Retrograde

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Following its sold out run at the Kiln Theatre, Ryan Calais Cameron‘s ’electrifying‘ (Evening Standard) RETROGRADE comes to the Apollo Theatre for a strictly limited run.

Inspired by real events, this ‘exceptional‘ (The Guardian) play directed by the Kiln Theatre’s Artistic Director Amit Sharma, features Ivanno Jeremiah (Constellations) reprising his ‘tremendous‘ (Time Out) performance as Sidney Poitier, opposite Stanley Townsend (Netflix’s Kaos) and Oliver Johnstone (Antigone).

RETROGRADE follows Ryan‘s smash hit ‘modern masterpiece‘ (The Sunday Times) For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy – so good it sold out twice – cementing his place as ‘one of theatre’s most thrilling voices‘ (Independent).

Book your RETROGRADE theatre tickets with LOVEtheatre today!

What is Retrograde about?

Ten years before he becomes the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Actor, this gripping drama captures the moment a young Sidney Poitier prepares to sign a career-defining Hollywood contract that could make him a star. But there’s a catch. Will he put his career before his principles? In a time of betrayals, will he name names? Will he sign his life away?

Ticket Information

Tickets available for performances from 8 Mar – 14 Jun 2025

Running Time

90mins, no interval.

Cast & Creatives

Ryan Calais Cameron (Writer), Amit Sharma (Director)

Ivanno Jeremiah (Sidney Poitier), Stanley Townsend, Oliver Johnstone

Age Guidance: 14+

Save up to 57%

Booking Period

8 Mar - 14 Jun 2025

Weekly Performances

Sunday 2:00PM, 7:00PM
Wednesday 2:30PM, 7:30PM
Thursday 7:30PM
Friday 7:30PM
Saturday 2:30PM, 7:30PM

For group bookings of 10 or more:
Submit a request online

Or call 020 7206 1176

Venue Information

Apollo Theatre

Shaftesbury Ave, Soho, London W1D 7EZ, UK

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Nearest Tube/Rail Station

Piccadilly Circus

Buses

1, 14, 19, 22, 24, 29, 38, 55, 176

Nearest Car Parks

Cambridge Circus, Newport Place, Wardour Street and Denman Street

Reviews

The Telegraph

'‘A deserved West End triumph for one of Britain’s greatest playwrights’'

WhatsOnStage

'‘an electrifying, razor-sharp piece.’'

Time Out

'‘An instant classic’'

The Standard

'‘A wickedly funny 90 minutes’'

The Times

'‘Gripping, inspiring and funny’'

Ian McKellen

'‘The three actors are magnificent, and I couldn’t recommend it strongly enough’ ‘Very moving and brilliantly acted. Go and see it’'

Keale Settle

''Blown away by the cast & crew of this powerful spectacular production, paying homage to the greatest of all time #sidneypoitier. It physically shook me...''

Dominic Cavendish

'‘Thoroughly merited arrival of Retrograde on Shaftesbury Ave. A must-see even stronger this time round’'

Munya Chawawa

'‘Acting masterclass first off. All 3 carried. Scripting was knife-edge! Had the audience ad-libbing out of sheer passion. I do love the bells and whistles of big productions – but this was fantastic without all of that!''