Everything you need to know about Fences

As August Wilson’s seminal work of American drama heads to the London stage, here’s all the information you need

Fences is making a return to London for the third time, bringing August Wilson’s multi-award-winning masterpiece back to the British stage. A Pulitzer Prize, an Oscar-winning film adaptation and a slew of other major awards should be enough to convince you, but if it isn’t, we’ve got all the information you need on this landmark drama.

What is Fences about?

On the streets of Pittsburgh, Troy Maxson cracks jokes and spins stories. Behind closed doors, things look different. Troy has cheated death once. Now the past threatens to close in. Fences follows Troy and his family, as his wife, Rose, attempts to hold things together and make a better life for their son, Cory. But a reckoning is at hand, and no future is guaranteed…

When is Fences coming to London?

Fences will play just 28 performances in London, from 7 – 31 October 2026.

Which theatre will Fences play at?

You can see Fences at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.

Who’s starring in Fences on the West End?

Ray Fearon (Othello, Coronation Street) will play Troy, with Madeline Appiah (In the Long Run, Tina Turner the Musical) starring opposite him as his wife, Rose. Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Cabaret) plays Lyons and Josh Tedeku (Supacell) plays Cory. Completing the cast are Simon-Anthony Rhoden (Gone, The Harder They Come) as Gabriel and Everal A Walsh (Small Island, Through It All Together) as Jim Bono.

Who wrote Fences?

Fences is written by celebrated American playwright August Wilson, sometimes called “theatre’s poet of Black America”. He’s best known for The Pittsburgh Cycle, a series of ten plays chronicling the experience of African-American communities in the twentieth-century US. Fences is the third in this series. In 2006, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

When was the play first performed?

Fences premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1985, with James Earl Jones, Mary Alice, Ray Aranha, Russell Costen, and Courtney B. Vance in the cast. It transferred to Broadway in March 1987, where it ran for 525 performances.

The play premiered in the UK at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1990. It was revived at Theatre Royal Bath in 2013, later transferring to the Duchess Theatre in the West End.

When was it made into a film?

The film adaptation of Fences was released in 2016, starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, who reprised their roles from the 2010 Broadway revival. Washington also directed the project. It was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2016 and was nominated for four Oscars, with Davis winning Best Supporting Actress. She scooped up the same award at the Golden Globes.

Has the play won any awards?

Fences won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The original Broadway production won four Tony Awards, including Best Play, and then three further statuettes when it returned for the 2010 revival.

Who’s on the creative team?

Daniel Bailey (Red Pitch) will direct, with set and costume designer Lily Arnold, composer and sound designer Khalil Madovi, lighting designer Jai Morjaria, movement director Shelley Maxwell, and fight director Kev McCurdy also on the creative team.

Why should I see it?

Fences is one of the defining works of twentieth-century Western drama. A highly awarded piece of theatre – and for good reason – its exploration of ambition and responsibility remains as relevant as ever. This will be a moving, absorbing night of drama that you won’t want to miss.

Fences will play at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre from 7 – 31 October – find tickets here