening Standard) Elephant runs for just three weeks following its celebrated, sold-out run in the Bush's Studio in 2022.

'The men with the Piano look up the narrow staircase of our little flat and they turn to Dad, light their fags, and say; “We might have to take the windows out".'

A piano came through the sky and landed in Lylah's council flat, just for her. As she pours over the keys and sound floods into all the rooms, Lylah falls in love.

At school, Lylah can't ask questions - she's got to be good, good, good, or else she'll lose her scholarship. At home she can't ask questions; her cousins say she talks weird, and her parents are distracted. So she asks her piano: Where did you come from? Why are you here? And their shared history tumbles into the light. 

This expanded production reunites writer and performer Anoushka Lucas with original director Jess Edwards (Hotter/Fitter, Soho Theatre). Elephant first appeared as part of the Bush's Protest series, a response to the murder of George Floyd.

This production is generously supported by Charles Holloway.

Francesca Moody Productions in association with Bush Theatre

Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen

Written by Marcelo Dos Santos

Directed by Matthew Xia

Performed by Samuel Barnett

10 November - 23 December 2023

Monday - Saturday at 7.30 pm

Wednesday matinees - 22, 29 Nov & 6, 13, 20 Dec at 2.30 pm

Saturday matinees - 18, 25 Nov & 2, 9,16, 23 Dec at 2.30 pm

Relaxed performance - 25 Nov at 2.30 pm & 14 Dec at 7.30 pm

Captioned performance - 30 Nov at 7.30 pm & 9 Dec at 2.30 pm

Audio-described performance - 2 Dec at 2.30 pm & 7 Dec at 7.30 pm

Press Night - 15 Nov at 7 pm

The Edinburgh Fringe sensation Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen transfers to the Bush for its first London run. 

Following a critically acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022 - winning both a Scotsman Fringe First and The Stage Edinburgh Award - Samuel Barnett reprises his starring role in Marcelo Dos Santos' ★★★★★ laugh-out-loud exploration of intimacy, anxiety, and ego.

“I'm 36, I'm a comedian, and I'm about to kill my boyfriend…”

After years of swiping, a permanently single, professionally neurotic stand-up finally meets Mr Right - and then does everything wrong.

Strap in for a delightfully dark journey through self-awareness and self-sabotage as he decides whether love is worth the price of a killer punchline. 

Feeling Afraid… is the 'razor sharp' (The Scotsman) hit play from the producers of the Olivier award-winning Baby Reindeer and the international smash-hit Fleabag and is directed by Olivier award-winner Matthew Xia. 

The Community Department 

The Bush Theatre's Local Partnerships Scheme is an annual programme which invites local organisations to become partners of the theatre. The scheme enables a collaborative, creative relationship with the Bush whilst enjoying the resources available at the theatre. 

This year's Local Partner is Carers Network which was established in 1991 to support unpaid carers. They support people caring for partners, family members, friends and neighbours aged over 18 with disabilities and long-term conditions or experiencing frailty due to old age. They provide one-to-one assessments, an information and advice service, support groups and drop-in sessions. In addition, they have a programme of events, activities, and training.

Carers Network's services are available free of charge to unpaid carers living in the City of Westminster, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Carers Network has helped over 7,000 local carers get access to the support they deserve.

Mark Bradford, Carer Engagement and Events Officer at Carers Network said,

'Carers Network is very excited to be partnering with Bush Theatre's Local Partnerships Scheme! Carers have for many years been enjoying complimentary trips to see productions courtesy of Bush Theatre, and they can't wait to get creative and devise their project with the help of the creative artist!'

Jordana Golbourn, the Lead Artist on this year's Local Partnership Scheme, said, 'I am really excited to work with the Bush on this collaboration with the Carers Network. It's going to be a really enriching process discovering together what stories they want to tell and how we should tell them.'

Jordana Golbourn is a Community Theatre Maker with nearly 15 years of experience working in schools, theatres, community centres, hostels, and women's prisons for companies such as Almeida Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Young Vic Theatre and Orange Tree Theatre. She is driven by play, curiosity, and care, collaborating with community artists to create visual, joyful and tender shows that celebrate their personal, community and political narratives, shine light on their individuality and embrace their imaginations.

The Bush Theatre announces a new cohort of their Bush Young Company (18 - 25)

Building on the success of the inaugural 18 - 25 Company, who graduated the programme this August with the sell-out, main-house production As We Face The Sun, the Bush is excited to welcome a new cohort into the Bush community and to be a part of developing this group of talented Young Artists, 60% of whom are local to the venue in West London, in a two year programme. 

Bush Young Company aims to develop artistic skills in theatre-making, braid the artistic programme with work in the community by producing high quality productions, and build the next generation of artists in the arts industry. 

Bush Friends

The Bush are launching a new friends scheme this season.  For just £5 per month (or £60 per year) you can get closer than ever to the work at the Bush:

• never pay more than £15 for tickets
• exchange your tickets for free if your plans change
• get invited to our yearly Friends night
• 10% off at our bar to make sure you have the best night out.

Not only this, but as a Bush Friend you'll be part of supporting the future of new British writing.

Further details at www.bushtheatre.co.uk/friend

 

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