What’s On Stage March 2026

Theatre highlights this Month include Jaja’s African Hair Braiding written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Monique Touko …

You can also catch Henry V starring Alfred Enoch and PLAY ON! directed by Michael Buffong at Bristol Old Vic and Lyric Hammersmith and Small Island directed by Matthew Xia.

And much, much more!

Ballet Black 25 Anniversary

A special mixed programme full of celebration, with a rich blend of global influences, impactful storytelling and powerful choreography.

One of the works slated for the tour is Mthuthuzeli November’s Ingoma, a ballet about the 1946 South African mining crisis, which was a precursor to the country’s anti-apartheid movement.

Alongside it comes a new commission from Hope Boykin titled ‘… All Towards Hope’ created as celebratory piece especially for Ballet Black’s 25th year, a vibrant tribute to the company’s journey and a bold look towards its future.

Cast and creatives include: Hope Boykin and Mthuthuzeli November

Ballet Black runs across the UK from Tuesday 3rd March – Thursday 9th July 2026

Please Do Not Touch by Casey Bailey. Directed by Gail Babb

“They will tell you that legal and illegal are the same as right and wrong. And I’ve told you that you only have to sit still for a moment and watch the pieces move to see what a lie that is.”

Mason is an activist who explores historic houses on TikTok to uncover the true stories behind the objects that lie within. After an incident with a Somali Afro comb, he is wrongly imprisoned in a Young Offender Institution. Can he find a way to survive this ordeal and navigate how to keep speaking up when everything is designed to silence him?

A co-production between China Plate and Belgrade Theatre in association with Birmingham Hippodrome.

Starring Selorm Adonu.

Please Do Not Touch runs at Brighton Dome on 7th March 2026

Romeo And Juliet by William Shakespeare.

Romeo and Juliet’s intense passion light up a world of increasing violence between rival gangs, the Montagues and the Capulets. Caught in the spiral of hate and revenge, can they break free of the bloodshed and find hope for a different future?

Cast includes: Sharon Ballard, Felixe Ford, Mason Clarke-Whale, Simeon Desvignes, Marieme Diouf, Keanu Adolphus Johnson, Hayden Mampasi and Inez Solomon Gardner.

Romeo And Juliet runs at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre from Thursday 5th March- Sunday 12th April 2026

The Lost Lombi Written and Directed by PB Whistle

A powerful new play about finding the strength within to stand tall like a tree.

It tells the story of three women connected by blood, spanning over three generations.

One yearning. One running. One with a calling. Each must go on a journey if they are to find peace and resolution within themselves.

Cast includes: Pearl Dana-May Smith, Emily Olum, Latoya Markson, Alby Jay, Joshua Ogbue, Stephan Hunte Wilsom, Stephanie Tuitt, Shalira Kirby, Tamaira Hesson, Jamiel Wayna Jackson, Akil Young, Taz Munyaneza and Assia Jalloh.

The Lost Lombi runs at 10 Goldborne Road from 7th – 8th March 2026

All The Happy Things by Naomi Denny

A dark comedy about the powerful bond shared by siblings and the complexities of grief, told through a Global Majority lens.

Sienna is trying to deal with her grief by clinging on tightly to what she knows – in short, she’s seeing her dead sister everywhere she goes. Not only seeing her, but having full on conversations with her. As Emily’s presence becomes more and more overwhelming – seeping into her relationship, damaging her performance at work, and straining her commitment to her ailing parents – the line between happiness and delusion becomes blurred. How do you truly let go of someone when you imagined they’d be there forever?

All The Happy Things tours from 10 March – 7 May 2026:
Bristol Old Vic (10 – 14 March), Birmingham Rep (15+16 April), Mercury Theatre, Colchester (21+22 April), Leicester Curve (30 April), Chichester Festival Theatre (7+8 May).

Small Island – Directed by Mattew Xia. Original Novel by Andrea Levy.

Four unforgettable characters bring this Windrush story to life: Hortense and Gilbert, determined Jamaican migrants in search of belonging and respect; Queenie, an Englishwoman who defies convention; and Bernard, her husband, struggling with change. Together, they discover love across culture, colour and class – and the fragile hope of a shared future.

Spanning decades and continents, this brand-new production draws on the joyful rhythms of calypso and the harsh realities of post-war Britain to explore the emotional truth of our collective history, brought vividly to life through music, striking visuals and a compelling story you will never forget.

Cast includes: Anna Crichlow, Daniel Ward, Mara Allen, Jordan Laviniere, Marcia Mantack, Andre Squire, Rhys Stephenson and Everal A. Walsh.

Small Island runs at Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and Nottingham Playhouse, from Wednesday 11th March – Saturday 16th May 2026

Certain Blacks: Black Athena Festival Original book by Martin Bernal.

Certain Blacks return with a bold new cross-disciplinary festival – featuring dance, theatre, music, and live art.
The festival brings together national and international artists whose practice pushes beyond dominant stories and conventional art forms. Expect a 360° gig with dub legends and bass sound innovators, performative graffiti of movement and sound reflecting on marginalisation and live art about collective healing through an Afro-futuristic lens. Plus, Nigerian theatre exploring totemism and community, an anime-infused dance-theatre piece, and more.

Rooted in the ideas explored in Martin Bernal’s groundbreaking book Black Athena, the festival reflects on inherited cultural narratives and the importance of recognising difference within contemporary UK.

Black Athena Festival runs at Rich Mix from Friday 13th – Saturday 21st March 2026

Jamaica Love written and directed by Mervyn Weir

Celebrates the 78th anniversary of Windrush, weaving together the rich tapestry of British and Jamaican history.

Let the infectious rhythms of reggae legend John McLean, and the soul-stirring vocal arrangements of Celia Wickham-Anderson transport you through time. Backed by a masterful live band, the show traces Jamaica’s musical evolution from ska to rock-steady to reggae, creating an unforgettable soundscape.

Jamaica Love runs at Alexandra Palace from Saturday 15th – Sunday 15th March 2026

Henry V Starring Alfred Enoch

‘This story shall the good man teach his son…’

From a rebellious, carefree young man to the King of England. Overnight. And now this new king has an eye on the throne of France.

A reckless insult from the French Dauphin offers the perfect excuse for Henry V to declare war. But there’s a human price to pay for his pursuit of power and thousands could die at Agincourt.

Henry must unite his country, defeat the French, and prove himself worthy of the crown of England. Does he have what it takes?

Cast includes: Alfred Enoch, Micah Balfour, Michael Elcock, Valentine Hanson, Sophie McIntosh, Emmanuel Olusanya and Diany Samba-Bandza.

Henry V runs atRoyal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon from Saturday 14th March – Saturday 25th April 2026

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

“In a minute there are many days”

In Verona, in the height of summer, two young people meet at a party. The rest is tragedy.

Cast includes: Aruna Jalloh, Clare perkins, Lewis Shepherd and Alexander Uzoka.

Romeo and Juliet runs at Harold Pinter Theatre from Monday 16th March – Saturday 6th June 2026

Kinky Boots Starring Johannes Radebe

When Charlie Price inherits his family’s failing shoe factory, saving the company – and his love life – feels like an impossibly tall order. Until, that is, he meets Lola, the sparkling, larger-than-life drag queen with the unlikeliest of answers. Can they work together to reboot the business and save the day? Perhaps they just need to help each other – and everyone around them – to stand a little taller…

Cast includes: Johannes Radebe, Tosh Wanogho-Maud, Courtney Bowman, Billie-Kay, Nay-Nay, Keith Alexander, Kofi Dennis, Darnell Matthew-James, Ashley-Jordon Packer, Annell Odartey, Sean Garcia Madiba, Noah Ronkainen Phillips and Rio-Blake Power.

Kinky Boots runs at London Coliseum from Tuesday 17th March – Saturday 11th July 2026

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding – Writer Jocelyn Bioh. Director Monique Touko

Welcome to Jaja’s! This bustling Harlem braiding salon is where neighbourhood women come to have their greatest hairstyle dreams come true, all in the hands of a lively group of West African, immigrant braiders.

Across one hot summers day, these women experience everything in the pressure cooker of the sweltering shop: from demanding customers to secrets and lies, laughter and betrayal. But each of these women has big dreams as well, dreams which increasingly pit them against the city they call home.

Cast includes: Dolapo Oni, Karene Peter, Bola Akeju, Renee Bailey, babirye bukilwa, Zainab Jah, Demmy Ladipo, Dani Moseley, Sewa Zamba and Jadesola Odunjo.

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding runs at Lyric Hammersmith from Wednesday 18th March – Saturday 25th April 2026

Natty Takes a Breath Written and Directed by Sara Amanda. Co-directed by Jasmin Skeete

Set inside a high-stakes audition, Natty Takes a Breath follows one actor as direction, expectation, and pressure begin to close in.

As notes shift and comparisons surface, the audition fractures into memory, rivalry, and self-scrutiny. Performance becomes survival, and control starts to slip.

Funny, raw, and emotionally precise, the play explores ambition, identity, and the private cost of staying visible in an industry built on judgement.

What happens when holding yourself together becomes the thing that finally breaks you?

Performer: Veronica Carabai

Natty Takes a Breath runs at Etcetera Theatre from Wednesday 18th – Thursday 19th March 2026

I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical Produced by Adrian Grant

I’m Every Woman promises to reveal the woman behind the diva and her rise to stardom, from the Black Panther Party to Rufus and solo superstardom. The new musical features Khan’s greatest hits, including I’m Every Woman, I Feel For You, Tell Me Something Good, Ain’t Nobody, Sweet Thing, Higher Love and Through The Fire.

Cast includes: Alexandra Burke, Jordan Frazier, Paige Peddie, Chanice Alexander-Burnett, Charlotte St Croix, Maryla Abraham, Chrissie Bhima, Sophie Earl, Duane-Lamonte O’Garro and Miles Anthony Daley.

I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical runs at Hackney Empire from Friday 20th – Wednesday 25th March 2026

The Authenticator – by Winsome Pinnock

This house is full of secrets …

Soon after inheriting her family’s stately home, eccentric artist Fenella Harford discovers a stash of hidden diaries and enlists a young academic, Marva, to confirm their authenticity.

Joined by Marva’s brilliant but overlooked mentor, Abi, the three women come together to seek the truth, soon realising that secrets at the heart of Harford Hall were darker than they could have imagined.

Cast inlcudes: Rakie Ayola and Cherrelle Skeete.

The Authenticator runs at Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre from Thursday 26th March – Saturday 9th May 2026

Les Liaisons Dangereuses @ Lyttleton Theatre

Among the glittering salons of the super-rich, patriarchy equals power, reputation is everything and for women, one misstep can mean ruin.

Marquise de Merteuil, master in the art of survival, wields her influence with intelligence and control. Alongside the magnetic Vicomte de Valmont, they turn seduction into strategy and weaponise desire. But when their alliance collapses into rivalry, the battle between them threatens to destroy everyone in their path.

Cast includes: Ishmail Aaron, Curtis Angus, Nandi Bhebhe, Darragh Hand, Diante Lodge and Cat Simmons.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses runs at the National Theatre from Saturday 21st March – Friday 6th June 2026

John Proctor Is The Villain With Lauryn Ajufo

‘One day, maybe, the new world we were promised will actually be new.’

Five young women running on pop music, optimism and fury are about to shed light on the darkest secrets in their small town. A story about girlhood, power, and questioning the narratives we’ve been taught.

John Proctor Is The Villain runs at Royal Court Theatre’s Jerwood Theatre Downstairs from Friday 20th March – Saturday 25th April 2026

Noughts and Crosses Based on the novel by Malorie Blackman

“Why love, if losing hurts so much?”

Sephy and Callum sit together on a beach. They are in love. It is forbidden. Sephy is a Cross and Callum is a Nought. Between Noughts and Crosses there are racial and social divides. A segregated society teeters on a volatile knife edge. As violence breaks out, Sephy and Callum draw closer, but this is a romance that will lead them into terrible danger.

Cast includes: Melody Adeniran, Brianna Douglas, Chris Jack and Elexi Walker.

Noughts and Crosses runs at Birmingham-rep from Tuesday 24th – Saturday 28th March 2026

Choir Boy – Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Directed by Nancy Medin and co-directed by Tatenda Shamiso.

Pharus is a confident and gifted singer who has earned his position as soloist. But when his pride is sullied by one of his peers, he falters… what does it mean to be a young, Black, queer man – and to be one at the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys?

We’re sent on an electrifying journey through the growing pains of humanity as, together, the boys navigate spirituality, sexuality, race, identity, and brotherhood in their journey to becoming men. Threaded throughout with soul-stirring a cappella gospel hymns and spirituals, this beautiful, joyous play rejoices in all that it means to march to your own drum.

Cast includes: Terique Jarrett, Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, Khalid Daley, Rabi Konde, Freddie MacBruce and Daon Broni.

Choir Boy runs at Stratford East from Thursday 26th March – Saturday 25th April 2026