New folk musical BALLAD LINES to open at Southwark Playhouse
Aria Entertainment & KT Producing have announced the London premiere of major new folk musical Ballad Lines, which will run for eight weeks at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 23 January - 21 March 2026.
Co-created by award-winning Scottish singer-songwriter Finn Anderson and award-winning director Tania Azevedo, Ballad Lines (previously A Mother’s Song) is a heart-opening new musical, directed by Azevedo, that shines a light on identity, belonging and the stories we choose to carry with us. The musical began in 2014, commissioned jointly by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Northwestern’s American Music Theatre Project. An earlier iteration of the musical received its world premiere in 2023 at Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling under its former title A Mother’s Song. Ballad Lines is written by Anderson and Azevedo, with music and lyrics by Anderson. Full casting for the London premiere will be announced in the coming months.
Sarah comes from a long line of ballad singers, but has severed ties with the folk traditions of her childhood. In modern-day New York City, Sarah’s rediscovery of these songs and the family stories within them, force her to go on an unexpected and life-changing journey across time.
Spanning continents and generations, Ballad Lines follows three women bound together by blood, song, and choice. In 17th-century Scotland, Cait, a minister’s wife, wrestles with the constraints of her role. In 18th-century Ireland, Jean, a spirited teenager, steps into an uncertain future. In the present day, Sarah, a queer woman, finds herself torn between the life she’s built and the deep, unexpected pull of her ancestors' voices.
Ballad Lines weaves together original new songs with centuries-old traditional Scottish, Irish, and Appalachian ballads performed by an all-female band, breathing new life into music that has echoed through generations, unearthing the deep ties between storytelling, heritage, and identity. A 17-track concept album, recorded by a guest cast, will be released on 12 September. To celebrate the release there will be a special one-off concert at Cottiers in Glasgow on 15 September.
Finn Anderson said: “Our ambition with Ballad Lines was to combine the raw, timeless power of folk music with the sweeping emotional drama of the musicals we both love. By reimagining traditional ballads through the lens of a modern-day queer relationship and fusing them with contemporary styles, we hope this show helps reclaim our folk traditions as a space for diverse, intersectional storytelling — a space where more of us can see ourselves reflected. Ballad Lines explores how songs travel — how they shift, evolve, and change hands over time. So it feels really exciting that London audiences can now become part of that story too.”
Tania Azevedo said: “Finn and I are thrilled to be bringing Ballad Lines to London after such a rich development journey. We wanted to make a piece that weaved together questions of ancestry, belonging, and the legacy carried in our bodies with urgent themes of female autonomy and personal freedom. At its heart, it’s an epic story of beauty, and transatlantic drama, one that asks how we honour those who came before us while carving out the lives we choose today. I believe audiences will see themselves reflected in this musical, and I can’t wait to share it on stage.”
The Ballad Lines creative team includes set designer TK Hay, musical director Shonagh Murray, choreographer Tinovimbanashe Sibanda, lighting designer Simon Wilkinson, sound designer Andy Johnson, and casting director Jane Deitch.
