London | June – July 2027
One for the diary now, even though it is next summer. Counting and Cracking, the award-winning Australian Sri Lankan epic written by S. Shakthidharan with Eamon Flack, is making its London debut at Soho Theatre Walthamstow from 15 June to 10 July 2027. Presented by House of Oz in association with Soho Theatre as part of LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre), it is a Belvoir St Theatre and Kurinji co-production, and tickets go on sale this month. Here are five reasons to get booking.
1. A sweeping family story across continents and decades
The play opens on the banks of a suburban Sydney river, where Radha and her son Siddhartha gather to scatter the ashes of Radha’s mother. Then a phone call arrives from Colombo, and a remarkable family history comes vividly to life. The story moves between Sri Lanka and Australia, from 1956 to 2004, following one Sri Lankan-Australian family across generations. It is told with warmth, humour and breathtaking theatricality. At its heart, this is a tale of family, identity, love and the ties that connect us.
2. Theatre on a truly epic scale
Counting and Cracking features 19 performers from six different countries, speaking five languages and playing more than 50 characters between them. Director Eamon Flack calls it ‘a ridiculous undertaking’, a huge and hugely complex show that only happens because everyone involved defies common sense to make it work. Yet for all its scale, the production keeps things intimate, setting one family’s personal stories against vast political and social change. That balance of the grand and the personal is what makes it so gripping. You do not get to see shows of this ambition very often.
3. A multi-award-winning, globe-trotting hit
In Australia the production became a landmark of the nation’s theatre, winning 14 major awards, including Helpmann Awards for Best Production and Best Direction. After sell-out seasons in Sydney, it toured to Edinburgh and to Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games in 2022, then made its New York debut in 2024. Critics have been lavish in their praise, with The Guardian calling it ‘one of the great Australian plays’ and The Times describing it as ‘a gripping dramatization’. After London it heads back to New York in 2027. This strictly limited season is London’s chance to catch up.
4. A perfect match for Soho Theatre Walthamstow
Soho Theatre Walthamstow opened in May 2025 and has already picked up several awards, including Theatre Building of the Year at The Stage Awards. Eamon Flack describes it as ‘a big, brassy new venue in the middle of one of London’s great South Asia communities’, which makes it a fitting home for this Sri Lankan-Australian story. The venue’s co-chair, Alessandro Babalola, calls it ‘an epic show for an epic venue’. Being part of LIFT, the London International Festival of Theatre, adds to the sense of occasion. If you have not visited the Walthamstow venue yet, this is a brilliant excuse.
5. Affordable tickets, on sale this month
Across the run, 1,500 tickets will be available for under £30, which is great news for a production of this size. Priority tickets go on sale from 12 November, with general sale following on 16 November. You can sign up for priority access through House of Oz using the link below. The press night is on 18 June 2027, so expect plenty of buzz around then. With a limited season and strong word of mouth, it pays to get in early.
Tickets and info
What: Counting and Cracking, part of LIFT 2027
Where: Soho Theatre Walthamstow, London
When: 15 June – 10 July 2027
Tickets: 1,500 tickets under £30; priority booking from 12 November, general sale from 16 November