Small Island
The acclaimed, five-star production of Andrea Levy's prize-winning novel returns.
Hortense yearns for a new life away from rural Jamaica, Gilbert dreams of becoming a lawyer and Queenie longs to escape her Lincolnshire roots.
Following their lives through the Second World War until the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury, hopes for the future soon meet the stubborn reality of post-war Britain.
Adapted by Helen Edmundson and directed by Rufus Norris, this 'resonant, funny and moving' (★★★★★ Mail on Sunday) play brings to life the tangled history of Jamaica and the UK.
We're proud to be See It Safely approved by Official London Theatre - learn more about our Covid safety measures.
Face coverings are currently required throughout your visit to help keep everyone safe, except when eating or drinking, for visitors aged 12+. Please advise staff if you’re exempt.
Please note: This production contains strobe-like effects. As part of depicting the experience of Jamaican immigrants to Britain after the Second World War, at times characters in the play use language which is racially offensive; for more information please contact us via our Help centre.
The footage used from 'Terminus 1961' and 'West Indies Calling' is Crown copyright and is reproduced with the permission of The British Film Institute under delegated authority from The Keeper of Public Records.
All other archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.
Supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation through the Weston Culture Fund
The reopening of the Olivier theatre is generously supported by Areté Foundation / Betsy & Ed Cohen
