Bury the Hatchet at Southwark Playhouse Borough
Bury the Hatchet at Southwark Playhouse Borough brings the Lizzie Borden case to London through courtroom drama, historical whodunnit and a live bluegrass folk gig.
More than a century after Andrew and Abby Borden were found murdered in their Fall River home, the question of whether Lizzie Borden wielded the axe continues to fascinate true-crime audiences.
Now the notorious case is being reopened on stage in Bury the Hatchet, a 70-minute mixture of courtroom drama, historical whodunnit and live bluegrass folk gig.
Following its run at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe—and before an international tour to Canada—the award-winning production plays at Southwark Playhouse Borough from 12 August until 5 September 2026.
What is Bury the Hatchet about?
On 4 August 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were discovered brutally murdered in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Andrew’s daughter Lizzie became the principal suspect and was later tried for both killings.
Lizzie was acquitted, but the verdict did not restore her reputation. Newspaper coverage, public fascination and the now-famous skipping-rope rhyme helped transform an unresolved crime into a lasting legend.
Bury the Hatchet is less interested in offering audiences a simple guilty-or-innocent answer. Instead, it examines the evidence, the courtroom testimony and the way the media constructed its own version of Lizzie.
The production asks what happens when a woman is publicly condemned before the jury has reached its decision—and why audiences remain so eager to watch famous women being elevated, judged and torn apart.
True crime meets a live bluegrass folk gig
The actor-musician ensemble uses bluegrass-inspired murder ballads, performed live on fiddle, mandolin and guitar, alongside courtroom transcripts and historical material.
Out Of The Forest Theatre describes the production as part courtroom drama, part folk gig and part historical whodunnit. Gallows humour and vaudevillian horror are used to explore both the original murders and the culture that grew around them.
That combination is particularly intriguing. The Lizzie Borden case has been fictionalised repeatedly in films, television dramas, books and musicals, but the use of murder ballads connects her story to a much older tradition of turning violence, rumour and public scandal into entertainment.
A story about Lizzie—and the way women are consumed by the media
Writer and performer Sasha Wilson has described her historical plays as “Trojan Horses” for contemporary politics.
The central question is therefore not simply whether Lizzie committed the murders. The production considers what audiences demand from women in the public eye and how media narratives can overwhelm evidence.
Although the murders took place in 1892, the idea feels sharply contemporary. Public opinion can still move faster than facts, while the rise and destruction of famous women remains a profitable form of entertainment.
For anyone fascinated by the boundary between true crime, mythology and media manipulation, Bury the Hatchet offers much more to consider than the familiar rhyme about Lizzie and an axe.
Bury the Hatchet cast
The three-person actor-musician company features:
Sasha Wilson — writer and performer
Lawrence Boothman — performer
David Leopold — performer
Wilson’s credits include The Taming of the Shrew with Shakespeare in the Squares and Out Of The Forest Theatre’s award-winning The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria.
Boothman appeared in the Olivier Award-winning Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, while Leopold’s credits include Late Company at Trafalgar Studios and The Burnt Part Boys at Park Theatre.
Creative team
Writer: Sasha Wilson
Director: Vicky Moran
Designer: Damien Stanton
Lighting designer: Will Alder
Costume designer: Helen Stewart
Stage manager: Zoë Mackinnon
Producer: Claire Gilbert
The production is created by Out Of The Forest Theatre, whose previous work includes the Off West End Award-winning The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria.
Production Images
Bury the Hatchet London dates and tickets
Venue: Southwark Playhouse Borough
Address: 77–85 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BD
Dates: 12 August–5 September 2026
Evenings: Monday–Saturday at 7.30pm
Matinees: Tuesday and Saturday at 3pm
Running time: 70 minutes
Age guidance: 12+
Ticket prices listed in the press information are:
£10 Pioneer Preview
£16 previews
Monday–Wednesday: £22 standard or £18 concessions
Thursday–Saturday: £26 standard or £21 concessions
Book through the official Southwark Playhouse production page
Content guidance
The production contains:
Strong language
Scenes of violence
Distressing or potentially triggering themes
The recommended age is 12+.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Bury the Hatchet?
The running time is 70 minutes.
What is the age recommendation?
The recommended age is 12+.
Which Southwark Playhouse venue is it at?
The production is at Southwark Playhouse Borough, not Southwark Playhouse Elephant.
When does Bury the Hatchet run in London?
The London run is from 12 August to 5 September 2026.
Are there matinee performances?
Yes. The listed matinees are Tuesday and Saturday at 3pm.
Where Is Southwark Playhouse Borough?
The closest stations are Borough and Elephant & Castle.
Southwark Playhouse operates two venues, so check that the booking says Borough, not Southwark Playhouse Elephant.
Clarissa’s Review ⭐
★★★★☆ 4/5
Bury the Hatchet gave me exactly the sort of evening I love: true crime, good acting, clever storytelling, music and a lot more laughter than I expected. The case information was well put together, the performances kept the energy moving and I came away wanting to dive even further into the Lizzie Borden story.
Read Clarissa’s full Bury the Hatchet review →
Explore more productions and venue guides in my Southwark Playhouse archive.
