Playwright James Graham and director Jeremy Herrin are reuniting for a new National Theatre production charting John Major’s rise from whip to prime minister. The political drama headlines an eight-world-premiere season announced for 2027 by director Indhu Rubasingham and executive director Kate Varah, featuring major revivals and global conflicts.
Political upheaval and historical turning points anchor the upcoming lineup at London’s South Bank institution. The programme spans 18 total productions, with artistic leadership curating a mix of modern history, international conflict, and 20th-century revivals while omitting Shakespeare entirely from its three main stages for the upcoming season. Hamlet will instead be among new titles added to the National Theatre Collection, the organisation’s streaming and education service. Indhu Rubasingham said the season was united by themes of resilience and hope
and was intended to reflect the international spirit at the heart of our National Theatre
.
James Graham and Jeremy Herrin Return With Major
Playwright James Graham is returning to the recent political history that has become a recurring subject of his work with a new biographical drama simply titled Major. The production charts Major’s emergence from relatively obscure whip to prime minister, taking over from Margaret Thatcher at a pivotal moment in Britain’s relationship with Europe. The National Theatre said the play would explore what leadership means at times of political change.
The project pairs Graham once again with director Jeremy Herrin. The creative team previously collaborated on This House, an acclaimed parliamentary drama. The National Theatre stated that the new play will examine the true meaning of political leadership during periods of intense transformation.
John Major’s rise from obscure whip to PM part
Global History and World Premieres on the South Bank
Alongside domestic political history, the 2027 season reaches outward to examine international friction and cultural transitions. Moira Buffini’s new play The Great Indaba dramatises an extraordinary 1997 meeting in South Africa involving Nelson Mandela’s new national unity government and political rivals from Northern Ireland, as the Good Friday agreement negotiations approached a breakthrough. National Theatre Director Indhu Rubasingham reunites with writer Moira Buffini to direct the play.
Other world premieres on the schedule include Carmen Nasr’s Samira, set during the Arab Spring and directed by Emily Burns with a cast that includes May Calamawy, Joshua McGuire and Sirine Saba. Oladipo Agboluaje’s epic family drama The Adeyemis – A Family Saga, a new political family drama by the British Nigerian writer, will have its world premiere in the Dorfman theatre, directed by Lucian Msamati and starring three-time Emmy winning actor Uzo Aduba making her National Theatre debut.
The season also introduces Natasha Gordon’s stage adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo’s acclaimed novel Mr Loverman, directed by Paulette Randall. Initial casting includes Gary Beadle, Jo Martin and Danny Sapani as a married Caribbean man confronting his sexuality. In the musical realm, a new British musical titled Glorious Madness features songs by Joan Armatrading, with a book by Iman Qureshi and directed by Phyllida Lloyd in a co-production with KPPL Productions.
Reimagined Classics and Star-Studded Revivals
Eight World Premieres and More Set for National Theatre's
While world premieres anchor a significant portion of the schedule, the theatre has balanced its programming with major modern revivals rather than traditional Shakespearean works, highlighting modern classics and 20th-century works. Director Richard Eyre, the former National Theatre Director, will return to reunite with playwright David Hare and stage a new production of Plenty ahead of its 50th anniversary, with initial casting that includes Emilia Clarke making her National Theatre debut.
Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer arrives directed by Michael Grandage, featuring Emma Corrin, Arty Froushan and Harriet Walter in a new production of the rarely performed masterpiece. Meanwhile, Paul Mescal leads repertory productions of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and Tom Murphy’s A Whistle in the Dark, alongside Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, with Death of a Salesman directed by Rebecca Frecknall and starring Paul Mescal and Tracy Letts.
The multi-award-winning theatre company Punchdrunk will open a new immersive production called Ghostlight next summer, marking the 50th anniversary of The National Theatre’s South Bank home, conceived and directed by founder and artistic director Felix Barrett and curated by writer Lucy Kirkwood.
Indhu Rubasingham, Director and Co-Chief Executive of The National Theatre
Executive director and co-chief executive Kate Varah emphasized that the theatre had invested in bold artistic voices
and a unique reach that extends across stages, screens and communities. Rubasingham said the programme would examine the perspectives, cultures and conflicts that continue to shape our world
, with 18 productions including eight world premieres across the National Theatre’s stages and beyond, alongside touring productions and work reaching audiences through cinema, streaming and schools.
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