The Space is an arts space in

Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...

on the

Isle of Dogs The Isle of Dogs is a large peninsula bounded on three sides by a large meander in the River Thames in East London, England, which includes the Cubitt Town, Millwall and Canary Wharf districts. The area was historically part of the Manor, Ham ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Its principal patron is

Sir Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

, and it is a registered non-profit making charity.

History

The Space is located inside a former Presbyterian church. Dedicated to St Paul, this was built in 1859 for the

Scottish Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

congregation who had migrated to the Isle of Dogs to work in the shipyards. It was designed by

Thomas Knightley Thomas Edward Knightley (1824–1905) was a British architect responsible for designing the Queen's Hall and St Paul's Church, Isle of Dogs in London. Knightley was sometimes considered eccentric Eccentricity or eccentric may refer to: * Ecc ...

. It was taken over by the St. Paul's Arts Trust, headed by Robert Richardson, in 1989, and has been restored.

Performances

The Space offers many kinds of performance, including dance, drama and live music. Its first in-house production was a double bill of '' Dogg's Hamlet'' and ''

The Real Inspector Hound ''The Real Inspector Hound'' is a short, one-act play by Tom Stoppard. The plot follows two theatre critics named Moon and Birdboot who are watching a ludicrous setup of a country house murder mystery, in the style of a whodunit. By chance, th ...

'', the former starring Adam Hemming (the theatre's artistic director) as the headmaster. It produces its own shows with in house production company Space Productions. The Space supports new and emerging artists who are fresh out of drama school, or anyone looking to put on their first show. Les Enfants Terribles, Nick Helm, Ian Mcklellen and Mitch Benn have all frequented The Space.

Facilities

Hubbub is the restaurant/bar located above The Space.Hubbub Bar And Restaurant
/ref> The Space has established itself as a community theatre, it is staffed mainly by volunteers.

References

Theatres in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Millwall Former churches in London {{London-struct-stub