Calling all fans of Hadestown, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Once. Ballad Lines, the soaring new folk musical by Finn Anderson and Tania Azevedo, premieres at London’s Southwark Playhouse Elephant.
A heart-opening musical about the stories we inherit — and the choices each generation makes to break, reshape, or carry them forward.
A forgotten melody pulls Sarah, a queer woman in New York, into the lives of the women who came before her: Cait, her 17th-century Scottish ancestor, and Jean, a spirited Irish teenager a century later.
Across three centuries, they face the same defining question: what does it mean to become a mother — and at what cost?
Blending Scottish, Irish and Appalachian ballads with a bold contemporary score, Ballad Lines weaves one family’s hopes, sacrifices and songs across generations.
From award-winning songwriter Finn Anderson (Islander and Streets) and acclaimed director Tania Azevedo (Mayflies and But I’m a Cheerleader), this is a musical for anyone who has ever wondered where they come from — and what they choose to pass on.
The cast features Frances McNamee, Kirsty Findlay and Yna Tresvalles as Sarah, Cait and Jean, along with Rebecca Trehearn, Sydney Sainte, Ally Kennard, Gracie Lia and Sian Louise Dowdalls.
Following the 7pm performance on Thursday 12 February 2026, I’ll chair a discussion with Ballad Lines cast and creatives. Any questions?