Ex-lovers, family secrets and a night in Berlin: what to see at Kiln Theatre in 2026–2027
From Nine Night to the UK premiere of Table 17 and Joanna Murray-Smith’s Berlin, Kiln Theatre’s new season brings a mix of returning hits and international work to north London
Tickets go on sale today, 3 June, for Kiln Theatre’s newly announced 2026–2027 season, a programme that moves between premieres, revivals and a large-scale community production. Based in Kilburn, the theatre is known for staging new writing alongside socially engaged work, often rooted in the area while bringing in voices from further afield. This line-up follows that pattern, with four productions that range from an 80-strong community cast to a two-hander about former lovers, before closing on a tightly drawn psychological drama.
All The Things We Can’t Explain
The season opens close to home with a new play by Sonia Jalaly, written for Kiln’s Intergenerational Company. With 80 performers aged between six and 88, it places local voices at the centre of the stage. Set in a changing Kilburn, where redevelopment threatens familiar ground, the story turns on the sudden appearance of something described as the “beating heart” of the area. It’s less about spectacle than about who gets to shape a place, and what happens when a community feels that control slipping away.
31 July – 1 August 2026
Table 17
Arriving from New York and Los Angeles, where it played to sold-out audiences, Douglas Lyons’ Table 17 keeps things simple: two former fiancés meet for dinner after years apart. From there, it becomes a question of whether the past can be left behind or not. Marisha Wallace leads the cast alongside Michael Rishawn, reprising his role, in a piece that leans on timing, chemistry and the awkward familiarity of unfinished relationships.
17 September – 24 October 2026
Nine Night
Natasha Gordon’s Nine Night returns in a new production directed by Kiln’s artistic director Amit Sharma. First seen at the National Theatre, it follows a family gathering over nine nights after a death, drawing on Jamaican mourning traditions. As relatives arrive with food, stories and grievances, the play shifts between humour and confrontation, gradually revealing tensions that have been left unresolved. For many, it will be the standout title of the season.
12 November – 19 December 2026
Berlin
The season closes with the UK premiere of Joanna Murray-Smith’s Berlin, directed by Lucy Bailey. Set over the course of a single night, it begins with a chance meeting between two people in the city and develops into something more complicated, as details of their pasts begin to surface. It’s a quieter, more contained piece, built around conversation and unease rather than action.
10 March – 17 April 2027
Alongside these productions, the wider programme includes the Kilburn High Road Festival, with outdoor installations, live music, site-specific performances and community-led projects running across the summer.
Across the season, Kiln continues to keep ticket prices relatively accessible, with low-cost previews for local residents and younger audiences.
Address: 269 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 7JR
Box Office: 020 7328 1000
Elena Leo is the Culture & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.
