Royal Shakespeare Company co-artistic directors Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans have announced their second winter season at London’s Barbican.
It features Wendy and Peter Pan, a new take on J M Barrie’s classic with RSC associate artist Toby Stephens playing Captain Hook, and Samuel West and Freema Agyeman appearing in Twelfth Night, which is transferring after a sell-out run in Stratford.
Director Jonathan Munby’s production of Wendy and Peter Pan is adapted by Ella Hickson. It will feature Stephens in his first appearance with the RSC since he played the title role in Michael Boyd’s Hamlet in 2004.
The production team includes choreographer Lucy Hind, composer Shuhei Kamimura, sound designer Christopher Shutt, lighting designer Oliver Fenwick, video designer Taiki Ueda, fight director Terry King, casting director Annelie Powell CDG and associate director Ellie Taylor.
Wendy and Peter Pan will run at the Barbican from Tuesday 21 October until Saturday 22 November. Press night will be Tuesday 28 October.
In Prasanna Puwanarajah’sTwelfth Night, Agyeman (Olivia), Michael Grady-Hall (Feste) and West (Malvolio) will reprise the roles they played in Stratford.
The creative team includes designer James Cotterill, lighting designers Bethany Gupwell and Zoe Spurr, composer Matt Maltese, sound designer George Dennis, movement director Polly Bennett, casting director Matthem Dewsbury CDG and associate director Zoë Templeman-Young.
Twelfth Night will run at the Barbican from Monday 8 December until Saturday 17 January 2026 with press night on Tuesday 16 December.
Harvey and Evans said, “we’re so excited to be bringing two brilliant productions to our London audiences.
“Ella Hickson’s darkly witty adaptation of Wendy and Peter Pan brings a fresh perspective to J M Barrie’s classic novel while still offering everything you’d expect from the beloved story—from crooked captains to carnivorous crocodiles.
“We’re thrilled that Sam, Freema and Michael will return to reprise their critically acclaimed roles in Twelfth Night which delighted our audiences in Stratford last year. How fitting that the show will run over 12th night, the moment when we all reflect on the celebrations we’ve enjoyed throughout the festive season.”
Meanwhile the RSC continues to expand its presence in the capital with the transfer of Max Webster’s Titus Andronicus featuring Simon Russell Beale, which will play at Hampstead Theatre from Friday 5 September until Saturday 11 October.
The RSC’s newest West End opening is the UK première of Liz Duffy Adams’s Born With Teeth, which features Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel as rival playwrights Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare. Daniel Evans will direct the play at Wyndham's Theatre from Wednesday 13 August until Saturday 1 November.