The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers.
Artistic Directors Brian McDermott and Nicholas Newton (1972-1975) Peter Wilson (1975-1977) Jenny Topper (1977–1988), jointly with Nicky Pallot (1979–1990) Dominic Dromgoole (1990–1996) Mike Bradwell (1996–2007) Josie Rourke (2007–2012) Madani Younis (2011–2018) Lynette Linton (2019–2025) Taio Lawson (2025–Present)
History
On Thursday 6 April 1972, the Bush Theatre was established above The Bush public house on the corner of Goldhawk Road and Shepherd's Bush Green, in what was once the dance studio of Lionel Blair. It was established by a maverick actor, Brian McDermott, who used to tour the Fringe, and was shortly joined by theatre producer Nicholas Newton. The venue, despite its fame and massive output, was intimate, with a maximum audience of approximately 80. The first production was an adaption of The Collector by John Fowles, directed by John Neville and starring Annette Andre and Brian McDermott; it had previously played at the King's Head Theatre. During the next three years they produced over 30 productions including the musical Dick Deterred by David Edgar and Lindsay Kemp's Flowers both at the Bush Theatre and then at the ICA Theatre.
Throughout 1992, the Bush Theatre celebrated 20 years at the frontier of new writing. "What has held the Bush together for 20 years? Blind faith, youthful commitment and a tenacious belief in new writing: above all, perhaps, the conviction that new work deserves the highest standards in acting, direction and design", wrote The Guardian. The Bush won The Empty Space Award for the year's work, which included Billy Roche's Bush plays A Handful Of Stars, Poor Beast in the Rain and Belfry playing in repertory as The Wexford Trilogy, which toured to Wexford Opera House and the Abbey Theatre, Dublin.
In November 2010, the Bush Theatre announced it would be leaving its home of nearly forty years and moving to the former Passmore Edwards Public Library building, round the corner from its first home, on Uxbridge Road.
The relocation took place in 2011 and the new venue opened with the "Sixty-Six Books" project."24 Hour Events", Sixty-Six Books , Bush Theatre. This was a celebration of the anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible, which used 66 writers, many of whom were veterans of the Bush.
That same year, Artistic Director Josie Rourke announced her departure from the Bush to take up the position of Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse. The Board appointed Madani Younis as her successor from January 2012. In 2013, he programmed the theatre's most successful season to date, which saw the theatre play to 99% capacity.
In Spring 2016, the Bush Theatre relocated its plays to found spaces around Shepherd's Bush and Notting Hill, as the former library building closed for the largest capital project in the theatre's history. Borrowing new and iconic spaces with their own histories and tales of the local community, this season of work welcomed new audiences and residents by offering a number of free and subsidised theatre tickets to local people.
In March 2017, following a landmark year of taking plays into the communities of West London, the Bush Theatre returned home following a £4.3m revitalisation of the venue. The year-long redevelopment was driven by the aim of realising Younis’ vision for a theatre that reflected the diversity and vibrancy of London. Upon reopening, the building was to be more sustainable and entirely accessible, with a new entrance, front-of-house area and exterior garden terrace to the main street.
Lynette Linton became Artistic Directory in January 2019, following Younis' appointment as Creative Director at the Southbank Centre. That same year, the theatre was named London Theatre of the Year by The Stage.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bush Theatre filmed several of its productions and offered them to online viewers.
Venue Following the 2016/17 redevelopment, the Bush Theatre has two performance spaces: The Theatre, a reserved seating venue with a maximum capacity of 180. It has remained in its original location and can be configured in a thrust, end on or in the round layout. The Studio, an unreserved seating venue with a maximum capacity of 70, is a home for emerging artists and producers. Similarly, this space can be configured in a thrust, end on or in the round layout.
The building also contains an Attic rehearsal space and Writer's Room, along with a Café Bar, garden terrace and playtext library, which is the largest public theatre reference library in the United Kingdom.
The redevelopment of the venue was 'Cultural Project of the Year' finalist at the AJ Architecture Awards 2017, and 'Highly commended Cultural Building' at the AJ Retrofit Awards 2017, and selected by the Hammersmith Society as winner of their Conservation Award for 2017.
New writing The Literary Department at the Bush Theatre is committed to discovering new plays from playwrights from the widest range of backgrounds and therefore seek unsolicited submissions throughout the year in dedicated script windows. Chosen plays reflect the contemporary culture of London, the UK and beyond. The Department receives nearly 2000 scripts a year from new and established playwrights, all of which are read and considered for production or development at the Bush.
Bush Writers Group The Bush Writers’ Group (formerly known as the Emerging Writers’ Group) is a development programme run by the Bush Theatre to support early-career writers, with participants selected through a competitive open application process. Several alumni have had work produced at the Bush and have gone on to receive wider professional recognition within the theatre industry.Bush Theatre, Bush Writers’ Group. Year Artistic Director Cohort Sources 2025 Taio Lawson Wisdom Charis; Sara Dawood; Josh Dhillon; Ashlee Elizabeth-Lolo; Kathryn Golding; Roberta Livingston; Angela O’Callaghan; Razak Osman Bush Theatre, Introducing: 2025 Bush Writers’ Group cohort.Theatre-News, Bush Theatre announces 2025 Bush Writers’ Group. 2023 Lynette Linton Kaleya Baxe; Yasmine Dankwah; Aaron Kilercioglu; Lare Ofeyusi; Mwansa Phiri; Tanya Shamil Theatre Weekly, Bush Theatre announces 2023 Emerging Writers’ Group.BroadwayWorld, Bush Theatre reveals new Emerging Writers’ Group. 2022 Valerie Isaiah Sadoh; Temi Majekodunmi; Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi; Ted Marriott; Coral Wylie; Zak Ismail Bush Theatre, Meet our Emerging Writers’ Group 2022.Alt-Africa, Bush Theatre announces Emerging Writers’ Group. 2021 Nicole Acquah; Georgia Green; Dilan Raithatha; Lydia Sabatini; Jilly Sumsion; Diyan Zora Theatre Weekly, Bush Theatre announces 2021 Emerging Writers’ Group.British Theatre Guide, Bush Theatre Emerging Writers’ Group. 2020/21 Sophia Griffin; Holly Rose Hawgood; Kwame Owusu; Nikhil Parmar; Beru Tessema; Kit Withington Theatre-News, Bush Theatre announces 2020/21 Emerging Writers’ Group. 2019/20 Ava Wong Davies; Casey Bailey; Tife Kusoro; Will Jackson; Benedict Lombe; Natasha Simone WhatsOnStage, Bush Theatre announces season and Emerging Writers’ Group.BroadwayWorld, Bush Theatre season announcement includes Emerging Writers’ Group. 2017/18 Madani Younis Kelly Marie Jones; Tom Wentworth; Robyn Addison; Afsaneh Gray Bush Theatre blog, Emerging Writers’ Group 2017/2018. 2016 Tristan Bernays; Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu; Kamal Kaan; Jessica Sian; A. C. Smith; Camilla Whitehill Bush Theatre, Emerging Writers’ Group – Class of 2016. 2015 Josh Azouz; Lily Bevan; Sevan Greene; Nabihah Islam; Gemma Rogers; Sophie Wu Bush Theatre, Emerging Writers’ Group announced.
Productions A list of selected productions of the Bush Theatre.
Productions in the 2020s +YearTitlePlaywright(s)Notes2025After SundaySophia GriffinCo-commissioned with Coventry Belgrade TheatreSuperwoman SchemaEmma Dennis-EdwardsStarring Golda Rosheuvel and Letitia WrightMAKE ME FEELWill JacksonMiss Myrtle’s GardenDanny James KingSpeedMohamed-Zain Dada…blackbird hourbabirye bukilwa2024-2025Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, YewCoral WylieStarring Omari Douglas2024The CordBijan SheibaniMy Father's FableFaith OmoleOmole's debut production.The Real OnesWaleed AkhtarStarring Nathaniel Curtis Wolves on RoadBeru TessemaLady DealerMartha Watson AllpressStatuesAzan AhmedTenderEleanor TindallThe EndJasmin Mandi-GhoShiftersBenedict LombeStarring Tosin Cole and Heather Agyepong. Transfer to West End Duke of York's Theatre in 2024. Nominated for Best New Play at the 2025 Laurence Olivier Awards.2023Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible is Going to HappenMarcelo Dos SantosElephantAnoushka LucasRed PitchTyrell WilliamsA Playlist for the RevolutionAJ YiDreaming and DrowningKwame OwusuThis Might Not Be ItSophia Chetin-LeunerAs We Face The SunKit WithingtonAugust In EnglandLenny HenryHenry's playwrighting debut; also starring Henry as August Henderson.SleepovaMatilda Feyisayo Ibini2022-2023Paradise Now!Margaret Perry2022House of IfeBeru TessemaFavourAmbreen RaziaThe P WordWaleed AkhtarInvisibleNikhil ParmarClutchWill JacksonElephantAnoushka LucasThe Kola Nut Does Not Speak EnglishTania NwachukwuRed PitchTyrell WilliamsHorizonKwame Owusu2021-2022Fair PlayElla Road2021Old BridgeIgor MemicOverflowTravis AlabanzaLavaBenedict LombeKeep a Light on For Those Who Are LostTitas HalderHarmPhoebe Eclair Powell10 NightsShahid Iqbal KhanPink LemonadeMika Onyx Johnson
Productions in the 2010s 2019 Chiaroscuro by Jackie Kay 2019 Baby Reindeer by Richard Gadd 2019 I Wanna Be Yours by Zia Ahmed 2019 The Arrival by Bijan Sheibani 2019 Strange Fruit by Caryl Phillips 2018 Misty by Arinzé Kene 2018 Leave Taking by Winsome Pinnock 2018 Dismantle Festival by Project 2036 2017 The Hijabi Monologues by Amal Abdi, Hanan Issa, Sahar Ullah and Nimmo Ismail 2016 The Royale by Marco Ramirez 2016 Boys Will Be Boys by Melissa Bubnic 2016 Right Now by Catherine-Anne Toupin 2016 Pink Mist by Owen Sheers 2015 Forget Me Not by Tom Holloway 2015 RADAR 2015 2015 F*ck the Polar Bears by Tanya Ronder 2015 The Invisible by Rebecca Lenkiewicz 2015 The Angry Brigade by James Graham 2015 The Royale by Marco Ramirez 2015 Islands by Caroline Horton 2014 Visitors by Barney Norris 2014 Albion by Chris Thompson 2014 RADAR 2014 2014 Perseverance Drive by Robin Soans 2014 Incognito by Nick Payne 2014 We Are Proud to Present a Presentation by the Herero of Namibia, formerly known as South West Africa, from the German Sud-Ouest Afrika Between the Years 1895 – 1915 by Jackie Sibblies-Drury 2014 Ciphers by Dawn King 2013 Jumpers for Goalposts by Tom Wells 2013 RADAR 2013 2013 The Herd by Rory Kinnear 2013 Josephine and I by Cush Jumbo 2013 Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama) 2013 Three Birds by Janice Okoh 2013 Money the game show by Clare Duffy 2012 Straight by D. C. Moore 2012 Snookered by Ishy Din 2012 Chalet Lines by Lee Mattinson 2012 The Beloved by Amir Nizar Zuabi 2012 Mad About the Boy by Gbolahan Obisesan 2012 Fear by Dominic Savage 2012 Our New Girl by Nancy Harris 2011 The Kitchen Sink by Tom Wells 2011 Sixty-Six Books by Sixty-Six Writers 2011 This is where we got to when you came in by non zero one 2011 Where's My Seat? by Dierdre Kinahan, Tom Wells and Jack Thorne 2011 In The Beginning by Nick Payne 2011 Moment by Deirdre Kinahan 2011 Little Platoons by Steve Waters 2011 The Knowledge by John Donnelly 2010 My Romantic History by D C Jackson 2010 The Aliens by Annie Baker 2010 The Great British Country Fete by Russell Kane and Michael Bruce 2010 Like A Fishbone by Anthony Weigh 2010 A Little Gem by Elaine Murphy 2010 Eigengrau by Penelope Skinner 2010 The Whisky Taster by James Graham
Productions in the 2000s 2009 The Contingency Plan by Steve Waters