Hammersmith Bridge Subject of New Political Drama
Brad Sutherland’s play set to be performed at the OSO Arts Centre
Left: Hammersmith Bridge. Right: OSO Arts Centre Barnes
June 15, 2026
Anyone who has followed the long, tortuous saga of Hammersmith Bridge should find plenty to recognise — and plenty to laugh at — in Hammersmith Bridge is Falling Down, a new political drama coming to the OSO Arts Centre in Barnes from 5–11 September.
Written by rising playwright Brad Sutherland and produced by Maiden Productions, the play unfolds entirely within the cramped constituency office of a Labour MP. It is a setting that proves fertile ground for a story about political inertia, financial constraints and the quiet desperation of those trying — and failing — to get a major infrastructure project over the line.
Directed by Lucy Appleby, the production arrives at a moment when the real-life bridge remains a national symbol of bureaucratic stalemate. With the government’s new structures fund now open and ministers recently describing Hammersmith Bridge as a “good candidate”, the play could hardly be more timely.
Sutherland’s script introduces a cast of characters instantly recognisable to anyone familiar with Westminster’s inner workings: a weary backbencher who has spent decades fighting for socialism and local credibility; a fiercely loyal constituency manager who keeps the office from collapsing; a Treasury official whose briefcase contains nothing but bad news; and a young adviser whose idealism slices through the spin like fresh air.
At the centre is Edward Stiles MP, who — alongside his long-serving adviser Violet — has spent more than 30 years battling for influence within the Labour Party. Now, after 18 months of Labour in government, the bridge remains unrepaired, despite Edward’s confident assurances to constituents. When a new adviser arrives, a young woman with unexpected sway over Edward, she pushes him toward a moment of reckoning: tell the truth, or continue the dance of political evasion.
Sutherland’s writing, already recognised with Player Playwrights’ Best Play of 2023 for Separated, the New Normal, blends humour with frustration.
OSO Arts Centre is at 58 Barnes High Street, SW13 9LD.
Details of ticketing were not available at time of writing.
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