There are likely hundreds of actors in South London who are looking to make it and most reside in some of the most beautiful independent theatres South of the river. Visiting an independent theatre is a fantastic way to show your support for these budding actors and see an inspiring performance without paying West End prices. So, here’s our 21 favourite independent theatres to see the incredible talent of South London!
Blue Elephant Theatre
59a Bethwin Road, Camberwell, SE5 0XT
The Blue Elephant Theatre in Camberwell is an exciting fringe theatre with an eclectic programme of new work across the performing arts, from physical and dance theatre to new writing and revamped classics. The team here love supporting artists who want to showcase their hard work and locals love seeing their visions come true. Their most recent production was Easy, a play by Amy Blakelock that explored the relationship between social media and teenage insecurities. Use your South London Club card and get 10% off tickets!
Blue Elephant Theatre
The Bread & Roses Theatre
68 Clapham Manor Street, Clapham SW4 6DZ
The Bread & Roses Theatre offers stunning performances that deal with real emotions that will certainly tug on your heart strings. It has been named ‘one of the most exciting amongst the London pub theatres’ and for good reason, with a wide-spread variety to suit the taste of any theatre lover who’s looking for something fresh and exciting. With in-house productions and shows from visiting companies, this theatre showcases performances focusing new writing, underrepresented voices and distinctive work. We urge you to check out some of their upcoming shows!
The Bread & Roses Theatre
Theatre503
503 Battersea Park Road SW11 3BW
The team at Theatre503 have created a ‘launchpad’ for new writers and performers to share their creations with their local community. With an intimate 63-seat theatre, the atmosphere when you watch one of their plays is incredibly intense and captivating. Their most recent production was Spiderfly, an exciting thriller play investigating unresolved deaths and escaping the past. We definitely recommend you check what shows are coming up!
Theatre 503
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Ovalhouse
52-54 Kennington Oval, SE11 5SW
Ovalhouse loves supporting artists that are willing to push boundaries with their creative work to truly treat local theatre goers. For over 50 years, this independent theatre has been supporting new and local artists by giving them a stunning platform. Their most recent production was Gaping Hole, a witty play about radical narrative, questioning ‘what holes are we prepared to overlook in order to stay comfortable?’ Grab your South London Club card when you visit and get concession price tickets on all Main House productions.
Ovalhouse
The Jack Studio
410 Brockley Road, London SE4 2DH
The Jack Studio is a vibrant performance space in South East London that puts on shows with the aim to inspire, challenge and entertain their loyal audience. They have previously won Most Welcoming Theatre (South East) in The Off West End Theatre Awards a whopping four times! Independent companies clearly love performing here, with previous productions including Moby Dick, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and King Lear!
The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre
The South London Theatre
2A Norwood High Street SE27 9NS
The South London Theatre, based at the Old Fire Station in West Norwood, is a well-known and long established theatre that all local actors are itching to perform at! With the aim of producing around 20 shows a year, we can almost guarantee you’ll find a show that is right up your street! You’ll see a wide range of performances here, from musicals, to gripping plays to classical Shakespeare retellings! Their most recent show was a production of the famously gruesome musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street!
South London Theatre
Omnibus Theatre
1 Clapham Common Northside, London SW4 0QW
The multi-award-winning independent theatre always has an ambitious programme of inspiring shows and unique stories. They have their main theatre which seats 90-110 and their intimate studio which seats 80 for a more intense theatrical experience. As a registered charity, they have a number of famous names as their patrons, including Dame Judi Dench and Sir Michael Gambon! Their most recent production was Fiji, a dark and gruesome comedy.
Omnibus Theatre
White Bear Theatre
138 Kennington Park Road SE11 4DJ
Founded in 1989, the White Bear Theatre focuses on ‘new writing and lost classics’ so audiences can discover their new favourite shows without emptying their pockets. Just one of the many awards this theatre has won is the Fringe Report Award for Outstanding Achievement, and was well-deserving for the hard work the team here put into keeping this theatre running. After seeing one of their fantastic shows, pop into the White Bear Pub for a delicious meal and refreshing drink to discuss all your theories and thoughts!
Union Theatre
Old Union Arches, 229 Union Street, London SE1 0LR
The Union Theatre is home to several exciting performances that are handpicked so only the most impressive and inspiring make it to their stage. Two of their recent productions include The Green Fairy, a queer pub musical that is sure to be a laugh and Whistle Down The Wind, a critically-acclaimed musical with a moving score. Watch a musical delight and be enthralled at the Union Theatre!
The Union Theatre
Putney Arts Theatre
Ravenna Road, Putney SW15 6AW
This community theatre in Putney loves showing off the hard work of their local writers and performers on their stage. They showcase a wide array of genres, from comedy to drama to tear-jerking, so either way you’ll be in for a wild ride with every visit! The performances here are inspiring, with the theatre always striving to put their community first and create a safe space where everyone can be supported.
Putney Arts Theatre
Bromley Little Theatre
North Street, Bromley BR1 1SB
Established in 1938, the Bromley Little Theatre was actually converted from an old Victorian bakery! They present a brand new full-length play each month so even regulars will always have something new to look forward to. Their goal is to present ‘outstanding theatre for everyone’, bringing genres every theatre lover can get on board with, from comedies to tragedies. One of their upcoming shows in March 2020 is Strangers On A Train, a gripping thriller which was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s film.
Bromley Little Theatre
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Tramshed
51-53 Woolwich New Road, London SE18 6ES
Tramshed is South East London’s venue for culture, community and youth arts. They annually put on exciting and unique shows each year that captivate its local audience. One of the most interesting shows we have come across is ‘The Secret Shed of Trams and Dreams: Performance’, which is an immersive adult show that explores the history of the theatre building, delving into its past, present and future lives. A fun fact about this building is that it was South East London’s first cabaret club in the 1970s and 1980s!
Tramshed
Tara Arts
356 Garratt Lane SW18 4ES
This multicultural theatre brings an entire world of stories to South London, from the classics to fresh off the page. The name ‘Tara’ has several meanings in different cultures, from meaning ‘star’ in North India to ‘Goddess of Love and Art’ in Buddhism. If you’re looking for some theatre that is perhaps out of your comfort zone or you simply want to see something different, this is where you need to go. One of their recent productions, Homing Birds, explores an Afgan refugee trying to reconnect with their roots.
Tara Arts
The Albany
Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG
The Albany is a creative hub for artists to showcase experimental work that audiences will likely have never seen before. From its opening in 1899, The Albany still thrives today, putting on productions from dance shows to plays to a cabaret! If you’re looking for a show that’s so much more than your run of the mill amateur theatre, then The Albany should definitely be added to your weekend plans!
Albany Deptford
Greenwich Theatre
Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES
See dramas, musicals, pantomimes, family shows and more at the Greenwich Theatre, a local favourite. The team here love supporting emerging artists who are looking to make it in the country’s theatre capital. From putting on classics like Dr Faustus to original plays, there’s always something new to discover here. With a dense history that spans 150 years, if you haven’t taken a trip to see a show here, we think you really should!
Greenwich Theatre, London
The Broadway Theatre
Catford Broadway, Catford, Lewisham SE6 4RU
Situated within a Grade II listed building, The Broadway Theatre was built in 1932 and is a classic example of Art Deco. As well as musicals and plays that you would see in most theatres, you can also see stand up comedy, nostalgia shows and children’s theatre to entertain the little ones! Whether you’re looking for a feel-good ABBA show or a gripping drama about why bad things happen to good people, The Broadway Theatre has all this and much more. If you look closely enough, you may even find their secret pop-up bar in the vaults!
The Broadway Theatre & Studio Catford
Theatre Peckham
221 Havil Street SE5 7SD
The Theatre Peckham inspires and encourages youth actors to push their abilities and put their energy into creating captivating shows. Not only can you see these amazing shows, but you can even be part of the action with the TP Academy, where your children can take a wide range of classes to get their creative juices flowing, from ballet, to musical theatre to music production and songwriting! Theatre Peckham is where the creatives of South east London are made.
Theatre Peckham
Bob Hope Theatre
Wythfield Road, Eltham SE9 5TG
Established in 1943, Bob Hope Theatre was once Eltham Little Theatre and has since grown and thrived as a social and creative hub, putting on exciting performances from Little Shop of Horrors to Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. Fancy trying your hand at acting? Check out their website to keep updated on the audition schedule and perhaps you might get your first big break!
Bob Hope Theatre
The Old Vic
The Cut, Lambeth, London SE1 8NB
Perhaps one of the most well-known theatres on this list, you may be surprised to find out The Old Vic is indeed an independent! It was even the home of the National Theatre of Great Britain from 1963 to 1976! This theatre is always producing shows with well-known playwrights attached or even famous actors. Just recently, it was announced that rising star Timothée Chalamet will be in the upcoming play 4000 Miles from April 2020!
The Old Vic Theatre
Bromley Churchill Theatre
High Street, Bromley, BR1 1HA
From cheesy shows like The Best of Wham! To Shakesperian classics like A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there’s always something in the programme for this theatre that will catch your eye. Before you dive into your next show, The Churchill Theatre has The Restaurant, where you can have a tasty meal to fuel you up and stay energised for the performance ahead! They also put on summer youth productions to get the young people of Bromley into the creative arts and have a platform to express their talent!
Churchill Theatre Bromley
Southwark Playhouse
77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD
A theatre branded ‘as quirky as it is classy’, the Southwark Playhouse showcases stunning performances, from classics like Frankenstein and Great Expectations remained for a modern audience, to completely original screenplays that will change the way you think about the world. They have youth, adult and elder companies to encourage people of all ages and abilities to give the world of theatre a try for themselves!
Southwark Playhouse
What Is The South London Club?
The South London Club is a local discount card to help support small independent businesses across South London whilst saving all who live, work & play in South London money! With over 850+ local discounts to choose from, you will discover & explore all the best hidden gems in South London. Join over 7,000 of us & celebrate all that's independent & South London!