This autumn, Seven Dials Playhouse presents Origin Stories – a season of new productions that delve into the experiences, environments and questions that shape us. From queer firsts to family myths, monster metaphors to coming-of-age chaos, each show offers a distinct lens on what it means to look backwards in order to move forwards.

The season continues Seven Dials Playhouse’s evolution into a home for carefully curated, artist-centred programming, with a renewed focus on supporting the development and profile of new work. This is the venue’s first major season of longer runs – allowing time for word-of-mouth to build and press coverage to land – and reflects a deeper commitment to artistic support beyond opening night.

Four unforgettable stories about how we become who we are.

The season kicks off with four shows in The House; Storms, Maybe Snow, a portrait of family, illness and legacy told with tenderness and sharp wit. This is followed by Monster, first staged at the Park Theatre in 2022, which explores how our pasts shape our actions and whether despicable acts can ever be forgiven. Next up is Daddy’s First Gay Date, in which a late bloomer takes a nerve-wracking leap into queer dating. Closing the season is The Brown Ranger, which traces one boy’s journey from playground to adulthood in a moving exploration of race, representation and identity.

Alongside these productions, The Pen space is hosting a varied programme of shorter runs, including stand-up comedy and work in progress shows.
These include Somali-centred Maanta Comedy Night, showcasing comedians from Somali, Black, Asian and other minority backgrounds, and Chtinois; a witty and whimsical one-man show about identity, belonging, and the impossible choice between French and Chinese cuisine – performed entirely in French by Frédéric Gheung.

More shows are to be announced soon.

All shows are presented on a door split basis with no hire fees, part of a supportive model that prioritises partnership, creative autonomy, and sustainability for artists. Each production has been selected for its distinct voice, thematic resonance and potential to connect – emotionally, politically, or viscerally – with audiences.