Kiln Theatre's new artistic director has announced his first season of work at the Kilburn venue.
Amit Sharma's debut offering includes an ambitious community project, stand-up comedy, two world premieres, and a European premiere.
It includes Rob Drummond's Pins and Needles, a timely play about vaccine misinformation, Dan McCabe's New York-set comedy The Purists, and Roy Williams' adaptation of Sam Selvon’s novel The Lonely Londoners, about the Windrush generation in the 1950s.
Sharma has also programmed a string of comedy nights from July 9-29 featuring the likes of Bella Hull, Josh Glanc, Micky Overman, and Olga Koch.
And he announced the start of three-year outreach scheme The Kilburn High Road Project which will work with locals, artists and organisations to spotlight the personal histories and culture of past and present residents.
Featuring theatre, music, movement, poetry, visual art, costume, film and photography it will culminate in events and performances along Kilburn High Road in the summer 2026.
Rounding off the season is Amy Ng's Shanghai Dolls about the friendship between two actresses - one who became China's first female director Sun Weishi, the other the wife of Chairman Mao.
Sharma, who took over from Indhu Rubasingham in December when she departed to run The National Theatre, said: "I’m incredibly proud to share my first season as Artistic Director.
"My ambition is to make sure we present world class theatre with new entertainment offerings – so we are well on our way in making this a theatre for all!
"At the heart of the programme are human stories which are fun, poignant, relatable, and make for a great night out! The common thread is that they tackle the big conversations which explore our cultural and political life - past and present.
"This neatly intertwines with The Kilburn High Road project, our three-year Creative Engagement project exploring the human histories of our community at a much more local level."
Sharma will direct season opener Pins and Needles (From September 19) which features a playwright putting on a play, a mother trying to decide what's best for her children, an angry conspiracy theorist, and Edward Jenner, the father of modern vaccinations and asks how do you know who to trust?
He also directs McCabe's The Purists, which centres around a generational clash between veteran New York DJs, and two young women who put their rap battling skills to the test to raise questions of race, sexuality and music.
The Lonely Londoners transfers to Kiln following a sell out run at the Jermyn Street Theatre and follows newly arrived Henry ‘Sir Galahad’ Oliver who is is impatient to start his new life in London in the face of disillusion and hostility.
A Multibuy season discount allows theatregoers to get 30 per cent off if they book more than one show. The season goes on sale on Friday 7 June at noon. www.kilntheatre.com
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