Oxford Playhouse today announces a bold new production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which will be staged as part of its spring 2026 season and directed by Playhouse Artistic Director, Mike Tweddle.

First performed on the Broadway stage in 1962, Albee’s Tony Award-winning play is a tense, gripping, and darkly funny exploration of truth and illusion and the lies we tell ourselves, and those closest to us, to keep up a façade.

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? marks the first Oxford Playhouse production directed by Mike Tweddle, since he took up the post of Artistic Director at the Oxford venue in 2023. Earlier this year he directed the Out of Chaos production of Macbeth to great acclaim. His previous work whilst Artistic Director at Bristol’s Tobacco Factory included A View from the Bridge (“a thrilling fresh look… outstanding” – The Stage) and Beautiful Thing.

Mike Tweddle said:

“I’ve loved Edward Albee’s masterpiece for as long as I can remember. There is no other play like it. A wildly entertaining and emotionally profound evening, with jaw-droppingly inventive language, it is an incredible experience for audiences. It’s an honour to be working with a stellar creative team who are all dedicated to making this an unforgettable theatrical moment in Oxford.”

This landmark production signals an exciting new chapter for Oxford Playhouse under Mike Tweddle’s leadership, reaffirming its position as a producer of high-quality drama and its historic role at the heart of British theatre. The Playhouse’s return to producing its own work begins with its critically acclaimed co-production with Northampton’s Royal & Derngate of Hugh Whitemore’s Breaking the Code, which plays in Oxford from Tuesday 7 October 2025. Edward Albee’sWho’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will run from February to March 2026.

Edward Albee’s unforgettable characters George and Martha were immortalised on screen in the Oscar-winning 1966 film, brought to searing life by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Their performances cemented the pair as cultural icons and shaped the way audiences have remembered Albee’s work ever since.

This production coincides with the sixtieth anniversary of the film, as well as the Oxford Playhouse (OUDS) production of Doctor Faustus (1966) directed by Nevill Coghill, which starred Richard Burton, with Elizabeth Taylor as Helen of Troy.

One evening. Two couples. No place to hide.

Welcome to the small hours at George and Martha’s – the alcohol is flowing, masks are off, and the mind games are just getting started.

Disillusioned university professor George and his wife Martha invite an unwitting younger couple, Nick and Honey, into their home. It’s not long before things spiral into the very heart of a tempestuous and volatile relationship. What starts as a spur of the moment nightcap turns into a psychological showdown.

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is directed by Mike Tweddle, with set and costume by Liz Ascroft (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Beautiful Thing, Royal Exchange Theatre), and sound design and composition by Max Pappenheim (The Night of the Iguana, Cruise, West End; A Raisin in the Sun, Headlong).

This production is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk