SKETCHFEST OPENS 16 - 29 MARCH 2026 AT THE HEN & CHICKENS THEATRE in Islington AND CANAL CAFE THEATRE in Little Venice

A brand-new festival dedicated to the art of sketch comedy bringing together performers from across the UK for two weeks of original live work. SketchFest is a new collaboration between two of the capital’s best loved fringe venues, Canal Café Theatre in Little Venice and Hen and Chickens Theatre in Islington. The festival will feature hour long performances from a diverse lineup of sketch groups and double acts including Biscuit Barrel, Finlay and Joe, Chaos Theory, The Supermalts, Forced Rhubarb, Next Level Sketch, Canker Blossoms, Frog Bone Trom Bone and The Tiny Umbrellas, alongside appearances from performers such as Justin Edwards and Dan Tetsell.

Book shows at Hen & Chickens

Book shows at Canal Cafe Theatre

THE DAWN OF RECKONING at White Bear Theatre, Kennington 17th - 28th March   

The Dawn of Reckoning

Two women.
A deserted hotel lounge at the dead of night.
A seemingly random reunion.

The Dawn of Reckoning is a powerful two-hander about friendship, loss, guilt and the possibility of finding a second chance when and where it’s least expected. Produced by MBA Productions and directed by multi award-winning director Matthew Parker. Written by Mark Bastin, author of five-star, award-nominated To Have and To Hold it stars multi award-nominated Jilly Bond (National Theatre, Birmingham Rep, Lowry, BBC) and Bryonie Pritchard (Shakespeare’s Globe, Old Vic, New Vic).

"A quietly unsettling two-hander that lets its secrets surface slowly over the course of a night." ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Salterton Arts Review

Tom Lehrer Is Teaching Math and Doesn’t Want to Talk to You at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate

25 Mar - 12 Apr

Production by: Chromolume Productions

After three sold-out runs across London, the critically-acclaimed cult hit TOM LEHRER IS TEACHING MATH AND DOESN'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU returns. Featuring classics like Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, I Hold Your Hand In Mine, and The Elements, our most requested revival is back for a strictly limited run.

“A glorious celebration of one of the brightest, wittiest, and most principled satirists.” ★★★★

Ham & High

"Highly entertaining and utterly fascinating."★★★★ London Theatre 1

Award winning  FICKLE EULOGY returns to London, Circle & Star Theatre in Hampstead 7 - 12 April

A humorous and heartbreaking technicolor one-woman performance. Following her mother’s preventable COVID-19 death, Ann has one hour to write a eulogy. Spiralling through a kaleidoscope of characters, she finds cold comfort in less than-helpful AI advice. Who are we allowed to be in grief?

Winner of Best Solo Show - Standing Ovation Awards 2025.



Masterclass by Tim Connery, directed by Luke Adamson at Tabard Theatre, Chiswick 15 Apr - 2 May 2026

Thanks to a minor disagreement with the tax man, ageing Shakespearean thespian and faded film star Roger Sutherland is forced to swallow his pride and start offering paid evening acting masterclasses in local primary schools and community halls. It’s a far cry from the West End, but the show must go on.
Enter stage left Gary Brock – a brash, young Australian actor with a TV past and big ambitions. Once a child star Down Under, Gary has crossed the globe to reignite his career in the land of Shakespeare, but instead finds himself face to face with Roger, whose disdain for modern acting methods is matched only by his contempt for actors who don’t know their soliloquies from their stage directions.
With clashing egos, wildly different philosophies on acting, and a few forgotten lines along the way, sparks fly and tempers flare. But beneath the posturing and put-downs, could these two actors actually have something to learn from one another?



THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF A RAT RACER  at Bridge House Theatre in Penge, 21 - 25 April

Ever wondered what the person next to you is thinking?

Pulled earrings. Slit wrists. Chopped veins. T-rex arms.

Prepare for the uncomfortable and dive into Eva’s mind. Guided by Arthur, a grotesque, sadistic, half-real figure, this two-hander surreal dark comedy will bring you on a journey that will shift your concept of normality.

HOLD THE LINE at The Hope Theatre, Islington 21st - 25th April

For most people a bad shift isn’t life or death. But for Gary - it sure is.

Hold the Line is a comedy-drama based on the true events of working in a NHS111 call centre. After a patient unexpectedly dies during a routine health assessment, Gary’s livelihood and job are brought into disrepute as he faces the heat throughout the shift from hell. What happens when staff are overworked and mistakes are made?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘gripping and thoughtful production’ - LondonTheatre1
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘touching and powerful piece of theatre’ - The Indiependent
★ ★ ★ ★ ‘while the theme is deadly serious, shards of humour lighten the darkness’ - The Times

‘Hold the Line’ written by Sam Harry Macgregor and nominated for OffFest 2026, debuted at Edinburgh Fringe 2025 with a critically acclaimed sold out run and is now embarking on a UK tour.

ENTERTAINING MURDER at Upstairs at the Gatehouse 23 Apr - 10 May 2026

Musical

Production by:

Lambco Productions

Love, lies, lust… and murder.

This murder mystery musical is inspired by the true story of Edith Thompson and her young lover Freddy Bywaters. Their Old Bailey murder trial of 1922 became a cause célèbre. People queued for days to get tickets to see whether they were found innocent or guilty.

What did the jury decide? Did Edith really collude with her lover to kill her husband? How did Edith’s sixty-four love letters serve to condemn her in the eyes of the world?

After successful sell-out public readings in 2024 we return with a full-scale production for 2026, with new songs and a great new retro 1920s design.

THE LAST BLACK MESSIAH by Emeka Agada, directed by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller at Jack Studio Theatre 28 April - 16 May

The Last Black Messiah is a fierce, gripping drama about revolution, identity and justice. Set in early 90s America, Black revolutionary leader and former Howard University professor, Dr. Oko awaits execution when he receives a surprise visit from his former student Asante, now a journalist.As their reunion unfolds, history, past choices, and the weight of the country collide, igniting a confrontation that could change the legacy of Dr. Oko. This intense, thought-provoking story will leave you questioning everything you believe.

Emeka Agada is an award-nominated actor, writer. Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller is a director, actor and published playwright. His work has been nominated for the George Devine Award and listed among the Best Theatre of the Year by The British Blacklist. He has directed more than 30 productions, including the UK premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winner James Ijames’ White.

THE NAME by Jon Fosse at White Bear Theatre 19 May - 6 June

Hornsey-Pennell Productions Presents:The Name

A UK premier by 2023 Nobel Prize-winning author Jon Fosse
A deeply human portrait of belief, doubt and the longing to be seen.

A family house by the sea.

A young pregnant woman sits on a sofa.
Her partner enters.
Her sister returns.
Then her mother.
Then the father.

What should be a simple family gathering becomes something quietly unsettling. Questions circle. Silence lingers. The unborn child waits at the centre of the room. The question of its name is never answered. The question of its origin arises. When her partner speaks of reincarnation, the mood shifts. When her former lover is mentioned, it shifts again. 

“One of the most innovative playwrights of his generation… a master of concision and depth.”
— Guardian

SORRY YOU FELT THAT WAY

26th - 30th May

£10/£16/£18

7PM

TICKETS

Emma met Adam in a Tesco at a strange time in her life. After six months of romance and joy she decides to move out of her mouldy box room and into his apartment. It just makes sense! Things are looking up for Emma. But on her first night in her new home Adam’s ex-girlfriend is waiting for her in the sitting room and she no longer feels safe.

A thrilling story about love and the things we wish we didn’t know.

Following on from a sold out, award winning run at Dublin Fringe Sorry You Felt That Way returns to The Hope Theatre Islington.

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Winner of The Fishamble New Writing Award 2024