London is a theatre-lover’s paradise if only you know where to look - for innovative, exciting and maybe even surprising theatre that won’t break the bank, look no further than our Top 5 smaller, more affordable theatres in North London...
The Almeida Theatre
Almeida St, London N1 1TA | near Highbury & Islington, Essex Road and Angel stations
Since opening its door to theatre-goers in 1980, The Almeida has garnered an incredible reputation, putting Islington on the map as “a centre of enlightened internationalism" (Michael Billington in The Guardian); in 1993 it won The Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievent in an Affiliate Theatre under the joint artistic direction of Ian McDiarmid and Jonathan Kent, which brought audiences Ralph Fiennes in Hamlet and Ivanov, Kevin Spacey in The Iceman Cometh and Juliette Binoche in Naked.
Many of The Almeida’s successful productions go on to run in London’s West End and even New York’s Broadway, such as Mike Bartlett’s original play of King Charles III in 2014 which was directed by current Artistic Director Rupert Goold.
You can check out their current programme here
Full price tickets generally range from £12.50 - £52, and concessions are available for different groups (such as £5 tickets for Under-25s!)
The King’s Head Theatre
116 Upper St, London N1 1QN | near Highbury & Islington, Essex Road and Angel stations
The King’s Head Theatre is London’s oldest and most celebrated pub theatre, beginning in 1970 when an American and a Canadian bought an Islington pub and turned its back room (which had previously been used as a boxing ring and a pool hall) into their own independent theatre space. Over its more than 50 years, this small space has helped launch the careers of some of Britain’s biggest actors including Hugh Grant, Joanna Lumley and Richard E Grant!
Last year the theatre moved from its humble origins to a purpose-built space just behind the pub, where it continues to deliver an impressive programme, with multiple performances per day across its two spaces, a 200-seat auditorium and 50-seat cabaret space: the current artistic policy is joyful, irreverent, colourful, alternative and queer, showcasing new and exciting work from a new wave of diverse queer theatre makers across a wide range of performance styles, from plays to musicals, to opera & cabaret, to drag & comedy!
Tickets generally range from £10 to £25
Hampstead Theatre
Eton Ave, London NW3 3EU | near Swiss Cottage station
A hidden gem which came from humble beginnings; Hampstead Theatre began as in 1959 from Moreland Hall in Hampstead Village, before moving to a portable cabin in Swiss Cottage in 1962. Over the next forty years it garnered a reputation as a powerhouse of new writing, producing original plays by such names as Harold Pinter, Mike Leigh and Roy Williams (who currently mentors new writers as part of the theatres year-long INSPIRE programme), and more recently exciting writers like Mike Bartlett and Sarah Wooley. The actors who have graced its stage(s) include Jude Law, Alan Rickman, John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway, Zoe Wanamaker and Tamsin Greig (among many, many others).
Since 2003 the theatre has operated from its impressive purpose-built venue in Swiss Cottage, with a flexible Main Stage and auditorium seating 373 people, plus its very own ‘writing laboratory’; Hampstead Downstairs is a fully equipped studio theatre with unreserved seating for approximately 80 people, set out so as to allow for different stage layouts according to serve the purposes of the work - it is an intimate space where writers can premiere exciting new work without the pressure of formal press evaluation, and attracts both sell-out crowds and the cream of acting, writing and directing talent.
Tickets generally cost £25-55, and The Downstairs Club is a brilliant scheme offering priority access and discounted tickets to young people aged 16-30.
Kiln Theatre
269 Kilburn High Rd, London NW6 7JR | near Brondesbury, Kilburn and West Hapstead stations
Brent is London’s most culturally diverse borough, where over 84% of inhabitants speak English as a second language, and Kiln Theatre is committed to both serving its community and showcasing what it has to offer. This “local theatre with an international vision” is a member of the London Theatre Consortium, a group of 14 not-for-profit theatres in London that share expertise on how best to run as a theatre and as a political lobbying voice for marginalised perspectives.
The refurbished venue, built in 2018, has a 292 seat theatre alongside a 300 seat cinema which prioritises screenings of theatre performances such as those from The National Theatre, as well as a bar, restaurant and café, plus three rehearsal spaces which are used for their productions, workshops and Creative Learning projects. Under the new artistic directorship of Amit Sharma (who took on the position in September 2023), Kiln is committed to telling stories from across the world that stress the importance of human connection across the boundaries of race, religion and culture.
You can check out its programme here; tickets generally cost £15 to £40, with £10 tickets available for Under-26s
Upstairs at The Gatehouse
1 North Rd, Highgate Village, London N6 4BD | near Highgate station
The 122-seat Victorian auditorium above The Gatehouse pub opened in 1895 as Highgate Hall, “a place suitable for balls, Cinderellas, and Concerts Upstairs at the Gatehouse was established by John and Katie Plews of Ovation Theatres in 1997. Over their 25-year tenure, they quickly transformed the venue into an essential feature of the London theatre landscape, which TimeOut has called “one of London’s most reliable fringe theatres”. The wide and varied programme includes musicals, plays, opera, comedy and more.
Tickets generally range from £15 to £24, and you can also get a Cabaret Table for Two for £60 - reserved seating at a table with souveneir programmes and drinks. and between Tuesday and Saturday you can even special pre-show package of two courses for £21.50.