National Theatre announces 2027 Season with a West Side Story revival
Published on 10 September 2026
Summary
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West Side Story returns to the Olivier in 2027, with original choreography recreated by Julio Monge.
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The season features major new plays, including Major, The Great Indaba and Samira, plus new musical Glorious Madness.
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Stars including Emilia Clarke, Emma Corrin and Paul Mescal join the Lyttelton programme, alongside Punchdrunk’s Ghostlight.
The National Theatre has announced its exciting 2027 season, with multiple starry names, musicals old and new, and gripping new plays. Along with an exciting and long overdue revival of West Side Story, Sondheim’s first major Broadway show and debut in 1957.
West Side Story will be playing at the Olivier Theatre in Autumn 2027. The production will be co-directed by Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell. What’s exciting about this revival is that Jerome Robbins’ original choreography is set to be reproduced and adapted for the stage by Julio Monge, who also worked on the choreography for the film.
Along with the excitement of a musical revival, is a new political play, Major, written by James Graham, exploring John Major’s arrival as Prime Minister following Thatcher’s resignation. If you want wait for 2027 for more Graham's genius, be sure to see The Standard of Living in the West End's Theatre Royal Haymarket. Along with The Great Indaba, also coming to the Olivier Theatre, following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
In the Dorfman, Oladipo Agboluaje’s The Adeyemis – A Family Saga will have its world premiere, starring Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black, Netflix) in her National Theatre debut as the character Helen.
A new play by Carmen Nasr, Samira, hits the Dorfman in February starring May Calamawy (Moon Knight, Marvel) as the titular role. Another new piece of work comes to the Dorfman in the Spring, a new British musical, Glorious Madness, with the songs of the award-winning Joan Armatrading, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, known for directing the Mamma Mia! film franchise and directed Tina - The Tina Turner Musical on the West End.
David Hare’s Plenty is celebrating 50 years at the Lyttelton, starring Emilia Clarke in her National Theatre debut. Michael Grandage returns to direct Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer, starring Emma Corrin (The Crown, Netflix).
Arthur Miller’s The Death of a Salesman comes to the Lyttelton Theatre, with more stars joining the repertory initiative. Paul Mescal will star as Biff Loman in the Miller play and Michael Carney in A Whistle in the Dark.
Punchdrunk marks its 50th year with Ghostlight, a new immersive production directed by Punchdrunk founder and artistic director, Felix Barrett.
After the huge success of Pride at the Dorfman Theatre, we’re excited to see more musicals come from the National Theatre’s programme, in the hopes that a particular revival or a new musical or two might glitter the West End soon...
