It's Star Wars But Not as You Know it at the Riverside Studios
The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody on extended run
Imperial stormtroopers relax in a board room
April 21, 2025
An unofficial version of the Star Wars science fiction saga, which started life in a Sydney bar, is coming to the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith
The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody is set to opening for its London Premiere on 2 May, with a gala night on May the Fourth...
Originally due to finish on 22 June, the producers have now extended the run and seats have been released for performances up until 17 August, with tickets on sale here.
Featuring parodies of all the classic characters, the show takes audiences to a surreal galaxy far, far away, creating an original and entirely unauthorised) theatrical interpretations of the film franchise.
Transporting audiences to a world of burlesque fantasy, well known characters are scantily clad and transported into the world of parody.
Han Solo and Chewbacca dancing
The original version was booked in a cramped, 150-seat bar in Sydney, a one-off production for a three-night run. Since then, three simultaneous productions have constantly touring North America, reaching audiences totalling over 300,000.
It started Hollywood’s Montalban Theatre in a three-month 2022 run and subsequently enjoyed extended residencies in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Washington DC, Boston, Atlanta and many others. It has been performed in Australia, Paris and Mexico.
The Emperor's Red Guard
Producer Neil Gooding said, "Bringing The Empire Strips Back to London for the very first time is a dream come true. This show started life as a small passion project in a Sydney bar, and now, after touring across the U.S., Australia, and beyond, we’re finally arriving in a city with one of the greatest theatre heritages in the world - and the place where much of the first Star Wars movie was shot!"
Producer David J. Foster continued, "London audiences are in for a wild, hilarious, and completely unforgettable night – we can’t wait to take over Riverside Studios and introduce the UK to our unique intergalactic spectacle."
The Empire Strips Back is produced by Foster Entertainment and Neil Gooding Productions, presented with Fever. The show was created by Russall S. Beattie.
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