Brixton Calling returns to Southwark Playhouse for seven-week run
The £1 deal that built Brixton Academy is coming back to the London stage.
Brixton Calling will return to Southwark Playhouse Borough for a seven-week run, playing the Large auditorium from 22 January to 13 March 2027. The opening performance is set for 27 January at 7pm, as reported by WhatsOnStage.
The play is written by Alex Urwin and directed by Bronagh Lagan. It is inspired by Simon Parkes' memoir Live at the Brixton Academy, which traces how Parkes bought a derelict cinema in Brixton for £1 in 1983. He was 23 at the time.
The story follows that purchase through to the creation of an internationally recognised music venue. It puts the building itself at the centre, from empty cinema to packed gig space. The focus is on Parkes and the people around him as the venue takes shape.
The return follows a sold-out run in 2025. That first staging also played Southwark Playhouse Borough, running from 23 July to 16 August, according to listings published ahead of opening LouderSound. Time Out listed the same venue for that run. Musical Theatre Review gave that production five stars Musical Theatre Review.
Awards recognition followed. Brixton Calling won three Off-West End Awards, the prizes for independent London theatre, including Best Overall Production. The other wins were for Best Lighting Design and Best Sound and Music Design. It also picked up a WhatsOnStage Award nomination and nine Fringe Theatre Award nominations.
Max Runham returns as Simon Parkes. He is joined by Tendai Humphrey Sitima as Johnny Lawes. Nadine Lee joins the company as an on-stage musician. Sean Green is musical supervisor, overseeing the live music on stage.
The design team stays close to the original staging. Set and costume design is by Nik Corrall, lighting design by Derek Anderson, sound design by Max Pappenheim and video design by Matt Powell. Behind the scenes, Gabbie Sills is general manager for Seventh Productions, handling the day-to-day running of the production.
The producing team has grown for the second run. Originating producers Kick It Anywhere are joined by Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment. Guy James Theatrical comes on board as co-producer, meaning the companies share the costs and responsibilities of the staging.
Tickets for the new run start at £10. The seven-week booking gives a longer window than the three-week premiere last summer.
What makes this stand out is the homecoming element. Same venue. Same lead actor. Same creative core. For anyone who missed the sell-out first run, this is a second chance to see the Academy story told a short bus ride from where it happened.
