Mainstage Season 26/27

BOOK HERE!

The Mainstage Season launches with three World Premieres:

Affluenza by Andy Sandberg runs 26 September to 21 November 2026

Sacrilegious by Academy Award winner Tom Schulman runs 5 December 2026 to 23 January 2027

Expecting by Scott Elmegreen & Drew Fornarola runs 30 January to 27 March 2027

Further productions, casting and creatives to be announced

Mainstage Season 26/27, a major season of five new plays directed by Andy Sandberg, will be performed at Riverside Studios from this September, launching with three world premieres. Affluenza, written and directed by Andy Sandberg, runs from 26 September to 21 November 2026 (press night 5 October), with tickets on sale today. Sacrilegious, by Tom Schulman, the Oscar-winning writer of the films Dead Poets Society and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, runs from 5 December 2026 to 23 January 2026 (press night 15 December). Expecting, by Scott Elmegreen & Drew Fornarola, runs from 30 January to 27 March 2027 (press night 9 February). Further productions and casting will be announced soon. 

The Mainstage Season 26/27 at Riverside Studios will feature five original plays, each running for limited eight-week engagements between September 2026 and July of 2027. Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director of the Hermitage Artist Retreat in the U.S., serves as Season Artistic Director for the Mainstage and will be directing each production. It is expected that each play in the season will be a world premiere or a UK premiere; the final two plays in the season will be announced in the coming months. The plays are largely set in America while exploring globally relevant themes. A mix of comedies and dramas, the plays in the season are all intended to keep the conversation going long after the curtain falls.

The Mainstage at Riverside Studios is a 400-seat theatre in West London. In recent years, it has been home to Ulster American (starring Woody Harrelson & Andy Serkis), Second Best (starring Asa Butterfield), and Operation Mincemeat, among others. 

Mainstage Season Artistic Director Andy Sandberg said today, ‘New writing has always been my passion, and there is nothing more exciting than discovering and nurturing a brilliant original play. Our hope is that each of these stories will resonate with audiences and become part of the theatrical canon for years to come. These are all timely and thought-provoking scripts designed to entertain while also inviting audiences to engage more deeply. I absolutely love working in the UK, and I am honoured to be working alongside a brilliant team of UK colleagues to bring this season to life. The experiences I have had directing in London have been some of the most gratifying of my career, and I can’t wait to launch these new productions at Riverside Studios.’

The Mainstage Season at Riverside Studios is presented by ABS Productions, Whitney Edwards, Flora Major, Judith Manocherian, Sondra Biller, and Berman-Cohen Productions. DEM Productions serves as General Manager.