Royal Shakespeare Company has revealed its 2026 season, which will have shows led by Kenneth Branagh, Helen Hunt, Mark Gatiss, and more.

Branagh is returning to the U.K. company for the first time in more than 30 years, first in a new staging of Shakespeare's The Tempest directed by Richard Eyre. The Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Olivier winner will star as Prospero, with performances running May 13-June 20, 2026 and officially opening May 26.

The stage and screen star will also star in a new adaptation of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard that's been penned by Laura Wade. Tamara Harvey will direct, with Branagh starring as Lopakhin opposite Hunt's Madame Ranyevskaya. Performances will run July 10-August 29, 2026 in the company's Swan Theatre, with opening set for July 21.

Two-time Olivier winner Gatiss will star in the title role of Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, adapted by Stephen Sharkey and directed by Seán Linnen. Performances will run April 11-May 30, 2026 in the Swan, with an April 21 opening.

In the company's The Other Place, Martina Laird's Driftwood will make its debut April 17-May 30, 2026 with Justin Audibert at the helm. Set in colonial Trinidad as it races towards political independence, the work centers on themes of self-determination, family, and belonging. The RSC run will be followed by performances at Kiln Theatre June 3-July 4, 2026.

The Other Place will also host a new take on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, edited by Robin Belfield and directed by Rachel Bagshaw. Aimed for family audiences, the comedy will perform March 21-May 3, 2026 at the Unicorn (which is co-producing with RSC) before coming to The Other Place June 19-August 30, 2026.

“When we set out as the co-artistic directors of the Royal Shakespeare Company, we were united by a belief in the RSC as a home for radical and resonant theatre—inspired by Shakespeare and made by the most exciting artists from across the globe," says Harvey and Daniel Evans in a joint statement. "Two years after our arrival, that commitment remains at the heart of everything we do.

"From Shakespeare’s late meditation on freedom and forgiveness to Anton Chekhov’s prescient final play, by way of Bertolt Brecht’s searing satire on the rise of fascism, our relationship to family, community and state is bought sharply into focus on stage in 2026. We know that the stories we choose to tell as artists play a vital role in bringing people together, building connections and deepen our understanding of one another. In an increasingly volatile world, this matters to us more than ever.

"We look forward to welcoming a new generation of artists and audiences to the RSC in 2026 and beyond.”

Visit RSC.org.uk for full details.