Ron: Bold New Solo Show Gets World Premiere at Riverside Studios

Riverside Studios has announced the world premiere run of Ron, a daring new solo show written and performed by Ted Walliker. The production holds special significance for the West London venue as it represents the very first in-house co-production in Riverside Studios' history, arriving as the organisation gears up to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026.

Ron will play in Studio 2 at Riverside Studios from 13 June to 5 July 2025, with press night set for 16 June. The show previously had a short outing at the venue back in March, and now returns for a full premiere run that signals a major new direction in the venue's producing ambitions.

What Is Ron About?

At its heart, Ron follows a character called Tony Foot as he attempts to deliver his latest stand-up comedy show about life, love and friendship. But what begins as something deceptively familiar quickly spirals into far stranger territory. The production is described as "an absurd, violent, genre-bending queer odyssey" that interrogates the nature of performance and storytelling themselves.

Walliker, who serves as writer, performer and creative polymath on the project, has spoken about the show's unsettling premise. "I wanted to make something that starts in a very familiar place and then gradually slips out of control," he explained. "Ron is about love, and the strange, sometimes destructive ways we try to express it. But it's also about performance, storytelling, and how far you can push both before they break."

That combination of intimacy and unpredictability places Ron in a tradition of boundary-pushing solo theatre that has found a growing audience in London over recent years. For theatregoers who enjoy work that defies easy categorisation, this looks like one to watch.

A Creative Force Behind Every Element

One of the most striking aspects of Ron is just how much of it flows from a single creative mind. Ted Walliker not only writes and performs the piece but also co-directs alongside Lev Govorovski. Together, the pair have designed the show's set and costumes, while Walliker takes the lead on lighting design, sound design and original music composition.

This level of authorial control across every dimension of a production is unusual and speaks to a deeply personal artistic vision. When one person shapes everything from the words spoken to the light hitting the stage, the result tends to be either brilliantly cohesive or uncompromisingly singular. In Ron's case, the early signs suggest it may be both.

Govorovski's involvement as co-director adds a collaborative counterweight to Walliker's solo creative dominance, potentially offering the outside eye that can sharpen and challenge a piece created so close to one person's imagination.

A Landmark Moment for Riverside Studios

Beyond the show itself, the premiere of Ron carries wider significance for Riverside Studios as an institution. The venue has long been a vital part of London's cultural landscape, hosting everything from theatre and dance to film screenings and live music. However, in-house producing has not traditionally been part of its model. Until now.

By co-producing Ron alongside Walliker, Riverside Studios is signalling the launch of a new producing strand that could reshape the venue's identity in the years ahead. Rhys Williamson, head of programming at the venue, made clear that this is just the beginning.

"Ron is exactly the kind of work we want to be making at Riverside Studios: bold, surprising and formally ambitious, with a distinctive voice at its centre," Williamson said. "Ted has created something that feels genuinely unlike anything else, and we're incredibly excited for this to be our first in-house co-production as we begin to build a new strand of producing work here."

The timing feels deliberate. With Riverside Studios approaching its 50th anniversary in 2026, launching an in-house producing arm positions the organisation to enter its next half-century with renewed creative purpose. It also places the venue alongside other London spaces that have successfully combined presenting and producing, allowing them to take greater creative risks and develop work from the ground up.

The Growing Appetite for Daring Solo Theatre

Ron arrives at a moment when London audiences have shown increasing enthusiasm for solo performance work that pushes formal boundaries. Shows that blur the line between comedy, drama and live art have found receptive audiences across the capital's fringe and mid-scale venues, and the appetite for queer storytelling on stage continues to grow.

What distinguishes Ron from many solo shows is its willingness to lean into discomfort. The promise of something "absurd" and "violent" that interrogates love through a queer lens positions it as a piece unafraid to challenge its audience. For a venue making its first producing statement, it represents a notably bold choice, one that prioritises artistic ambition over commercial safety.

The intimate setting of Studio 2 at Riverside Studios should suit the show's intensity, placing audiences close to the action as Tony Foot's stand-up routine unravels into something altogether more unpredictable.

Should You Book?

If you're drawn to experimental theatre that refuses to sit neatly in one genre, Ron looks like a compelling proposition. The combination of a fiercely original creative voice, an intimate venue and the weight of being Riverside Studios' first ever co-production all suggest this will be a significant moment in London's 2025 theatre calendar.

Tickets are available for performances from 13 June to 5 July 2025 in Studio 2 at Riverside Studios. With a limited three-week run in a smaller space, availability may tighten quickly, especially following press night on 16 June when reviews begin to circulate.

For those who like their theatre bold, strange and deeply personal, Ron could be one of the standout discoveries of the summer fringe season.

Discover more exciting new productions heading to the London stage on our full listings page, or explore what's on across the capital's top plays and latest theatre news.