Fences Tickets

Fences in London

August Wilson’s landmark play, Fences, comes to the Lyric Hammersmith, in the heart of Hammersmith, this October in a huge new revival from Red Pitch director Daniel Bailey. This Pulitzer and Tony-winning drama follows Troy, the patriarch of a working-class Black family, as he grapples with his past in the changing racial landscape of the 1950s. This “powerfully captivating” (London Theatre) play comes to London for a strictly limited run this autumn - don’t miss it.

What Is the Play Fences About?

Formerly the star player in the Black American baseball league, Troy Maxson now works a blue-collar job to try to provide for his wife and child. Having cheated death once before, Troy will do whatever it takes to survive. While Troy is haunted by his past, his wife Rose holds the family together, facing the changing landscape of 1950’s Pittsburgh with an unrelenting hope that the future will be brighter for their teenage son, Cory. But as Cory’s dreams clash with Troy’s fears, tempers flare, sparking a reckoning that will change the Maxsons’ lives forever.

The History of Fences 

Fences premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1985, receiving its Broadway debut in 1987. A critical success, the production, which starred James Earl Jones as Troy, won several Tony awards and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. A later revival starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis also won several Tony awards, including for Best Revival, with Davis and Washington later reprising their roles in the 2016 Academy Award-nominated film adaptation. The show’s UK premiere was in 1990, at the Liverpool Playhouse. The play's most notable UK revival was a 2013 staging at Theatre Royal Bath, starring Lenny Henry, which later transferred to the West End.

The Cast of Fences 

The cast for this production includes:

• Lyons: Michael Ahomka-Lindsay
• Rose: Madeline Appiah
• Troy: Ray Fearon
• Cory: Josh Tedeku

The Creative Team of Fences

Fences is written by August Wilson (1945 – 2005). Often considered to be one of the most important Black American writers, Wilson is best known for his “Pittsburgh Cycle”, which includes Fences, ten plays set in the city, chronicling the African-American experience throughout the 20th Century. His works include Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, and The Piano Lesson. Wilson was an inductee of the American Theatre Hall of Fame, a Pulitzer and Tony winner and an Academy Award and Emmy nominee.

Daniel Bailey directs. Bailey is a dramaturg, director, and writer, and a former Associate Director at the Bush Theatre. His credits include Red Pitch at the Bush, in the West End and in Washington DC, August in England with Lenny Henry at The Bush, The American Dream 2.0 at the Young Vic and Dropped for Channel 4.

Tickets for Fences at The Lyric Hammersmith

This scintillating drama from one of America’s most influential writers of the 20th Century comes to London for a strictly limited run this October. Exploring ambition, racial politics and the legacy of the past, you won’t want to miss this “bruisingly powerful” (Independent) Tony and Pulitzer-winning play. Secure your tickets for Fences at the Lyric Hammersmith today.