SE Fest 2026
SE Fest is a theatre festival based in southeast London to promote and celebrate new writing. It is hosted for the third year by two neighbouring venues, The Jack Studio in Crofton Park and The Bridge House Theatre in Penge, two award-winning theatres with a reputation for supporting and presenting new work.
SE Fest 2026 runs from Tuesday 1st – Saturday 12th September 2026.
This festival brings some of the most exciting new theatre south of the river!
This year we have new works from a range of distinct voices. Whether it’s tackling society’s challenges or saying the things that often remain unsaid, this programme truly celebrates what SE Fest was created to do.
We’re also delighted to run three workshops as part of SE Fest 2026 on Saturday 29th August. At the Jack we are delighted to host Producing New Work: from idea to opening night, run by Dilek Latif, Head of Producing and New Work at Brixton House. For more details, see here.
SE Fest 2026 is supported by Arts Council England.
SE Fest reading panel: Ellie Ward, Lola Oteh, Will McGough, Douglas Baker, Kurban Kassam and the Bridge House Theatre and Jack Studio Theatre.
Violent Circumstances by Susannah Cann
Co-creator: Ariane Lenihan
Confronting, Irreverent, Funny
5 women, 5 stories, 5 lives changed under violent circumstances.
First developed in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa in 2021, Violent Circumstances aims to shed light on women’s day to day encounters with misogyny and violence.
On the recent 5th year anniversary of Sarah’s murder, the BBC published an article titled 5 Years on: What’s changed? The short answer, nothing. With the growing rise of toxic masculinity, incel culture and disregard for women’s issues, it’s getting harder to be heard, so come hear us roar.
Director: Susannah Cann
Sound Design: Jakey Newton
Additional Music: Cat Thomas
Cast
Anita and various roles: Annabel Lisk
Ella, Sister A and various roles: Isobel Griffiths
Andi T and various roles: Ariane Lenihan
Sister B and various roles: Phoebe Shephard
Girl and various roles: Anna Francis
Tuesday 1 – Wednesday 2 September @ 7.30pm at the Jack Studio. 16+
Booking here
Cookie Dough by Andy Sellers
Heartwarming, Funny, Romantic
On a stormy night in Bournemouth, Polly meets up with her work best friend Bernie. Armed with a bag of vegan brownies, she will try and convince her not to move back home.
Played out over one time bending evening, Cookie Dough is a tender comedy about the line between romance and platonic love, baking and what happens when the literal universe seems to be tearing itself apart pushing you down a path you don’t want to take.
Director: Saniya Saraf
Sound and Lighting Design: Abhinav Shankar Mishra
Intimacy and Movement Director: Rosie Martin
Social Media Manager: Sophie Donovan
Cast
Polly: Harriet Cantello
Bernie: Remi Shorunke-Samuel
Thursday 3rd September @ 7.30pm, Jack Studio Theatre. 15+.
Booking here
Speech, Speech by Tristan Simpson
Witty, Poignant, Playful
Roger’s mum’s getting remarried, and to make matters worse, he’s being forced to give a speech with his uncle David.
But Roger soon realises that, armed with a cutting opener and a microphone, he can have a lot of fun, and do a lot of damage…
David, unaware of Roger’s plotting and still reeling after the divorce from his husband, is bringing plenty of his own baggage to the writing process. He’s got the potential to derail everything, even without Roger’s help.
As the big day approaches, all eyes are on the duo. Surely it’ll be fine – when has a wedding speech ever gone too far?
Tristan Simpson’s debut play, Speech, Speech is a comedy for all the families who, for whatever reason, just can’t quite find the right words.
Director: Tristan Simpson
Assistant Director: Sonny Pilgrem
Assistant Director: Rosa Collier
Cast:
Roger: Joseph Ryan-Hughes
David: Paul T Willcocks
Friday 4th September @ 7.30pm, Jack Studio Theatre. 14+.
Booking here
The Dating Game by Alan Booty
Witty, Thought-provoking, Emotional
Roger is 70. Ruby is 60.
Both are single. Both have their own reasons for trying out a dating app for seniors.
Ruby is expected to care for her aged and difficult mother and seeks escape.
Roger cares for his dying father, who wants his son to find someone special before he dies.
He is witty, which she likes. She is feisty, which he likes. What could go wrong?
As more doors in their lives open, questions arise: Should she? Did he? What if… ?
But when Ruby’s younger sister feeds her some information from Roger’s past, it throws a huge spanner in the works.
Director: Alan Booty
Cast
Roger: Alan Booty
Ruby: Nesba Crenshaw
Saturday 5th September @ 3.00pm & 7.30 pm, Jack Studio Theatre. 13+.
Booking here
The Obituary by Xinyu Lu
Memory. Home. Rage.
Three siblings return to their old family house before it is demolished, with one hour to complete a property report. What begins as paperwork becomes a fight over memory, migration, and who gets to decide what a family is worth.
As they sort through decades of belongings, resentments, and conflicting memories, it becomes clear that they have not only inherited the same house, but entirely different ideas of home.
Using one East Asian family story to reflect wider experiences of migration and cross-cultural identity, The Obituary is a sharp and tender new play about inheritance, belonging, and what remains when the people you love no longer share the same understanding of where they come from.
At its heart, The Obituary asks a simple but difficult question: if home can no longer hold a family together, what can?
Co-Producer: Wangjiayu Chu (Stephanie)
Co-Producer: Ti Ti
Playwright: Xinyu Lu
Director: Miranda 杨知君
Set & Costume Designer: Naomi(Ruizhi) Zhang
Sound Designer: Vincci Chung
Music Director: Yihan Wang
Light Designer: Yuqing Wang
Stage Manager: Martha Ma
Marketing Assistant: Alice Zou
Presented by Nomereach Theatre
The Cast:
Kevin Ip as Lim
Chen Xu as Vanessa Lim / Lan Lim
Yijia Gong as Ethan Lim
Tuesday 8th – Wednesday 9th September @ 7.30 pm, Jack Studio Theatre. 12+.
Booking here
Diss-Lex-ians by Penny Topsom and Genie Sutherland
Commadie ❌ Comarde ❌Comedy ✔
Ever made the mistake of over promising something? Like saying that you’ve written an entire musical about the history of Hip Hop, when you haven’t! Well G has…
Meet G, a fast-talking daughter of Lewisham. With the help of her friend P, can she overcome the chaos of home life… spellings, the inner demon Negs… spellings, her mother… spellings.
G has Missy Elliott, her spelling answer to everything, or is she?
Thursday 10th September @ 7.30pm, Jack Studio Theatre. 12+.
Booking here
Sisterland by Georga de la Cour
Messy, Liberating, Funny
Petra is selling her knickers, Lara is mid crisis and Michelle has gone so far off the rails it’s rural. During a girl’s night out, Lydia escapes to the toilet fearing the worst, whilst all Cassie wants is some toilet roll.
In the magical land of the club toilets, worlds collide. A revolving bathroom door invites us into the sanctuary of the loos, and the hours in which five women find themselves retreating there. As late-night turns to early morning, we bear witness to problems faced, appearances undone, and how female friendship can be built in moments of vulnerability.
Sisterland is a still life capture of women finding their place and becoming themselves in a room without expectations. Here, we embrace the blood, tears, sick, stains, expletives, howls, anthems, urges, confessions, ecstasies, miseries and complete wonderment of Womanhood, Girlhood, Sisterhood. Ready? Get ya glad rags on. Time to get liberated.
Director: Charlotte Cattrall
Sound Designer: Michael Seales
Cast
Lydia: Tabitha Kenworthy
Lara: Lucy Renton
Petra: Juliana Grossi
Cassie: Jadene Prospere
Michelle: Hannah Patrick
Friday 11th September @ 7.30pm, Jack Studio Theatre. 16+.
Booking here
White Light by Tom Powell
Powerful, Funny, Hard-hitting
Jay is a fourteen-year-old Londoner, and his shit moustache is the only thing in his whole life he’s proud of. When a brand-new Lamborghini accelerates past his dad’s dingy flat, Jay asks himself, “why can’t I have that?”
Jay’s search for the truth will take him through a world of struggling teachers and wild conspiracy theories, accompanied by his best mate Param.
What Jay discovers is explosive.
Broken Hearted Youth (DNA, My Mind Matters, Jack Studio) present a new monologue by Papatango and Off West End Award winning writer Tom Powell.
Previous work: “Entertaining… Dark and dangerous” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Stage.
Director: Laurence Chater
Presented by: Broken Hearted Youth
Cast
Jay Croft: Harvey Sanders
Saturday 12th September @ 3.00pm & 7.30pm, Jack Studio Theatre. 14+
Booking here
