Theatre, comedy and cinema - The Rough Guide to London - page 416

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Royal Court Sloane Square, SW1 T 020 7565 5000,
W royalcourttheatre.com; ! Sloane Square. The Royal
Court is one of the best places in London to catch radical new
writing, either in the proscenium arch Jerwood Theatre
Downstairs, or the smaller studio space Jerwood Theatre
Upstairs (unreserved seating). No standbys; returns re-sold
1hr before performance. All tickets £10 on Monday. Box
o ce and phone bookings Mon-Sat 10am-6pm.
Ì Shakespeare's Globe 21 New Globe Walk, SE1
T 020 7401 9919, W shakespearesglobe.com; !
London Bridge, Blackfriars or Southwark. This open-
roofed replica Elizabethan theatre uses only natural light
and the minimum of scenery, and puts on superb
Shakespearean shows - some from exciting international
companies, and including midsummer midnight matinees
- along with works from the Bard's contemporaries and
occasional new works on Tudor or otherwise historical
themes. Seats aound £15-40, with “Yard” tickets (standing-
room only, at the front) for around a fiver. The season runs
from spring to autumn, but a new, indoor Jacobean-style
theatre, due to open in 2014 - its performances to be lit by
candles - will stage performances year-round.

move on to the West End. Their Shakespearean productions
are always worth a look.
Menier Chocolate Factory 53 Southwark St, SE1
T 020 7378 1713, W menierchocolatefactory.com; !
London Bridge. Great name, great venue in a former
Victorian factory, with a decent bar and restaurant
attached. It's a producing house and the shows - musical
revivals, old classics, new writing - are consistently good.
Open Air Theatre Regent's Park, Inner Circle, NW1
T 0844 826 4242, W openairtheatre.org; ! Baker
Street. If the weather's good, there's nothing like a dose of
alfresco theatre at this beautiful space in Regent's Park. The
tourist- and family-friendly summer programme features
Shakespeare, musicals, some film screenings and concerts.
Riverside Studios 1 Crisp Rd, W6 T 020 8237 1111,
W riversidestudios.co.uk; ! Hammersmith. Edgy
performance and physical theatre in a converted film
studio in West London.
Soho Theatre 21 Dean St, W1 T 020 7478 0100,
W sohotheatre.com; ! Tottenham Court Road. Great,
very central theatre with three spaces featuring new
writing from around the globe, as well as alternative
comedy and cabaret, at affordable prices.
Theatre Royal Stratford East Gerry Ra es Square,
E15 T 020 8534 0310, W stratfordeast.com; !
Stratford. Beautiful Victorian theatre in the East End,
where the community-pleasing shows include excellent
Christmas panto, comedy and new writing.
Tricycle Theatre 269 Kilburn High Rd, NW6 T 020
7328 1000, W tricycle.co.uk; ! Kilburn. One of London's
most dynamic venues, showcasing a mixed bag of new
plays, often aimed at the theatre's multicultural
neighbourhood, and often with a sharp political focus.
Young Vic 66 The Cut, SE1 T 020 7922 2922,
W youngvic.org; ! Waterloo. The Young Vic opened in
1970 as a temporary structure with a five-year lifespan -
more than forty years later, it has been rebuilt from scratch
and has a vibrant contemporary programme, concentrating
on the work of young directors.

OFF WEST END
Ì Almeida Almeida St, N1 T 020 7359 4404,
W almeida.co.uk; ! Angel or Highbury & Islington.
Popular little Islington venue that premieres excellent new
plays and excitingly reworked classics from around the
world, and has attracted some big Hollywood names.
Battersea Arts Centre 176 Lavender Hill, SW11 T 020
7223 2223, W bac.org.uk; Clapham Junction train
station from Victoria or Waterloo. The BAC is a multistage
building, housed in an old Victorian town hall in south
London, and is known for excellent cutting-edge
contemporary productions, from radical drama and
physical theatre to comedy and cabaret.
Bush 7 Uxbridge Rd, W12 T 020 8743 5050,
W bushtheatre.co.uk; ! Shepherd's Bush Market. This
lively local theatre, housed in an old library, is London's
most reliable venue for new writing after the Royal Court.
Donmar Warehouse 41 Earlham St, WC2 T 0844 871
7624, W donmarwarehouse.com; ! Covent Garden. A
small, non-profit space in the heart of Covent Garden,
noted for new writing, top-quality reappraisals of the
classics and big-name performers.
The Gate The Prince Albert, 11 Pembridge Rd, W11
T 020 7229 0706, W gatetheatre.co.uk; ! Notting Hill
Gate. Seating around seventy, this small producing pub-
theatre has a huge reputation for its excellent new writing
and innovative revivals of neglected international classics.
Hampstead Theatre Eton Ave, NW3 T 020 7722 9301,
W hampsteadtheatre.com; ! Swiss Cottage. A
prestigious, modern theatre with two stages in Swiss
Cottage (not Hampstead proper) whose productions often

FRINGE AND OCCASIONAL VENUES
Ì Arcola Theatre 24 Ashwin St, E8 T 020 7503 1646,
W arcolatheatre.com; Dalston Kingsland or Dalston
Junction Overground. Exciting fringe theatre housed in an
old Dalston factory and a pop-up tent space. They have a
strong reputation for their challenging plays - classics and
modern works - with shows from young, international
companies, and cabaret, burlesque and music in the tent.
Some “pay what you can” tickets on Tuesday nights.
King's Head Theatre 115 Upper St, N1 T 020 7478
0160, W kingsheadtheatre.com; ! Angel or Highbury
& Islington. Fabulous, intimate pub theatre staging
exciting contemporary productions and brand new works
from emerging writers.