Jude

by Niko Burns

Performances: 22 Apr - 26 Apr 2025

New Writing!

In a windswept town on the north coast of Ireland, Ciaran faces the harsh reality of losing the only job he’s ever known. Áine, his wife, questions the prospect of thriving in a place that has been forgotten by many.

Resorting to guidance from his slightly inebriated priest, Ciaran seeks consolation in persistently praying to Saint Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes. However, when his prayers are unexpectedly answered, the help he wanted materialises in a way he never could’ve foreseen.

Director: Niko Burns


The Ballad of Maria Marten

by Beth Flintoff

Performances: 6 - 10 May 2025

The Ballad of Maria Marten is a captivating and dramatic reimagining of a true crime story from 1827, with the voices of women reclaiming their narrative and demonstrating the strength of female friendship.

At the heart of the story is Maria Marten, a spirited young woman from a small English village whose body is discovered buried in a barn a year after her disappearance. What follows is the retelling of the events leading up to her murder—this time, from Maria’s perspective and the voices of the women around her.

The play is a story of class, abuse, and resilience, but ultimately of love, turning the tragic true tale into a powerful and often humorous exploration of the experiences of women in a society that often silenced them.

Director: Cal Beckett

The Unfriend

by Steven Moffat

Performances: 20 - 24 May 2025 (including a Saturday matinee)

While on holiday Peter and Debbie befriend Elsa: a lusty, Trump-loving widow from Denver, USA. She's less than woke but kind of wonderful. They agree to stay in touch - because no one ever really does, do they?

When Elsa invites herself to stay a few months later, they decide to look her up online - however, what they discover makes them wish they had never looked at all. Shaken to their very core and desperate to cancel Elsa’s impending visit, the pair hear the dreaded noise of the doorbell.

What began as an innocent holiday encounter has now turned into a game of cat and mouse. But Pete and Debbie can’t help but be utterly polite. After all, you can’t die of embarrassment...can you? A dark comedy that's enjoyed Chichester Festival and West End success.

Director: Bob Callender

First rehearsal: 9 March 2025

Romeo and Juliet

by William Shakespeare

Performances: 2 - 7 June 2025

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tales of love and tragedy, but in this unique reimagining, Romeo and Juliet’s romance will unfold within the walls of an Edwardian asylum, where the characters’ actions and emotions are amplified in this intense, confined environment.

Are they driven by love — or madness? The familiar story of star-crossed lovers, vengeful family conflicts, and desperate acts of passion takes on new meaning as the asylum setting blurs the line between reality and illusion.

Director: Stephen Hayward

First rehearsal: 23 March 2025

Villa

by Guillermo Calderón

Performances: 17 - 21 June 2025

Villa is a gripping and thought-provoking drama that explores the painful legacy of a country’s past, set against the backdrop of a former torture site. In this powerful and intimate play, three women gather to debate the future of the Villa Grimaldi, a real-life site of atrocities during Chile’s dictatorship.

Their mission: to decide how the site should be memorialised. As the women deliberate, they confront deep, conflicting emotions about memory, justice, and the responsibilities of remembering a painful history. Should the site be a museum, a memorial, or something else entirely? Their intense conversation becomes a metaphor for a nation’s struggle to reconcile with its violent past.

Director: Stephen Grist

First rehearsal: 6 April 2025

These Shining Lives

by Melanie Marnich

Performances: 1 - 5 July 2025

These Shining Lives is a powerful and poignant play telling the true story of the women who worked at the Radium Dial Company in the 1920s and 30s, painting watch dials with glowing radium paint—unaware of the deadly consequences.

This deeply moving drama follows the journey of four courageous women as they fight for justice after discovering that their work has poisoned them. These Shining Lives is not just a story of corporate negligence, but of resilience, friendship, and the strength of the human spirit, as the women band together to take on their employer in a landmark legal battle that changes American labour laws forever.

Director: LilyAnn Green

First rehearsal: 6 April 2025

James and the Giant Peach

Adapted by David Wood

Performances: w/c 14 July 2025

In this delightful stage adaptation, Roald Dahl’s classic tale is faithfully told by James himself, along with the insect characters – Miss Spider, Old-Green-Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybird, and Earthworm. Full of fun, thrills and a sprinkling of magic, James' epic adventures will be brought to life in a show for all the family.

Director: Simon Gleisner

First rehearsal: To be confirmed

CAST TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

SLT Summer Shorts 2025

by various writers

Performances: 5 - 9 August 2025

Our annual new writing vehicle comes racing into town once again, with the opportunity for anyone with an idea to put together a 10-minute play which can be easily staged, with no more than 5 actors.

Submissions are closed, but for more on this year's theme here

Auditions: 11 and 12 May, 2025

First rehearsal: TBC (shortly after the auditions.)

Cold Water

by Philippa Lawford

Performances: 2 - 6 September 2025

A tense, intimate drama about grief, silence, and the unspoken rifts between sisters. Quietly powerful and emotionally charged. 1M & 1F (20s-30s) More info & script

Director: Elliott Archer
Auditions: End of May, 2025

NSFW

by Lucy Kirkwood

Performances: 16-20 September 2025

A biting workplace satire that skewers media ethics, gender politics, and exploitation. Sharp, darkly funny, and provocative. 4M & 2F (18-50s) More info & script

Director: Sapphire Shoferpoor
Auditions: Early June, 2025

Accidental Death of an Anarchist

by Dario Fo, adapted by Tom Basden

Performances: 30 September - 4 October 2025

A fast-paced political farce exposing police corruption through absurdity, satire, and razor-sharp wit. Chaotic, clever, and outrageously funny. 3M, 1F, 3 ANY More info & script

Director: Mark Ireson
Auditions: Mid June, 2025

Es & Flo

by Jennifer Lunn

Performances: 14 - 18 October 2025

A tender, funny, and quietly radical love story celebrating queer identity, ageing, and the fierce need to protect what matters most. Heartfelt and life-affirming. 4F (1 x white British, early 70s; 1 x black British, early-mid 60s; 1 x Polish, 30s; 1 x white British, 40s-50s) + child role. More info & script

Director: Jess Osorio
Auditions: Late June, 2025

TBC

by TBC

Performances: 28 October - 1 November 2025

This slot is still open. Contact theatrecommittee@southlondontheatre.co.uk with ideas.

Director: TBC
Auditions: Early July, 2025

The Crucible

by Arthur Miller

Performances: 11 - 15 November 2025

A gripping classic tale of fear, power, and mass hysteria, set during the Salem witch trials. Intense, timeless, and powerfully resonant. 7-10F (20s-60s); 7-10M (30s-60s) More info & script

Director: Yohann Philip
Auditions: Early August, 2025

Mixed Feelings

by Ajjaz Awad-Ibrahim

New Writing!

Performances: 26 - 29 November 2025

A dynamic piece of new writing looking at race, sexuality, family and the intersection of the above. With pace, it explores identity in British society today.

Director: Ajjaz Awad-Ibrahim
Auditions: Mid August, 2025

Christmas show

by TBC

Performances: 9-20 December 2025 (TBC)

This slot is still open. Contact theatrecommittee@southlondontheatre.co.uk with ideas.

Director: TBC
Auditions: Late August, 2025