London’s perennially hip Yard Theatre has only gotten hipper since it moved into its expanded new building this summer. The comeback programme has run the gamut from a Swedish adaptation of a Jackie Collins novel performed by Barbie dolls to Ian McKellen’s imminent stage comeback in .
To be honest, that all looks fairly tame by comparison to the Yard’s latest announcement. Adding to a nerve-wracking 2027 for Stephen Sondheim fans – Sunday in the Park with George was announced and then cancelled but we’re getting and – the 220-seat Hackney Wick theatre will be staging Sondheim’s all-time classic .
It’ll come a little under a decade after Marianne Elliott’s acclaimed West End 2018 production, which was hailed as a classic but was a notably alternative version of the musical as – with Sondheim’s blessing – it flipped the genders of several key characters.
This is the first chance to see Sondheim and George Furth’s in 1970 groundbreaking musical about modern dating with 35-year-old perma-single guy Bobby – as opposed to Elliott’s Bobbie – since a production at the old Southwark Playhouse 15 years ago.
It’ll be fascinating to see what the Yard produces. The venue is known for leftfield work and the show is being directed by the theatre’s boss Jay Miller (pictured top), whose productions tends to lean towards the abstract. On the other hand, is a smaller piece than many of Sondheim’s great works, and has lent itself to more intimate theatres like Southwark Playhouse tackling it, and Sam Mendes’ version at the Donmar Warehouse before that. Also, though, the Yard is clearly staging bigger stuff now and the show is a co-production with English Touring Theatre and Wales’ Theatr Clwyd and will tour after its London ru: we’re assuming it’s not going to be screechingly avant-garde, and the production will have required the nod from the Sondheim estate.
Whatever the case, seeing such a great work in so intimate a space could hardly fail to be a treat, and don’t expect tickets for the modest six-week run to stick around for very long.
NB you are invited to ‘call the helpline’ on 07782 220 086 – we’ve done this and it’s quite cute, give it a whirl!
Company is at the Yard Theatre, May 27-Jul 10 2027. Tickets go on general sale at noon on Nov 19.
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