The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West End theatres.

Early history

The theatre was built in 1837 for the newly formed Islington Literary and Scientific Society and included a library, reading room, museum, laboratory, and a lecture theatre seating 500. The architects were the fashionable partnership of Robert Lewis Roumieu and Alexander Dick Gough. The library was sold off in 1872 and the building 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. The

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

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 a balcony added. The Salvationists remained there until 1955. For a few years from 1956 the building was a factory and showroom for ''Beck's British Carnival Novelties'', then remained empty until in 1972 a campaign began to turn it into a theatre. The building was

Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

by English Heritage in 1972. The current modified building retains the listing.

Foundation

The campaign to open the building as a theatre was led by the Lebanese-born internationally renowned opera and theatre director Pierre Audi, after he had acquired the derelict building in 1972. 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. 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 were

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, a ...

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

, Lou Harrison, Conlon Nancarrow, Morton Feldman, Elliott Carter, Virgil Thomson, Frederic Rzewski,

Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt (; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in pa ...

, Alfred Schnittke, Wolfgang Rihm, Claude Vivier, Toru Takemitsu,

Giacinto Scelsi Giacinto Francesco Maria Scelsi (; 8 January 1905 – 9 August 1988, sometimes cited as 8 August 1988) was an Italian composer who also wrote surrealist poetry in French. He is best known for having composed music based around only one pitch, ...

Michael Finnissy Michael Peter Finnissy (born 17 March 1946) is an English composer, pianist, and pedagogue. An immensely prolific composer, his music is "notable for its dramatic urgency and expressive immediacy". Although he rejects the label, he is often r ...

, Gerald Barry, Somei Satoh, Akio Suzuki, Takehisa Kosugi,

Jo Kondo Jo, jo, JO, or J.O. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Jo'' (film), a 1972 French comedy * ''Jo'' (TV series), a French TV series *"Jo", a song by Goldfrapp from ''Tales of Us'' *"Jo", a song by Mr. Oizo from ''Lambs Anger'' * Jo a fictio ...

, Sylvano Bussotti, Luis de Pablo, Capricorn, Spectrum, Music Projects/London, Singcircle, the

Arditti Quartet The Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974 and led by the British violinist Irvine Arditti. The quartet is a globally recognized promoter of contemporary classical music and has a reputation for having a very wide repertoire. T ...

, and the London Sinfonietta. Peter Greenaway's 1983 series of films for Channel
''Four American Composers''
featured Almeida presentations of works by

John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...

, Robert Ashley and

. In 1985 Ástor Piazzolla, the renowned

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

tango composer and bandoneón player, mad
a week-long appearance
with his Quinteto Nuevo Tango. For several years, the American pianist and composer Yvar Mikhashoff conceived and co-ordinated concert programming, including ''At 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 Charles Edward Ives (; October 20, 1874May 19, 1954) was an American modernist composer, one of the first American composers of international renown. His music was largely ignored during his early career, and many of his works went unperformed f ...

, George Antheil, Henry Brant, Anthony Braxton,

Carla Bley Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg; May 11, 1936) is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and bandleader. An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera '' Escalator over the Hill'' ...

, Roger Reynolds,

Charles Wuorinen Charles Peter Wuorinen (; June 9, 1938 – March 11, 2020) was an American composer of contemporary classical music based in New York City. He performed his works and other 20th-century music as pianist and conductor. He composed more than ...

, and Lukas Foss and two piano marathons he performed himself: ''The Great American Piano Marathon: 70 works from 70 years in 7 Hours'' and ''50 Tangos - 50 Composers - A Tango Marathon: Selections from the International Tango Collection''. The Almeida housed a producing company which commissioned and staged several theatre works and operas and was a London "

receiving house A receiving house (sometimes called a roadhouse) is a theatre which does not produce its own repertoire but instead receives touring theatre companies, usually for a brief period such as three nights or a full week. The incoming company may receive ...

" for Fringe, avant-garde, regional and international theatre productions. Touring companies from the UK were regularly hosted, including Complicité, Shared Experience, Joint Stock, Cheek by Jowl and the Leicester Haymarket, alongside international guest companies from the Philippines, Tibet, Israel, Ireland and Czechoslovakia. Stage directors of Almeida Theatre Company productions included Pierre Audi, Ian McDiarmid, Yuri Lyubimov, Tim Albery, Mike Bradwell, David Hayman, and Jean Jourdheuil. Works by directors Robert Wilson, Robert Lepage,

Phelim McDermott Phelim McDermott (born 21 August 1963) is an English actor and stage director. He has directed plays and operas in Britain, Germany, Spain, the United States, and Australia. McDermott was a co-founder of the Improbable theatre in 1996. Career McDe ...

, Julia Bardsley, Deborah Warner, Simon McBurney,

Annabel Arden Annabel Arden (born 11 November 1959) is a British actress, theatre and opera director, and one of the co-founders of Théâtre de Complicite. Early life and education Arden was born in London in 1959 and studied English from 1978 to 1981 at Ne ...

and several others were featured in Almeida presentations. Peter Brook's Bouffes 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 of '' The Possessed'', a co-production with the Théâtre de l'Europe in Paris which also toured to the Piccolo Teatro in Milan and the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, was Russian director Yuri Lyubimov's first to originate in the West after he defected in 1983 and featured music by Alfred Schnittke, design by

Stefanos Lazaridis Stefanos Lazaridis (28 July 1942 – 8 May 2010) was a stage designer, best known for his work in opera. Originally intended for a business career, he studied stage design in London, and was quickly in demand in theatres and opera houses, working w ...

, and actors Nigel Terry, Clive Merrison, Harriet Walter, and Michael 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 Father Jerzy Popiełuszko. In 1987, the Almeida also became home to Motley Theatre Design Course, under the directorship of Margaret Harris. The Not the RSC Festival was presented at the Almeida in 1986 and 1987.

1990s

In 1990 the Scot Ian McDiarmid and the South African Jonathan Kent took over as joint artistic directors. 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 and, as noted by playwright

David Hare David Hare may refer to: *David Hare (philanthropist) (1775–1842), Scottish philanthropist *David Hare (artist) (1917–1992), American sculptor and photographer *David Hare (playwright) (born 1947), English playwright and theatre and film direc ...

, "it reinvented the European repertoire for London audiences and made British theatre more cosmopolitan and outward going". 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's

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

and to New York's Broadway. In 1993 the theatre won the Laurence 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 by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...

. These included revivals of '' Betrayal'' in 1991 and ''

No Man's Land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...

'' in 1992 and premières of ''Party Time'' in 1991 and ''

Moonlight Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes. Illumination The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...

'' in 1993. During their time at the theatre, McDiarmid and Kent were described by ''The Guardian'' as " akingIslington a centre of enlightened internationalism"; 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 from Molière and Marivaux to Brecht and Neil LaBute. Second, top-level casting that has given us Ralph Fiennes in '' Hamlet'' and ''
Ivanov Ivanov, Ivanoff or Ivanow (masculine, bg, Иванов, russian: ИвановSometimes the stress is on Ива́нов in Bulgarian if it is a middle name, or in Russian as a rare variant of pronunciation), or Ivanova (feminine, bg, Иванов ...
'', Kevin Spacey in '' The Iceman Cometh'' and Juliette Binoche in ''Naked''. Third, a territorial expansion that has seen the Almeida colonise the Hackney Empire, the old Gainsborough film studios and even a converted bus depot in King's Cross".

1999 to present

In November 1999, the Almeida was awarded £1.5 million by the Arts 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. National Lottery backing of £5.8 million allowed for a complete restoration designed by Burrell Foley Fischer. 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. 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 of

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

's The Lady from the Sea, directed by Trevor 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. In October 2012 Attenborough announced that he would step down early in 2013. 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 directed Stephen Adly Guirgis' '' The Last Days of Judas Iscariot''. In 2013 his Headlong theatre company co-produced the premiere of Lucy Kirkwood's '' Chimerica'', directed by Lyndsey Turner, at the Almeida: the show subsequently transferred to the

, winning five Olivier Awards in 2014. Goold's first Almeida production as full-time artistic director was the world premiere production of '' American 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 of Mike Bartlett's play ''King Charles III'', which, following its sold-out run at the Almeida, transferred to Wyndham's Theatre and Broadway.

Almeida Projects

Almeida Projects is the Almeida Theatre's education and community programme. 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 Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School (EGA), a medium-sized comprehensive secondary school for girls in Islington, London, England, is rated as 'Outstanding' by OFSTED in its most recent inspection report. It is named in honour of Elizabeth Garre ...

, Highbury Fields School, Highbury Grove School, Islington Arts and Media School, Mount Carmel Catholic College for Girls, The Bridge School and City and Islington College. Th
Young 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

The Almeida was one of the launch theatres for

Digital Theatre Strictly, digital theatre is a hybrid art form, gaining strength from theatre's ability to facilitate the imagination and create human connections and digital technology's ability to extend the reach of communication and visualization. (However, ...

, a project which makes theatre productions available in video download form. The first performance that was filmed was 'Parlour Song'.

Artistic directors

* Pierre Audi, (1979–1989) * Jonathan Kent and Ian McDiarmid, (1990–2002) * Michael Attenborough, (2002–2013) * Rupert Goold (2013–)

Notable productions

1980s

* ''Interrogations'' by Yoshi Oida (1982) * ''A Dybbuk for Two People'', adapted by Bruce Myers (1982) * ''L'Os (The Bone)'' by Birago Diop, Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, directed by Peter Brook (1982) * '' Cage at 70'': a concert series featuring works by John Cage including ''

Roaratorio ''Roaratorio, an Irish circus on Finnegans Wake'' is a musical composition by American avant-garde composer John Cage. It was composed in 1979 for Klaus Schöning of West German Radio, and premiered as one of the entries in Schöning's radio series ...

'' based on Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, Almeida Festival (1982) * ''Perfect Lives/Private Parts'', television opera by Robert Ashley, Almeida Festival (1983) * '' Four Saints in Three Acts'', opera by Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson, Almeida Festival (1983)( * '' Hedda Gabler'', Almeida Theatre Company, directed by Tim Albery (1984) * ''Mrs Gauguin'' by Helen Cooper, Almeida Theatre Company, directed by Mike Bradwell (1984) * ''Melancholy Jacques'' written and directed by Jean Jourdheuil, Almeida Productions at the Edinburgh Festival/Traverse Theatre and the Bush Theatre featuring Simon Callow (1984) * '' The Possessed'', Almeida Theatre Company, directed by Yuri Lyubimov, music by Alfred Schnittke, designed by

(1985) * ''At the Tomb of

: A Celebration of American Experimental Music 1905-1985'', Almeida Festival (1985) * ''

Kopernikus Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic canon, who formulate ...

'', opera by Claude Vivier, Almeida Festival, directed by Pierre Audi (1985) * ''

Man Equals Man ''Man Equals Man'' (german: Mann ist Mann), or A Man's a Man, is a play by the German people, German Modernism, modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. One of Brecht's earlier works, it explores themes of war, human fungibility, and Personal identit ...

'' by

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

, Almeida Theatre Company, directed by David Hayman (1985) * ''Cupboard Man'', a dereck, dereck Production, adapted for the stage by Julia Bardsley and

from the short story by Ian McEwan (1985) * '' King Lear'', Kick Theatre Company, directed by Deborah Warner (1985) * ''The Saxon Shore'' by David Rudkin, Almeida Theatre Company, directed by Pierre Audi (1986) * '' Creditors'' by August Strindberg, Almeida Theatre Company, directed by Ian McDiarmid (1986) * '' Coriolanus'', Kick Theatre Company, directed by Deborah Warner (1986) * ''The Story of the Eye and the Tooth'', El-Hakawati Theatre Company, directed by François Abu Salem (1986) * ''Milva Sings Brecht'', song recital by Milva (1986) * ''Gaudete'', a dereck, dereck Production, adapted for the stage by Julia Bardsley and

from the prose poem by Ted Hughes (1986) * ''The Great Hunger'' by Tom MacIntyre from Patrick Kavanagh, Abbey Theatre, directed by Patrick Mason (1986) * ''Not the RSC'' Festival (1986–87) * ''

Jakob Lenz Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (23 January 1751, or 12 January in the Julian calendar – 4 June 1792, or 24 May in the Julian calendar) was a Baltic German writer of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement. Life Lenz was born in Sesswegen (Cesvaine), ...

'', opera by Wolfgang Rihm, Almeida Opera, directed by Pierre Audi (1987) * ''

Hamletmachine ''Hamletmachine'' (german: Die Hamletmaschine) is a postmodernist drama by German playwright and theatre director Heiner Müller. Written in 1977, the play is loosely based on ''Hamlet'' by William Shakespeare. The play originated in relation to ...

'' by

Heiner Mueller __NOTOC__ Heiner is a German male name, a diminutive of Heinrich, and also a surname. Given name *Heiner Backhaus (born 1982), professional footballer *Heiner Baltes (born 1949), former football defender *Heiner Brand (born 1952), former West Ge ...

, directed by Robert Wilson (1987) * ''The Tourist Guide'' by Botho Strauss, Almeida Theatre Company, directed by Pierre Audi featuring Tilda Swinton and Paul Freeman (1987) * Théâtre de Complicité retrospective (1988–89) * ''The Undivine Comedy'', opera by Michael Finnissy, Almeida Opera (1988) * ''Golem'', opera by John Casken, Almeida Opera, directed by Pierre Audi (1989) * ''The Vinegar Works'', a dereck, dereck Production, adapted for the stage by Julia Bardsley and

from the illustrated books by Edward Gorey (1989) * ''Polygraph'' by Robert Lepage and Marie Brassard (1989) * Indigo, performed March 1989. Cast included Caroline Lee-Johnson, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Dougray Scott and Brian Protheroe. Directed by Keith Boak.

1990s

* ''The Intelligence Park'', opera by Gerald Barry, Almeida Opera, directed by David Fielding (1990) * ''

Europeras ''Europeras'' is a series of five operas by the composer John Cage. Cage explained the punning title thus: "For two hundred years the Europeans have been sending us their operas. Now I'm sending them back." Europeras I and II Europeras I and I ...

III and IV'' by

, Almeida Festival (1990) * ''Naked'' by Luigi Pirandello, directed by Jonathan Kent, starring Juliette Binoche (1998)

2000s

* '' Hedda Gabler'' by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

, adapted and directed by Richard Eyre, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Eve Best (2005) * '' Stephen Dillane's

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' by William Shakespeare, directed by Travis Preston (2005-2010) * ''Dying for It'' by

Moira Buffini Moira Buffini (born 29 May 1965) is an English dramatist, director, and actor. Early life Buffini was born in Cheshire to Irish parents, and attended St Mary's College at Rhos-on-Sea in Wales as a day girl. She studied English and Drama at Gold ...

after Erdman, directed by

Anna Mackmin Anna Mackmin (born 1964) is a British theatre director. She has been an associate director at the Sheffield Crucible and at the Gate Theatre in London. Early life and education Mackmin was born in Leeds. Mackmin's sister, Scarlett Mackmin, is ...

(2007) * ''

Cloud Nine Cloud Nine, cloud 9 or cloud nine is a name colloquially given to the state of euphoria, and may refer to: Books and comics * Cloud 9 (comics), a Marvel Comics superhero that debuted in ''Avengers: The Initiative'' * ''Cloud Nine'' (novel), a 19 ...

'' by

Caryl Churchill Caryl Lesley Churchill (born 3 September 1938) is a British playwright known for dramatising the abuses of power, for her use of non- naturalistic techniques, and for her exploration of sexual politics and feminist themes.

, directed by Thea Sharrock, starring Tobias Menzies and Nicola Walker (2007) * '' The Last Days of Judas Iscariot'' by Stephen Adly Guirgis, directed by Rupert Goold, co-production with Headlong (2008) * '' Rosmersholm'' by

, adapted by Mike Poulton, directed by Anthony Page, starring Helen McCrory (2008) * '' Waste'' by Harley Granville Barker, directed by Samuel West (2008) * ''Parlour Song'' by Jez Butterworth, directed by Ian Rickson, starring Toby Jones (2009) * ''

When the Rain Stops Falling ''When the Rain Stops Falling'' is a play about family, secret legacies, betrayal and forgiveness seen across four generations and spanning two continents. The drama had its world premiere as part of the 2008 Adelaide Festival of Arts. It was wr ...

'' by Andrew Bovell, directed by Michael Attenborough (2009) * '' Rope'' by Patrick Hamilton (produced in association with Sonia Friedman Production), directed by

Roger Michell Roger Michell (5 June 1956 – 22 September 2021) was a South African-born British theatre, television and film director. He was best known for directing films such as ''Notting Hill (film), Notting Hill'' and ''Venus (2006 film), Venus'', as ...

, starring Bertie Carvel and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (2009)

2010s

* '' Through a Glass Darkly'' by

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, Film producer, producer and playwright. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, his films are known ...

, adapted by Jenny Worton, directed by Michael Attenborough (2010) * '' The Master Builder'' by

in translation by Kenneth McLeish, directed by Travis Preston, starring Gemma Arterton, Stephen Dillane and John Light (2011) * ''The Knot of the Heart'' by David Eldridge, directed by Michael Attenborough, starring Sophie Stanton (2011) * ''My City'' written and directed by

Stephen Poliakoff Stephen Poliakoff (born 1 December 1952) is a British playwright, director and screenwriter. In 2006 Gerard Gilbert of ''The Independent'' described him as the UK's "pre-eminent TV dramatist" who had "inherited Dennis Potter's crown". Early ...

(2011) * '' The House of Bernarda Alba'' by Federico García Lorca, adapted by Emily Mann, directed by

Bijan Sheibani Bijan Sheibani ( fa, بیژن شیبانی) is a British theatre director. Early life and education Sheibani was born in Liverpool, and moved with his family to Hove when he was 7. He was schooled at St Andrew's C of E School in Hove and at Brigh ...

(2012) * ''Children's Children'' by Matthew Dunster, directed by Jeremy Herrin (2012) * '' Filumena'' by Eduardo De Filippo, adapted by Tanya Ronder, directed by Michael Attenborough (2012) * '' King Lear'' by William Shakespeare, directed by Michael Attenborough, starring Jonathan Pryce (2012) * '' Chimerica'' by Lucy Kirkwood, directed by Lyndsey Turner, starring Stephen Campbell Moore (2013) * ''Little on the Inside'' by

Alice Birch Alice Birch is a British playwright and screenwriter. Birch has written several plays, including ''Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.'' for which she was awarded the George Devine Award for Most Promising New Playwright, and ''Anatomy of a Suicide' ...

, directed by Lucy Morrison (2013) * ''

Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

'' by

, adapted and directed by Richard Eyre (2013) * ''American Psycho'': a new musical thriller, directed by Rupert Goold, starring Matt Smith (2013) * ''

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

'' by

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

, adapted by Duncan MacMillan and Robert Icke, directed by Robert Icke (2014) * ''King Charles III'' by Mike Bartlett, directed by Rupert Goold, starring Tim Pigott-Smith (2014) * Mr Burns: A Post-Electric Play by

Anne Washburn Anne Washburn is an American playwright. Life Washburn graduated from Reed College and from New York University, with an M.F.A. Her plays have been produced in New York City by Cherry Lane Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, The Civilians, Vineyard Theatre, ...

, directed by Robert Icke (2014) * ''Little Revolution'' by

Alecky Blythe Alecky Blythe is a British playwright and screenwriter. She has written several plays, including the acclaimed 2011 musical '' London Road''. Her first play ''Come Out Eli'' won a Time Out Award. ''The Girlfriend Experience'' premiered at the Roy ...

, directed by

Joe Hill-Gibbins Joe Hill-Gibbins (born as Joseph Hill-Gibbins) is a British theatre and opera director. Background Hill-Gibbins was born and raised in Surrey. He attended a local comprehensive, George Abbot School, and later read Drama at Manchester Universit ...

(2014) * '' The Merchant of Venice'' by William Shakespeare, directed by Rupert Goold (2014) * ''Game'' by Mike Bartlett, directed by Sacha Wares (2015) * ''Carmen Disruption'' by Simon Stephens, directed by Michael Longhurst, starring Noma Dumezweni (2015) * '' Oresteia'' by Aeschylus, adapted and directed by Robert Icke, starring Lia Williams and

Jessica Brown Findlay Jessica Rose Brown Findlay (born 14 September 1987) is an English actress. She played Lady Sybil Crawley in the ITV television period drama series ''Downton Abbey'' and Emelia Conan Doyle in the 2011 British comedy-drama feature film '' Albatr ...

(2015) * ''

Bakkhai ''The Bacchae'' (; grc-gre, Βάκχαι, ''Bakchai''; also known as ''The Bacchantes'' ) is an ancient Greek tragedy, written by the Athenian playwright Euripides during his final years in Macedonia, at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon. ...

'' by Euripides, directed by James MacDonald, starring Ben Whishaw (2015) * '' Medea'' by Euripides, directed by Rupert Goold, starring

Kate Fleetwood Kate Fleetwood (born 24 September 1972) is an English actress. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Lady Macbeth in ''Macbeth'', which first opened at Chichester Festival Theatre and was transferred to the West End and Bro ...

(2015) * '' Uncle Vanya'' by

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

, adapted and directed by Robert Icke, starring

and Tobias Menzies (2016) * ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'' by William Shakespeare, directed by Rupert Goold, starring Ralph Fiennes and Vanessa Redgrave (2016) * ''Oil'' by Ella Hickson, directed by

Carrie Cracknell Carrie Cracknell (born 1980) is a British theatre director. She was Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre, London from 2007–2012. She was Associate Director at both the Young Vic (2012–2013) and the Royal Court (2013–2014). Background ...

(2016) * ''Mary Stuart'' by

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...

, adapted and directed by Robert Icke, starring Juliet Stevenson and Lia Williams, music by Laura Marling (2016) * '' Hamlet'' by William Shakespeare, directed by Robert Icke, starring Andrew Scott,

and Juliet Stevenson (2017) (successful production that transferred to West End's Harold Pinter Theatre) * ''The Treatment'' by Martin Crimp, directed by Lyndsey Turner, starring Indira Varma, Julian Ovenden, Gary Beadle, Matthew Needham (2017) * ''Ink'' by James Graham, directed by Rupert Goold, starring Bertie Carvel (2017) * ''Against'' by Christopher Shinn, directed by Ian Rickson, starring Ben Whishaw (2017) * ''Albion'' by Mike Bartlett, directed by Rupert Goold, starring Victoria Hamilton (2017) * '' The Twilight Zone'' based on stories by

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series ' ...

, Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson, adapted by

, directed by

Richard Jones Richard Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *F. Richard Jones (1893–1930), American filmmaker *Dick Clair (Richard Jones, 1931–1988), American producer, actor and TV writer *Richard Jones (The Feeling), British bass guitarist *Richard J ...

(2017) *'' Summer and Smoke'' by Tennessee Williams, directed by

Rebecca Frecknall Rebecca Frecknall is an award-winning British theatre director best known for directing the 2021 West End revival of Cabaret starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley. The production won the 2022 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Musical an ...

, starring Patsy Ferran and Matthew Needham (2018) * ''The Writer'' by Ella Hickson, directed by

Blanche McIntyre Blanche may refer to: People * Blanche (singer), stage name of Belgian singer and songwriter Ellie Delvaux *Blanche (given name) * Blanche (surname) Places Australia *Blanche Harbor (South Australia), a bay on the east coast of Eyre Peninsula ** ...

, starring Romola Garai and Samuel West (2018) * '' Machinal'' by Sophie Treadwell, directed by

Natalie Abrahami Natalie Abrahami is a British theatre, film and opera director. She was Associate Director and Genesis Fellow at the Young Vic in London 2013-16 and Associate Artist at Hull Truck Theatre. From 2007–12 she was joint Artistic Director of the ...

, starring Emily Berrington and Denise Black (2018) * ''Dance Nation'' by

Clare Barron Clare Barron is a playwright and actor from Wenatchee, Washington. She won the 2015 Obie Award for Playwriting for ''You Got Older''. She was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for ''Dance Nation.'' Early life In an interview, ...

, directed by

, starring Brendan Cowell and

Sarah Hadland Sarah Hadland is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Stevie Sutton in the BBC One BAFTA-nominated comedy television series '' Miranda'' (2009–2015) and Trish in ''The Job Lot'' (2013–2015). Hadland appeared as the Ocean S ...

(2018) * '' The Wild Duck'' by

, directed by Robert Icke, starring Nicholas Farrell and Lyndsey Marshal (2018) * '' The Tragedy of King Richard the Second'' by William Shakespeare, directed by

, starring Simon Russell Beale and Leo Bill (2018) * '' The Duchess of Malfi'' (2019) * ''

Shipwreck A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...

'' by

, directed by Rupert Goold (2019)

References

External links

*
Official Almeida Theatre website
{{Authority control Theatres in the London Borough of Islington Commercial buildings completed in 1837 Theatres completed in 1980 Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Islington Producing house theatres in London Buildings and structures in Islington