Small Island

Playhouse production

11 – 28 Mar 2026

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Tickets
£16.50 - £47.50
Venue
Quarry
Running time
3 hrs TBC
Age guidance
14+
Content Advisories

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Content Advisories

The story explores the journeys of Jamaican characters in the 1930s – 1940s, migrating to England. It contains sensitive content including racism, colourism, ableism, descriptions of violence (including war), depictions of violence, depictions of PTSD, death, sexual language and sexual scenes.
Group bookings

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Group bookings

Please contact our Box Office on 0113 213 7700 or email groups@leedsplayhouse.org.uk to book in your school or group (10 tickets or more) to come and see a production.

School prices for Small Island are £16 per ticket. To help support your visit, every 11th seat will be free of charge. When booking, please provide the total number of seats required including staff.

Groups of 10+ get £5 off tickets on the top 2 price bands.

All offers are subject to availability.

Journey from the sun-drenched shores of Jamaica to the cold, grey streets of 1940s London in Small Island.

A powerful and intimate portrayal of Andrea Levy’s multi award-winning novel, adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundson. Directed by Matthew Xia, this bold staging offers a fresh perspective on a world shaped by empire and entitlement, caught between belonging and unbelonging, disappointment and hope.

Four unforgettable characters bring this Windrush story to life: Hortense and Gilbert, determined Jamaican migrants in search of belonging and respect; Queenie, an Englishwoman who defies convention; and Bernard, her husband, struggling with change. Together, they discover love across culture, colour and class – and the fragile hope of a shared future.

Spanning decades and continents, this brand-new production draws on the joyful rhythms of calypso and the harsh realities of postwar Britain to explore the emotional truth of our collective history, brought vividly to life through music, striking visuals and a compelling story you will never forget.

A Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and Nottingham Playhouse production, in association with Actors Touring Company.

Book tickets

Wed 11 Mar

7pm

Thu 12 Mar

7pm

Fri 13 Mar

7pm

Sat 14 Mar

1.30pm

Sat 14 Mar

7pm

Mon 16 Mar

7pm

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Trailers

Teaser Trailer

Small Island BSL Flyer

Cast

Anna Crichlow

Hortense

Daniel Ward

Gilbert

Bronté Barbé

Queenie

Mark Arends

Bernard

Mara Allen

Miss Ma/Celia

Rosemary Boyle

Mrs Ryder

Paul Hawkyard

Arthur

Zoe Lambert

Aunt Dorothy/Miss Todd

Jordan Laviniere

Little Michael

Marcia Mantack

Miss Jewel

Andre Squire

Elwood

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Creatives

Andrea Levy

Original novel

Helen Edmundson

Adaptor

Matthew Xia

Director

Simon Kenny

Set & Costume Designer

Ciarán Cunningham

Lighting Designer

Asha Jennings-Grant

Movement & Intimacy Director

Hazel Holder

Voice & Dialect Coach

Kev McCurdy

Fight Director

Lucy Casson CDG

Casting Director

Luke Bacchus

Composer

Ben Kwasi Burrell

Music Mentoring

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Audio Flyer

Small Island