Lyric Hammersmith reveals ambitious 2027 season with six new plays and UK premieres

The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre has announced a diverse 2027 season featuring six major new works, including world and London premieres. The lineup includes high-profile names like Rufus Norris and in-demand adaptations, reflecting the venue’s commitment to fresh theatrical voices.

The Lyric Hammersmith’s 2027 programme will open with a return of Jocelyn Bioh’s Tony Award-winning play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding from 20 January to 27 February. Directed by Monique Touko, the production reunites the creative team behind the acclaimed School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play.

From 13 April to 8 May, Inua Ellams’ Once Upon a Time in Sokoto will receive its London premiere. The play, winner of the 2024 Alfred Fagon Award and directed by Roy Alexander Weise, explores the friendship between an enslaved woman and her former master during the historical events leading to Nigeria’s creation.

Rufus Norris, former artistic director of the National Theatre, returns to London stage directing for the first time since his departure with Brock’s Mill. The Royal Shakespeare Company production, written by Stewart Pringle and featuring animation by Astrid Goldsmith, opens at the Lyric from 13 May to 5 June following its premiere in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The world premiere of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, adapted by Conor McPherson from Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s novel, will run from 17 June to 17 July. Set in a café where customers can time travel under strict rules, the play explores themes of memory and consequence.

Kieran Hurley’s adaptation of Graeme Armstrong’s novel The Young Team will play from 31 August to 25 September at the Lyric. Directed by O’Riordan, this co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland follows a young man’s involvement in a gang in Airdrie and will transfer to Glasgow’s Citizen’s Theatre after its London run.

Alistair McDowall’s stage adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle will receive its world premiere at the Lyric from 7 October to 6 November. Directed by Sarah Frankcom, the play focuses on the isolated Blackwood family following multiple mysterious deaths.

Alongside the mainstage season, the Lyric has formed a new partnership with Hackney Showroom, which will take residency in the theatre’s studio space. The collaboration includes two forthcoming world premieres and the Nice Pair festival running from 8 to 20 March 2027, spotlighting collaborative works developed with Hackney Showroom’s artistic team.

Lyric director O’Riordan described the season as “a statement of intent” celebrating “eclectic, imaginative, ambitious” work. The season’s mixture of new plays, adaptations, and returning successes underlines the venue’s ongoing dedication to innovative theatre.