Iconic West London venue Riverside Studios is kicking off its landmark 50th-anniversary year with a diverse and adventurous spring theatre programme. Since opening in 1976, Riverside has been a bastion of innovation; this season honors that legacy by blending international hits, Edinburgh Fringe gems, and bold new writing.
Season Highlights
The spring lineup features a wide array of storytelling styles, from musical memoirs to absurdist dinner parties:
Tales of the Council House Kid (28 Feb): Musician Francis Dunnery presents a powerful "living memoir" using songs and stories to trace life on English council estates in the '60s and '70s.
SALT (3–15 March): A dark, visceral folk tale from Contemporary Ritual Theatre set on the Norfolk coast in 1770, performed in an immersive in-the-round setting.
Alice in Wonderland (27 March – 12 April): An internationally celebrated family production bringing Lewis Carroll’s world to life with spellbinding stagecraft.
Eggs Aren’t That Easy to Make (30 March – 12 April): A queer rom-com exploring friendship and sperm donation ten years after a drunken university pact.
Ionesco/Dinner at the Smiths (7 April – 9 May): An intimate absurdist experience where audiences join the Smiths for a surreal feast "at their home on the riverside."
Managed Approach (13–25 April): A critically acclaimed semi-verbatim play exploring the UK’s first legalised red-light district in Leeds.
Green Wild Elderflower (14–19 April): A vibrant musical journey exploring Polish migration and identity through the songs of Agnieszka Osiecka (performed in Polish with English subtitles).
Player (11–31 May): A sharp black comedy by Matthew Lyon exploring the absurdities and rejections faced by unemployed actors.
Assata Taught Me (12–24 May): A revival of Kalungi Ssebandeke’s gripping drama set in 2016 Havana, centered on Black Panther Assata Shakur.
Head of Programming Rhys Williamson noted, "This season brings together experimental theatre, storytelling, and moments of humour. There is lots more to come—watch this space!"
