The Stage

Southwark Playhouse forced to relocate

Published Tuesday 23 August 2005 at 13:20 by Alistair Smith

Southwark Playhouse has until September 2006 to find itself a new base after the theatre management was informed that the venue’s current lease would not be renewed by the venue’s owner.

The landlord at its current home, just off Southwark Bridge Road, has told the company that he wants it to leave after 13 years at the site. The theatre has now launched a search for a new building.

Chief executive Juliet Alderdice explained: “We’ve known for a while that it wouldn’t be possible to extend the lease - the landlord now lives on the premises and he wants us to go. Also, we want a bigger space and we feel we deserve a bigger space. We’ve got great community support, the council is behind us and we’re trying to tap into that. We’re feeling confident that we’ll be able to find a suitable new location.”

The theatre, which has been nominated for the Peter Brook Empty Space Award three times, is housed in a former Victorian tea and coffee warehouse and has a capacity of 80. The company is now searching for a location in Southwark, offering a 150-seat studio space, as well as an additional room that could be used for education and community work.

Its management hopes to make a further announcement regarding the search for a new premises in September. Meanwhile, the playhouse is staging a new production of The Canterbury Tales on location in Borough High Street, with the nearby market and cathedral serving as Canterbury.