Jermyn Street Theatre has unveiled the first two productions for its 2026 season, which will open with a revival of Lyle Kessler’s Orphans and the London premiere of Emma Howlett’s Aether.
Orphans stars Forbes Masson as Harold, and is directed by Al Miller.
Philadelphia, 1983. Twenty-eight year old Phillip hasn’t stepped outside in years — happily surviving on canned tuna, encyclopedias, and his own wild theories about the dangers beyond the door. His older brother Treat runs his world with rules and rituals to keep them safe, bringing home whatever he can steal. Then, one night, Treat drags in Harold, a dapper stranger stuffed with cash and soaked in whiskey. The perfect target… or so it looks. By morning, nothing will be the same.
The creative team includes set and costume designer: Sarah Beaton, lighting designer Simeon Miller and sound designer and composer Donato Wharton.
The production opens on January 7, with previews from January 5, and runs until January 24, 2026.
Orphans will be followed by Aether, which comes to London after a sold-out run at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Howlett also directs the production, which features returning cast members Gemma Barnett, Sophie Kean, Anna Marks Pryce and Abby McCann.
A PhD student hunting dark matter collides with a disillusioned illusionist, a teenage medium with a secret, a murdered mathematician, and a trail-blazing astronomer to investigate the greatest unsolved mystery of the universe. Weaving together fact, fiction, and everything in between, Aether explores physics, faith, and magic in rich theatrical spectacle to uncover humanity’s insatiable fascination with the unknown.
The creative team features set and costume designer Ellie Wintour, lighting designer Ed Saunders, composer and sound designer Sarah Spencer and dramaturg Sophie Kean.
The production opens on March 17, with previews from March 16, and runs until March 21, 2026.
Tickets are now on sale here.
Top image: Orphans artwork (image supplied)