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Almeida Theatre

Coordinates:51°32′22″N0°06′12″W / 51.5395°N 0.1032°W /51.5395; -0.1032
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Theatre in Islington, London
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Almeida Theatre
1833: Islington Literary and Scientific Society
1875: Wellington Club
Official logo
Almeida Theatre in June 2011
Map
Interactive map of Almeida Theatre
LocationIslington
London,N1
United Kingdom
Coordinates51°32′22″N0°06′12″W / 51.5395°N 0.1032°W /51.5395; -0.1032
Public transitNational RailEssex Road
OwnerAlmeida Theatre trust
DesignationGrade II listed
TypeProducing house
Capacity325, over two levels
ProductionShort seasons
Construction
Opened1833 (as reading rooms)
Rebuilt1982 (as theatre)
2000
ArchitectRoumieu and Gough
Website
almeida.co.uk

TheAlmeida Theatre is a 325-seatproducing house located on Almeida Street offUpper Street in theLondon Borough of Islington. The theatre opened in 1980, and produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred toWest End theatres.

Building

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The building that now houses the theatre was originally constructed in 1837 for the newly formed Islington Literary and Scientific Society. It included a library, reading room, museum, laboratory, and a lecture theatre seating 500.[1] The architects were the fashionable partnership ofRobert Lewis Roumieu andAlexander Dick Gough. The library was sold off in 1872 and the building was disposed of in 1874 to the Wellington Club (Almeida Street then being called Wellington Street) which occupied it until 1886. In 1885 the hall was used for concerts, balls, and public meetings. TheSalvation Army bought the building in 1890, renaming it the Wellington Castle Barracks (Wellington Castle Citadel from 1902). To suit the building's new purpose, the front-facing lecture hall's tiered benches were replaced so that the congregation was seated in the conventional position, facing away from the front, and abalcony was added. The Salvationists remained there until 1955. For a few years from 1956 the building was a factory and showroom forBeck's British Carnival Novelties, then remained empty until in 1972 a campaign began to turn it into a theatre.[1][2]

The building wasGrade II listed byEnglish Heritage in 1972. The current modified building retains the listing.[2]

History

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Foundation

[edit]

The campaign to open the building as a theatre was led by the Lebanese-born opera and theatre directorPierre Audi, after he had acquired the derelict building in 1979.[3] A public appeal was launched and in 1980, with the building renovated, the theatre opened with a festival of avant-garde music and performance, held both there and at other Islington venues, with Audi as the Artistic Director. Under Audi the theatre's reputation grew and its annual contemporary music festival became highly regarded.

1980s

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The Almeida International Festival of Contemporary Music and Performance included concert presentations and productions of new and commissioned operas from Europe, Russia, North America, Japan, Argentina, and Morocco. Among the hundreds of composers, musicians and ensembles featured in frequent world and local premiere performances wereSteve Reich,Philip Glass,Lou Harrison,Conlon Nancarrow,Morton Feldman,Elliott Carter,Virgil Thomson,Frederic Rzewski,Arvo Pärt,Alfred Schnittke,Wolfgang Rihm,Claude Vivier,Toru Takemitsu,Giacinto Scelsi,Michael Finnissy,Gerald Barry,Somei Satoh, Akio Suzuki,Takehisa Kosugi,Jo Kondo,Sylvano Bussotti,Luis de Pablo, Capricorn, Spectrum, Music Projects/London, Singcircle, theArditti Quartet, and theLondon Sinfonietta.

Peter Greenaway's 1983 series of films for Channel 4Four American Composers featured Almeida presentations of works byJohn Cage,Robert Ashley andPhilip Glass. In 1985Ástor Piazzolla, the renownedArgentinetango composer andbandoneón player, madea week-long appearance with his Quinteto Nuevo Tango. For several years, the American pianist and composerYvar Mikhashoff conceived and co-ordinated concert programming, includingAt the Tomb of Charles Ives: A Celebration of American Experimental Music 1905-1985 which featured world and UK premieres of works by Cage, Nancarrow, Glass, Feldman, Harrison, Rzewski,Charles Ives,George Antheil,Henry Brant,Anthony Braxton,Carla Bley,Roger Reynolds,Charles Wuorinen, andLukas Foss and two piano marathons he performed himself:The Great American Piano Marathon: 70 works from 70 years in 7 Hours and50 Tangos - 50 Composers - A Tango Marathon: Selections from the International Tango Collection.[4]

The Almeida housed a producing company which commissioned and staged several theatre works and operas and was a London "receiving house" for Fringe, avant-garde, regional and international theatre productions.[5] Touring companies from the UK were regularly hosted, includingComplicité,Shared Experience,Joint Stock,Cheek by Jowl and theLeicester Haymarket, alongside international guest companies from the Philippines, Tibet, Israel, Ireland and Czechoslovakia. Stage directors of Almeida Theatre Company productions includedPierre Audi,Ian McDiarmid,Yuri Lyubimov,Tim Albery,Mike Bradwell,David Hayman, and Jean Jourdheuil. Works by directorsRobert Wilson,Robert Lepage,Phelim McDermott, Julia Bardsley,Deborah Warner,Simon McBurney,Annabel Arden and several others were featured in Almeida presentations.

Peter Brook'sBouffes du Nord company played there in 1982 (Brook's company had been one of Audi's original influences for the project). The 1985 Almeida Theatre Company production ofThe Possessed,[6] a co-production with theThéâtre de l'Europe in Paris which also toured to thePiccolo Teatro in Milan and theTeatro Comunale di Bologna, was Russian directorYuri Lyubimov's first to originate in the West after he defected in 1983[7] and featured music byAlfred Schnittke, design byStefanos Lazaridis, and actorsNigel Terry,Clive Merrison,Harriet Walter, andMichael Feast.Ronald Harwood's documentary drama,The Deliberate Death of a Polish Priest premiered at the Almeida in October 1985, an early example of a transcript of a trial of the political murderers of FatherJerzy Popiełuszko.[5] In 1987, the Almeida also became home toMotley Theatre Design Course, under the directorship ofMargaret Harris.

The Not the RSC Festival was presented at the Almeida in 1986 and 1987.

1990s

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In 1990 the ScotIan McDiarmid and the South AfricanJonathan Kent took over as joint artistic directors. McDiarmid's first production as director wasHoward Barker'sScenes from an Execution, withGlenda Jackson in the lead.

Work by major playwrights, old and new, British and foreign was staged and the theatre acquired an artistic reputation comparable to the leading theatres in central London. According to playwrightDavid Hare, "it reinvented the European repertoire for London audiences and made British theatre more cosmopolitan and outward going".[8] Organised as a non-profit producing theatre, its productions regularly played to packed houses and frequently (14 productions between 1990 and 2002) transferred to London'sWest End and to New York'sBroadway.[9]

In 1993 the theatre won theLaurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre.

One of the keys to the success and reputation of the Almeida during the 1990s were the stagings of various plays byHarold Pinter. These included revivals ofBetrayal in 1991 andNo Man's Land in 1992 and premières ofParty Time in 1991 andMoonlight in 1993.

During their time at the theatre, McDiarmid and Kent were described byThe Guardian as "[making] Islington a centre of enlightened internationalism";[10] and, as they were about to leave their positions in 2002,Michael Billington, in same newspaper, summed up their achievements as threefold:

Three things have made the Almeida the most exciting theatre in Britain. First, an eclectically international programme: everything fromMolière andMarivaux toBrecht andNeil LaBute. Second, top-level casting that has given usRalph Fiennes inHamlet andIvanov,Kevin Spacey inThe Iceman Cometh andJuliette Binoche inNaked. Third, a territorial expansion that has seen the Almeida colonise theHackney Empire, the oldGainsborough film studios and even a converted bus depot in King's Cross".[11]

1999 to present

[edit]

In November 1999, the Almeida was awarded £1.5 million by theArts Council of England to undertake essential repairs to the theatre. The work began early in 2001 when the theatre was closed, and the company moved temporarily to a converted bus station at King's Cross.[12]National Lottery backing of £5.8 million allowed for a complete restoration designed byBurrell Foley Fischer.[13]

The restoration included rebuilding and extending the foyer, installing more comfortable seating and access, plus better backstage facilities with the stage area re-built for flexibility and strength, the roof improved and insulated, the lighting grid strengthened, complete re-wiring, and technical equipment updated.[14]Michael Attenborough took over as artistic director in 2002 and, following the completion of its restoration, the theatre was re-opened in May 2003 with a production ofIbsen'sThe Lady from the Sea, directed byTrevor Nunn. The theatre's artistic remit was the presentation of bold and adventurous play choices staged to the highest possible standards, in productions which revealed them in a new light. This included classics from the British, American and Irish repertoire, foreign classics in newly commissioned versions, and new plays.[5] In October 2012 Attenborough announced that he would step down early in 2013.[15]

Rupert Goold was appointed Artistic Director in February 2013, taking up the post full-time in September 2013. His association with the Almeida Theatre Company began in 2008 when he directedStephen Adly Guirgis'The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. In 2013 hisHeadlong theatre company co-produced the premiere ofLucy Kirkwood'sChimerica, directed byLyndsey Turner, at the Almeida: the show subsequently transferred to theWest End, winning fiveOlivier Awards in 2014. Goold's first Almeida production as full-time artistic director was the world premiere production ofAmerican Psycho: A new musical thriller (initially programmed by Michael Attenborough), which ran from 3 December 2013 to 1 February 2014. In 2014 he directed the premiere ofMike Bartlett's playKing Charles III, which, following its sold-out run at the Almeida, transferred toWyndham's Theatre andBroadway.

Almeida Projects

[edit]

Almeida Projects is the Almeida Theatre's education and community programme.[16] It was founded in its current form in 2003 by Rebecca Manson Jones, after Michael Attenborough's appointment as artistic director. Almeida Projects activity includes durational residencies with partner schools, a subsidised ticket scheme for school groups visiting the theatre, productions of new plays for young people inspired by the main programme, the Young Friends of the Almeida scheme, social networking Teachers' Evenings for local performing arts teachers and a training programme for workshop leaders.

Almeida Projects works closely with nine partner schools in Islington:Central Foundation Boys' School,Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School,Highbury Fields School,Highbury Grove School,Islington Arts and Media School,Mount Carmel Catholic College for Girls, The Bridge School andCity and Islington College. TheYoung Friends of the Almeida Theatre scheme was established in May 2008 to enable local young people to take part in activities outside of school. It currently has over 700 members and includes the Young Friends of the Almeida Creative Board, composed of young people who take an active role in planning and promoting all Young Friends activities.

Digital Theatre

[edit]

The Almeida was one of the launch theatres forDigital Theatre, a project which makes theatre productions available in video download form. The first performance that was filmed was "Parlour Song".[17]

Artistic directors

[edit]

Notable productions

[edit]

1980s

[edit]

1990s

[edit]

2000s

[edit]

2010s

[edit]

2020s

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abBaker, T. F. T.; et al. (1985)."Islington Social and cultural activities".British History Online. University of London. Retrieved1 July 2008.
  2. ^abHistoric England."Almeida Theatre (Grade II) (1195445)".National Heritage List for England.
  3. ^"History of the Almeida Theatre". Almeida Theatre. Archived fromthe original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved1 July 2008.
  4. ^Clements, Andrew (19 June 2014)."Panorama of American Music review – eclectic picks from intrepid recitalist Yvar Mikhashoff".The Guardian. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  5. ^abcCoveney, Michael (September 2017). "Almeida Theatre".London theatres. Frances Lincoln Adult.ISBN 978-0711238619.
  6. ^abCoveney, Michael (5 October 2014)."Yuri Lyubimov".The Guardian. Retrieved16 May 2017.
  7. ^Doder, Dusko (27 July 1984)."Leading Soviet Director Stripped of Citizenship".The Washington Post. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  8. ^Kellaway, Kate (27 January 2002)."Almeida: end of Act One".The Observer. Retrieved4 September 2007.
  9. ^Gibbons, Fiachra (5 September 2001)."Celebrated double act quits Almeida theatre".The Guardian.Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved5 September 2007.
  10. ^Billington, Michael (6 July 2002)."The Players".The Guardian.
  11. ^Billington, Michael (12 January 2002)."It's like being in love".The Guardian. Retrieved4 September 2007.
  12. ^Glancey, Jonathan (30 April 2001)."The Almeida in King's Cross".The Guardian. Retrieved9 July 2019.
  13. ^"Islington's new-look Almeida theatre | Stage | The Guardian".TheGuardian.com. 5 May 2003. Retrieved30 June 2020.
  14. ^"The Building".almeida.co.uk.
  15. ^"Michael Attenborough steps down at Almeida". Archived fromthe original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved11 October 2012.
  16. ^"Almeida Projects at the Almeida Theatre London". Archived fromthe original on 17 December 2010. Retrieved25 January 2010.
  17. ^"Leading theatres launch downloadable shows". Official London Theatre Guide. Retrieved15 February 2010.
  18. ^Cummings, David M (13 June 2000).International Who's who in Music and Musicians' Directory. London: Routledge. p. 26.ISBN 0-948875-53-4.
  19. ^"Announcing the new Almeida Theatre Artistic Director".Almeida Theatre. 5 June 2025. Retrieved14 August 2025.
  20. ^Oida, Yoshi (January–February 1982)."Yoshi Oida successfully used techniques of the old Zen masters to provoke audience response"(PDF).Performance Magazine (15):12–14. Retrieved13 June 2020.
  21. ^Diop, Birago."L'Os by Birago Diop".BBC Sounds. Retrieved13 June 2020.
  22. ^Montague, Stephen (1985). "John Cage at Seventy: An Interview".American Music.3 (2):205–216.doi:10.2307/3051637.JSTOR 3051637.
  23. ^Ashley, Robert."Artists".Lovely Music Ltd. Retrieved11 June 2020.
  24. ^"FOUR AMERICAN COMPOSERS: ROBERT ASHLEY: PERFECT LIVES (PRIVACY RULES) (TV)".The Paley Center for Media. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  25. ^"Productions: Perfect Lives".Robert Ashley. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  26. ^(Bay-Cheng, Sarah (1 June 2004).Mama Dada: Gertrude Stein's Avant-Garde Theatre. Routledge. p. 160.ISBN 9780203503027. Retrieved11 June 2020.
  27. ^Mesa, Franklin (2007).Opera: An Encyclopedia of World Premieres and Significant Performances, Singers, Composers, Librettists, Arias and Conductors, 1597-2000. McFarland a& Company, Inc. p. 103.ISBN 978-0-7864-7728-9. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  28. ^"Hedda Gabler".IbsenStage. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  29. ^Billington, Michael (20 December 2019)."The Michael Billington archive: highlights from five decades of reviews".The Guardian. Retrieved11 June 2020.
  30. ^Lichtenfels, Peter (2002)."British Intersections With Paris" - Afterword in The Paris Jigsaw: Internationalism and the City's Stages. Manchester University Press. p. 284.ISBN 978-0719061844. Retrieved11 June 2020.
  31. ^Hayes, Michael (September 1985). "Almeida Festival: Antheil, Vivier et al".Tempo (New Series, No. 154):46–49.JSTOR 946360.
  32. ^"Kopernikus".The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved16 May 2017.
  33. ^"Man Equals Man by Bertolt Brecht".Photostage. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  34. ^Svich, Caridad."Inviting the Audience".hotreview.org. Retrieved11 June 2020.
  35. ^"King Lear".Deborah Warner. Retrieved11 June 2020.
  36. ^"Coriolanus, 1986".Deborah Warner. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  37. ^"News".Banipal Magazine of Modern Arab Literature. 10 May 2011. Retrieved16 June 2020.
  38. ^"Multitalent Milva wird 75". Nordwest Zeitung. 7 December 2014. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  39. ^McDermott, Phelim (2007).Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader (Essay 5). Routledge. p. 201.ISBN 978-0-415-36251-1. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  40. ^Sweeney, B. (14 February 2008).Performing the Body in Irish Theatre. Springer. pp. 50–60.doi:10.1057/9780230582057.ISBN 978-1-349-54607-7. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  41. ^Clements, Andrew (18 April 2012)."Jakob Lenz - Review".The Guardian. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  42. ^"Hamletmachine".Robert Wilson. Retrieved11 June 2020.
  43. ^"The Resistable[sic] Rise of Arturo Ui (Queens Theatre) and The Tourist Guide (Almeida Theatre)". The Spectator. 18 April 1987. Retrieved11 June 2020.
  44. ^Griffel, Margaret Ross (21 December 2012).Operas in English: A Dictionary. Scarecrow Press. p. 516.ISBN 978-0-8108-8272-0. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  45. ^Clements, Andrew (1988). "Finnissy's Undivine Comedy".The Musical Times.129 (1745):330–332.doi:10.2307/964740.JSTOR 964740.
  46. ^"Golem".Grove Music Online. oxfordmusiconline.org. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  47. ^"Performance".Julia Bardsley. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  48. ^"Polygraph".bizbooks. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  49. ^Shulman, Milton (13 March 1989)."Hell afloat".Newspapers.com. Evening Standard. p. 34. Retrieved30 May 2022.
  50. ^Dervan, Michael (31 May 2011)."The Intelligence Park". The Irish Times. Retrieved12 June 2020.
  51. ^"The House of Bernarda Alba".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved21 July 2017.
  52. ^Kellaway, Kate (25 June 2017)."Hamlet review – an all-consuming marvel - 5 out of 5 stars".The Guardian. Retrieved4 November 2020.
  53. ^"Shipwreck review – vital political drama takes Trump seriously | Theatre | The Guardian".TheGuardian.com. 20 February 2019. Retrieved9 January 2021.
  54. ^"Almeida Theatre". 21 May 2023. Retrieved21 May 2022.
  55. ^"The Charis".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved28 June 2025.
  56. ^"Patriots".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved18 June 2023.
  57. ^"Tammy Faye".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved6 June 2023.
  58. ^"A Streetcar Named Desire West End | Almeida Theatre, London".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved6 June 2023.
  59. ^"The Secret Life of Bees | Almeida Theatre, London".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved6 June 2023.
  60. ^"Romeo and Juliet".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved7 June 2023.
  61. ^"A Mirror".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved27 August 2023.
  62. ^"Portia Coughlan".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved17 October 2023.
  63. ^"Cold War".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved17 October 2023.
  64. ^"King Lear".Almeida Theatre. Retrieved17 October 2023.

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