Kiln Theatre Announce World Premiere Musical COVEN And More In 2025 - 2026 Season

Kiln Theatre has announced its new 2025/26 season, Amit Sharma's second as Artistic Director. The programme features three world premieres and a new version of a much-loved hit.

The season will launch with Iman Qureshi's The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs, a feel-good musical comedy about community, belonging, and the power of finding your voice. Directed by Hannah Hauer-King (The Swell – Orange Tree Theatre / Associate Director – The Wife of Willesden), and co-produced with Emma Hall for Antic Productions and Kitty Wordsworth for Damsel Productions. The new production runs 13 June – 12 July 2025 (Press Night: Friday 20 June) following a sold-out run at Soho Theatre.

This is followed by the world premiere of new musical, Coven, that reinterrogates the true story of the seventeenth century Pendle Witch Trials. This female led musical, which centres the power of women, has music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning Daisy Chute with Rebecca Brewer, book by Rebecca Brewer and is directed by Olivier Award winner Miranda Cromwell (Milma's Tale, Death of a Salesman). Produced in association with Kindred Partners and Eilene Davidson Productions, Coven runs 31 October - 13 December 2025 (Press Night: Tuesday 11 November).

Dipo Baruwa-Etti (The Clinic – Almeida Theatre) and Taio Lawson (former Associate Director at Kiln Theatre), co-write and direct Seagulls – a new, Black British retelling of Chekhov's iconic play. This contemporary reimagining explores art, ambition, and the fractures within family and fame – bringing this classic right up to date for a new generation. Seagulls runs 12 February - 21 March 2026 (Press Night: Thursday 19 February).

Completing the season is the world premiere of Please Please Me by Tom Wright (Associate Artistic Director at Kiln Theatre), directed by Amit Sharma. An electrifying and deeply personal story of the troubled life of the ‘Fifth Beatle', Brian Epstein, his relationship with John Lennon and his contribution to making The Beatles the greatest band on earth. The production runs from 16 April – 23 May 2026 (Press Night: Thursday 23 April).

Full creative teams and casting for all productions to be announced.

Amit Sharma said today, “I'm beyond excited to announce this new season at Kiln Theatre – a season packed with bold storytelling, thrilling music, and reimagined classics. We're bringing four extraordinary productions to the stage, each one pushing boundaries and sparking conversation.

From the joyous, rebellious heart of The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs to the raw ambition and vulnerability of Brian Epstein in Please Please Me, these are stories that demand to be heard. Coven is a powerhouse new musical about the Pendle Witch Trials – a fierce and timely exploration of womanhood, power, and survival – while Seagulls boldly reimagines a classic, bringing Chekhov's themes of art and ambition into a fresh, contemporary light.

I can't wait for all these incredible artists to bring their magic to Kilburn.”

Kiln Theatre expands its commitment to making theatre accessible, with the introduction of a £5 ticket rate for residents of Brent and Camden to all preview performances across the new season. This is in addition to their existing £10 ticket rate for under 26-year-olds. Kiln will also offer 1,000 free tickets to local people of all ages who might not otherwise be able to see a Kiln Theatre production.

Priority booking is open now. General on sale opens Monday 17 February at 10am.

Also Kiln Theatre's flagship Creative Engagement programme, Minding The Gap, is renamed as Arrive Build Create, to better reflect its continued mission of supporting newly arrived young people and those with experience of migration in developing skills and building community through creative activities. For the past 18 years, the programme has collaborated with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) departments in local schools and colleges to deliver drama-based creative sessions – supporting 3,000 people since the programme's inception. In September, it expanded to include a new group for older adults in partnership with Salusbury World.

In addition to its main house programme, this spring, Kiln Theatre's production of Ryan Calais Cameron's Retrograde, directed by Amit Sharma, transfers to the West End produced by 2025 BAFTA and Oscar Award nominee Colman Domingo and Nica Burns. The production opens at the Apollo Theatre on the 19 March, with previews from 8 March, and running until 14 June 2025.

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A Kiln Theatre, Antic Productions and Damsel Productions co-production

THE MINISTRY OF LESBIAN AFFAIRS

by Iman Qureshi

directed by Hannah Hauer-King

13 June – 12 July 2025

Press Night: Friday 20 June, 7pm

A feel-good musical comedy 

The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs, the only lesbian choir in the country, are trying to win their place on the Pride mainstage. In a run-down church hall with an OWL (Older, Wiser Lesbian) at the helm, the rag tag choir navigate love, loss, and trying to agree on song choices. But despite their best intentions, they find that harmony comes at a price. 

Packed with laugh out loud moments and lots of lesbian drama, this heart-warming musical comedy returns following its sold-out premiere at Soho Theatre in 2022.

Iman Qureshi is an award-winning writer for stage and screen. Her break-out play The Funeral Director won the prestigious Papatango New Writing Prize in 2018 and premiered at Southwark Playhouse directed by Hannah Hauer-King. Her next play The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs also directed by Hauer-King, premiered on the Soho Theatre's main stage in 2022 to great acclaim. She held the position of writer in residence at the National Theatre for a year in 2023 and is now writing a new play under commission. She is also developing new work with the Almeida, English Touring Theatre, Papatango, and the Royal Court and she is developing a new musical. For screen, she completed a two year first look deal with Paramount+ in 2021 and previously her short Home Girl, directed by Poonam Brah was selected by Film London for their London Calling short film slate and was later selected for the 2019 BFI Flare Festival. Her short film The Ceremony (Open Sky) was selected for the Vancouver International Film Festival 2022, and won Best Screenplay at the Artists Forum Festival of the Moving Image.

Hannah Hauer-King is an Olivier Award nominated and award winning director and dramaturg. Directing work includes: The Swell (Hightide Festival/Orange Tree Theatre – Oliver Award nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre), The Brief Life and Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria (Arcola Theatre/New York), The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs, Fabric, Fury (Soho Theatre), The Funeral Director (Southwark Playhouse/ UK tour), Circle Game (Southwark Playhouse), Call Me Fury (Hope Theatre), The Amber Trap (Theatre503), Grotty, Breathe (Bunker Theatre), Revolt She Said Revolt Again (RCSSD), Clay (Pleasance Theatre) and Dry Land (Jermyn Street Theatre). Associate/Assistant work includes: Fiddler On The Roof (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), The Wife of Willesden (Kiln Theatre, ART Boston and BAM NY), Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare's Globe), Daytona (Park Theatre & Theatre Royal Haymarket), Radiant Vermin (Soho Theatre) and Titus Andronicus (Greenwich Theatre). Cabaret works includes: Witt n Camp (Soho Theatre), Siblings (Crazy Coqs) and Lilith (Bunker Theatre). Hannah is the co-founder of Damsel Productions and was Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio.

A Kiln Theatre production in association with Kindred Partners and Eilene Davidson Productions

COVEN

book by Rebecca Brewer

music & lyrics by Rebecca Brewer and Daisy Chute

directed by Miranda Cromwell

31 October – 13 December 2025

Press Night: Tuesday 11 November, 7pm

A scorching new musical

Based on England's most notorious witch trials

1612. Pendle, Lancashire. A witch hunt is raging and a 9-year-old Jennet accuses her own family of witchcraft. 21 years later, she finds herself imprisoned, surrounded by the most feared women in town. As the accuser becomes the accused, Jennet must confront a 250-year legacy of witchcraft and the dark secrets of her own past. As she listens to the shocking stories of the women around her, Jennet's faith begins to crumble.

Olivier Award-winning director Miranda Cromwell joins forces with Grammy award-winning Daisy Chute alongside Rebecca Brewer. A thrilling new musical combining uplifting anthems and powerful melodies in a fresh reinterrogation of the true story of the Pendle Witch Trials. With power in their veins and the earth beneath their feet, 13 women rise above the forces that seek to silence them.

Join the coven. The trial begins.

Rebeca Brewer is an actor, writer and theatre maker.  Her credits as a writer include Tales from the Thames with co-writers Vickie Donoghue and folk musician MG Boulter, Foot (finalist for New Perspectives' Open Pitch in 2018), and The Escape (finalist for In Good Company's ‘Take Off' new writing award in 2019). She was a recipient of the prestigious MGC Futures Bursary for 2021, and an Associate Artist at the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch from 2020-2021. She is currently writing The Last Rose of Summer, with Daisy Chute, a new work inspired by Jane Austen's connection to Southampton for MAST Mayflower Studios, as one of the 2024 Cameron Mackintosh Resident Writers.. She is currently developing a series for television and was one of 12 mentored writers as part of the 2024 Channel 4 Screenwriting Programme. As an actor, Rebecca has worked at the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Almeida, Royal Court and the West End as well as on television, film and radio.

Daisy Chute is a Scottish/American singer-songwriter who has found a loyal following through her award-winning songwriting and 'gorgeous' vocals (Guy Garvey, Elbow). 2024 brought with it a Grammy Award for her involvement in The Birdsong Project and collaborations with Hollie Rogers, The Dunwells, Ed Blunt, Lady Nade and James Walker. Selling out shows across the UK, Europe and US, Daisy can be spotted with a guitar or banjo at top arts venues and festivals like Black Deer and Glastonbury. Her debut originals album of folk and Americana songs Throne is out in 2025. Recognised as a ‘committed, professional and creative songwriter' (Sir Ray Davies, The Kinks), Daisy's music features regularly on BBC Radio and television and is also playlisted across thousands of Tesco and Caffè Nero stores around the world. Her background in classical, jazz and folk music has led Daisy to collaborate and contribute to soundtracks ranging from David Attenborough documentaries to films including Yesterday and Shaun the Sheep, and game soundtracks including The Sims 4. She has also provided backing vocals Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool, and she also has 3 Platinum-selling, Classical Brit-nominated albums with her band All Angels released with Universal Records. She is currently writing The Last Rose of Summer, with Rebecca Brewer, a new work inspired by Jane Austen's connection to Southampton for MAST Mayflower Studios, as one of the 2024 Cameron Mackintosh Resident Writers.

Miranda Cromwell is an Olivier Award-winning theatre director. Directing credits include: The Little Mermaid (Bristol Old Vic), Milma's Tale (Kiln Theatre), The Beekeeper of Aleppo (Nottingham Playhouse), Swing Sister Swing (UK Tour), Rockets and Blue Lights (National Theatre, Manchester Royal Exchange/ BBC radio 3) Oncomm Best audio drama award, and breathe… (Almeida Theatre), Half Breed (BBC iplayer, Talawa Theatre/Soho Theatre/Edinburgh Fringe Festival/India tour), Magic Elves, Hey Diddle Diddle, Sense (Bristol Old Vic), Pigeon English (Edinburgh Fringe Festival/Bristol Old Vic), The Rest of Your Life (Bush Theatre) and Death and Treason (Bristol Old Vic/UK tour). Co-director credits include the Olivier Award-winning Death of a Salesman (Young Vic Theatre/West End transfer). As Associate Director her credits include: Company (Gielgud Theatre - Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, Critics Circle Award for Best Musical), Angels in America (National Theatre/Neil Simon Theatre, Broadway - Olivier and Tony Award for Best Revival), A Monster Calls (Old Vic/ Bristol Old Vic - Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Family), and Coram Boy (Colston Hall). Miranda is the Artistic Director of Twisted Theatre and became an Associate Director at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2024.

A Kiln Theatre production

SEAGULLS

Written and directed by Dipo Baruwa-Etti and Taio Lawson

12 February – 21 March 2026

Press Night: Thursday 19 February, 7pm

The classic, recharged.

Konstantin is desperate to prove his talent as a writer. Irina, once a star, is desperate to keep her own flailing acting career afloat. At a performance of his new play, Konstantin's reunion with his mother reopens old wounds, bringing repressed emotions to the surface. Can their relationship survive new flames and past traumas?

Dipo Baruwa-Etti and Taio Lawson bring Chekov's classic comedy-drama to a new generation in this sharp and contemporary Black British retelling.

Dipo Baruwa-Etti is a playwright, screenwriter, and director. As a playwright, his work includes The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars (Stratford East), An Unfinished Man (The Yard Theatre), Half-Empty Glasses (Paines Plough) and The Clinic (Almeida Theatre), all published by Faber. He has been shortlisted for the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright, The George Devine, JMK and Alfred Fagon Awards and sits on the board of Shakespeare's Globe. As writer-director, his short films include the award-winning The Last Days (BFI Network/BBC/Tannahill Productions) starring Adjoa Andoh and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn. Artist development programmes Dipo has been on include: Edinburgh International Film Festival Talent Lab, BBC TV Drama Writers Programme, 4Screenwriting, Channel 4 Playwrights, and BFI NETWORK@LFF.

Taio Lawson is currently the Genesis Fellow / Associate Director at the Young Vic. Prior to this position he was the Associate Director of Kiln Theatre. Selected Director credits include: Hamilton (Resident Director – West End), An Unfinished Man (The Yard Theatre), NW Stories (Kiln Theatre), HOME Digital (Young Vic Theatre), Macbeth (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Hang (The Crucible), White Devil (East 15 Acting School) and Home - Installation (Young Vic Theatre). Taio is also a trustee for PiPA (Parents and Carers in the Performing Arts). Parents and carers are fundamentally disadvantaged and systematically overlooked in the industry. PiPA aims to be a thought and change leader, amplifying the voices of everyone with caring responsibilities in the performing arts, to change mindsets and working practices alike.

A Kiln Theatre production

PLEASE PLEASE ME

by Tom Wright

directed by Amit Sharma

16 April – 23 May 2026

Press Night: Thursday 23 April, 7pm

Brian Epstein and The Beatles. Their rise. His fall.

When Brian Epstein steps into the Cavern Club, he finds more than just a band - he finds his life's calling. Captivated by four rugged boys from Liverpool, he sets out to transform them into the most famous group on earth.

But as the world begins to worship his Fab Four, Brian wrestles with secrets, longing, and love - especially for his charismatic frontman, John Lennon.

Please Please Me is the electrifying story of The Beatles' meteoric rise and the hidden struggles of their beloved manager - the unsung, gay legend and ‘Fifth Beatle', Brian Epstein.

Tom Wright is a writer, director and dramaturg for theatre and film. He is currently the Associate Artistic Director at Kiln Theatre. Previously Head of Artist Development at The Old Vic. His two back-to-back debut plays achieved acclaim with seven Off West End Award nominations, including Best New Play and Most Promising Playwright. Writing credits include: I Ain't Dumb (Belgrade Theatre), Very Special Guest Star (Omnibus Theatre), Undetectable (King's Head Theatre), My Dad's Gap Year (Park Theatre) and Rebel Song (The Other Palace). Writing and directing credits include: Sirens and White Lies (ArtsEd). Directing credits include: Blowhole (Soho Theatre and Pleasance Theatre), Dumbledore Is So Gay (Southwark Playhouse, Pleasance Theatre and Vault Festival, Origins Award) and Tumble Tuck (King's Head Theatre and Underbelly Edinburgh). Associate credits include: The Invisible Hand (Kiln Theatre), Legendary Children (Theatre De Meervaart), The Method (ALRA) and 2.1 (Rich Mix, Camden People's Theatre). Film credits include: Sent To Cov (Sky Arts), Stockholm (BFI Flare) and Kweenship (ArtsEd Films).

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