New Adventures, in association with the National Theatre, has announced that Matthew Bourne’s double Olivier Award-winning production Play Without Words will return for its 25th anniversary in 2027.
The landmark dance-theatre piece will play two exclusive preview performances at Curve, Leicester, on 23 and 24 July 2027, followed by a limited four-week London season at Sadler’s Wells from 27 July until 21 August 2027.
Inspired by Joseph Losey’s 1963 classic film The Servant—featuring Harold Pinter’s acclaimed screenplay—and the new-wave British cinema of the 1960s, Play Without Words is set in a suave 1965 Chelsea residence. The story follows an urbane master and his fiancée who welcome a new manservant, sparking a gripping domestic struggle for power and sexual domination.
Devised by Matthew Bourne with an original jazz-influenced score by Terry Davies played live onstage, the production features Olivier-nominated set and costume designs by Lez Brotherston and Olivier-nominated lighting design by Paule Constable. A key staging innovation involves casting each central character multiple times over in identical costumes to explore variations of the narrative simultaneously.
"I'm delighted that the show is not only returning for its 25th anniversary but also, rightly, as the centrepiece of my company’s 40th anniversary in 2027," said creator Matthew Bourne. "Trevor Nunn asked all directors in the 2002 National Theatre season to choose a key word as a starting point for their work; mine was 'seduction.' It became one of the most adventurous and unique pieces I have ever made."
The production originally premiered at the National Theatre during Trevor Nunn’s 2002 Transformations season, securing five Olivier Award nominations and winning for Best Entertainment and Best Theatre Choreographer.
Tickets go on sale for Curve on 6 November 2026, and for Sadler’s Wells on 16 November 2026, with casting details to be announced.
Photo credit: Hugo Glendinning
