Riverside Studios Unveils Spring Theatre Lineup Featuring New Shows
Tiggy Bayley presents her debut one woman show Squidge, plus more.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Feb. 13, 2026
Riverside Studios has revealed further details of its spring theatre programme, launching in a landmark year as the iconic West London venue celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Opened in 1976, Riverside Studios has built a reputation for excellence and innovation across theatre, dance, visual art, television, comedy and music. This spring season reflects that legacy while championing the bold, adventurous work that defines the venue today.
The shows feature an eclectic mix of award-winning Edinburgh Fringe gems, spanning intimate stories, scientific and medical narratives, daring theatrical experiments, and sharp comedy, making them an exciting addition to the variety of shows celebrating 50 years of Riverside Studios.
From 16 – 21 March, Panacea examines the moral complexities of scientific innovation through the story of Professor Augustus ‘Gus' Jamieson, a researcher with ASD developing a revolutionary infectious vaccine. As ambition and love collide, he is forced to confront the darker implications of progress, raising urgent questions about the true cost of discovery and the responsibilities that accompany scientific advancement. Born from a collaboration between microbiologist Andrew Singer and theatre-maker Christina James, who has a background in psychoanalysis, the play draws on real-world ethical dilemmas and cutting-edge research.
Award-winning screenwriter and actress Tiggy Bayley presents her debut one woman show Squidge from 24 – 29 March. Directed by Selwin Hulme-Teague and produced by Poppy Maxwell, Squidge follows Daisy, a disillusioned and cynical teaching assistant that meets her match in a troubled little Irish Traveller. Daisy finds hope in an unlikely friendship. It's a nuanced, funny, and emotionally powerful story about platonic, redemptive love and what children can teach us.
Bittersweet medical comedy Heartsink plays 21 April – 10 May and follows GP Dr Jeffrey Longford, whose cancer diagnosis propels him into a new life on the other side of the stethoscope. From an award-winning team including a writer who was a former GP, Heartsink is filled with acute wit and humane comedy as it describes this collision of perspectives and tackles ostensibly unfunny issues with insightful empathy and compassion.
From 27 April – 10 May, audiences follow Johnny in An Adequate Abridgment of Boarding School Life as a Homo, 18 years old and in his final year at an all boys boarding school, where rugby, awkward PSHE lessons, Grindr rendezvous and hookups in the English block loos define his days. Written by Ned Blackburn, this 60-minute comedy is not a coming-out story or a gay tragedy but life through the lens of a young queer man navigating hyper-masculinity, shame and desire, often with humour and irreverence. The production has won the Bobby Award and been widely praised for its candid, funny and searingly honest exploration of youth and identity.
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