PLAYHOUSE
EAST.
Independent theatre, new writing development, creative studios, and home of the Actors East community on Kingsland Road. Built by artists, for artists. Open to everyone.
Section 01 / How we got here
From a
dilapidated
building.
Playhouse East opened in 2024 in a half-collapsed former factory on Kingsland Road. Two years on it's a working theatre, five rehearsal rooms, a café-stage downstairs and a small army of working theatre people who run it.
We built it ourselves — no public funding, no developer behind us. Sprung floors laid by hand. Original arch windows uncovered behind plasterboard. A bar made from the old loading-dock door.
We programme new writing because that's where the next decade comes from. We charge what we charge because the rooms have to pay for the rooms. And we keep mornings pay-what-you-can because the people who built this place still need somewhere to work.
Four ways
into the building.
Watch a show, hire a room, bring work, or join the Actors East community.
Watch a
Show.
New theatre, festivals, late jazz, work-in-progress nights and independent performance — most weeks of the year.
Hire a
Room.
Three working spaces with daylight, sound, rehearsal facilities and flexible layouts for classes, workshops, shoots, fashion shoots, film shoots, music videos and events.
Bring
Work Here.
Submissions, visiting companies, scratch nights and longer-form development for theatre-makers and independent artists.
The
Residents.
A community of creative-industry residents share the building with us — filmmakers, editors, colourists, post-production artists, musicians, designers, theatre-makers and performance artists working alongside the theatre.
What's
on.
New writing, devised work, festivals, late-night performance and independent theatre at Playhouse East.
Now Playing— №01 / Programme · The Playhouse
Casserole.
A new play by Eda Tüzün, directed by Marlow Kearns. Ends Saturday — seven performances remaining.
A Mouthful of Birds.
Goat & Beam Co. · Devised.No Net Below.
Solo by Jamil Akram · Three nights only.Late Night Jazz.
The East Trio + featured guest.February Sharings.
Five new pieces × 20 min each.The Salt Room.
Hare & Anchor Theatre · Two-week run.Loose Tongue Poetry.
Open mic + featured readers · First Tuesday.Home of
Actors East.
Home of
Actors East.
Actors East is the acting studio that built Playhouse East. Since 2018 it has trained actors, writers and directors in East London, beginning in Gillett Square before expanding into Playhouse East.
Hire a
room.
What
You
Can
We've subsidised over 20,000 hours of studio time for unfunded artists and projects. We will always offer rehearsal space on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis. Always.
Find out more →Full HireFixed rates · Secured booking · Reply within 24h
02.B · Studios
Three working
spaces.
Flexible studio spaces for rehearsals, classes, shoots, workshops and creative development. Available for theatre-makers, filmmakers, photographers and independent artists.
- Studio Tardieu£12 — 22 / hr
- Studio Brecht£14 — 24 / hr
- Studio Kane£10 — 18 / hr
- The PlayhousePOA
- The DownstairsPOA
02.C · Events & classes
Workshops,
shoots, events.
Run a workshop, stage an event, host a screening, build a shoot or create a temporary production base.
- Workshops & classesFrom £10 / hr
- Photo & film shootsDay rate · POA
- Launches & eventsPOA · w/ bar
- Block bookings10% off · 5+ days