Regional premiere of Small Island

Award-winning Matthew Xia will direct a new stage adaptation and regional premiere of Small Island, the Windrush novel by Andrea Levy, at Leeds Playhouse in the spring (March 11-28, 2026).

He said: “Small Island resonates deep in my bones. As someone of Jamaican and English heritage – my father arrived from Jamaica in the 1970s – I’ve personally navigated many of the tensions and connections Andrea Levy explores.

Matthew Xia

“Small Island is about migration and memory, empire and entitlement – but also about love, across culture, colour, and class. I want this version to speak directly to audiences today and open space for reflection in a Britain still reckoning with its past.”

Matthew is the multi-award-winning artistic director of Actors Touring Company, and a former associate artistic director at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre. He has also been director-in-residence at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and an associate director at Stratford East. The play is a co-production between Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and Nottingham Playhouse, with Actors Touring Company.

Leeds Playhouse chief executive Shawab Iqbal said: “We can’t wait to share Small Island with audiences in Leeds, Nottingham and Birmingham – cities with deep connections to the Windrush story. We’re also delighted to reunite with Matthew Xia and Actors Touring Company after the incredible success of Tambo & Bones in spring this year."

More info and tickets here