Joy: A New Musical comes to Southwark Playhouse Elephant in 2027
The musical Joy: A New Musical will have its UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant in south London. Performances run from 20 February to 10 April 2027, according to WhatsOnStage, which published the announcement on 10 November 2026.
The show is based on the life of Joy Mangano, an American inventor and entrepreneur. It opened Off-Broadway, the tier of mid-sized New York theatres outside the main Broadway district, at the Laura Pels Theatre in 2025. Betsy Wolfe played Mangano in that production. Its final Off-Broadway performance was on 17 August 2025, as the show's official website records.
The London production has its press night, the first performance critics and the press attend, on 4 March 2027. Before that, previews run from 20 February. Tickets are priced from £20, with concessions from £16 and previews from £16.
The creative team is led by AnnMarie Milazzo, who wrote the music and lyrics. Ken Davenport wrote the book, meaning the spoken script that links the songs. Lorin Latarro directs, and Joshua Bergasse is the choreographer.
Mangano's story has been told before on screen. The 2015 film JOY, starring Jennifer Lawrence, followed her career as an inventor. The stage version reaches London more than a decade after that film was released.
For audiences in London, the run gives a clear window to plan around. The Elephant and Castle area is served by Underground and rail links, and the run stretches across late winter and early spring.
