Camden gets a new theatre this month, as acclaimed Notting Hill venue the Gate moves in.
The Arts Council supported theatre, which opened above a pub in 1979, has been seeking more accessible premises for a while and will now take up residence at 26, Crowndale Road - the site of Theatro Technis.
Over four decades, the Gate has staged cutting edge, boundary pushing theatre featuring early career work by directors Carrie Cracknell, Stephen Daldry and Katie Mitchell, and performances by Kathy Burke, Jude Law, and Sophie Okonedo.
The new venue offers a larger 120-seat auditorium, foyer and bar space - which are wheelchair accessible - with the first production due to open in October.
Theatro Technis was founded in 1957 by actor, writer and campaigner George Eugeniou, and has been an independent theatre space since the early 60s.
Executive Director and CEO Shawab Iqbal said “We are thrilled to announce this historic moment for the Gate. For over forty years, the theatre has been a springboard for the next generation of dynamic and visionary artists. 26 Crowndale addresses physical accessibility challenges of our Notting Hill site, and allows us to continue to present ground-breaking work in a bigger auditorium. I'd like to thank our loyal audiences in Notting Hill for coming with us on this journey, and look forward to embedding ourselves in our new community in Camden. Here's to the next 40 years of the Gate.”
Stef O’Driscoll, Interim Artistic Director said she was excited to start the theatre's tenure with A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain - a poetic fable about an impenetrable immigration system.
She said: "The recent Nationality and Borders Bill has implemented stricter immigration laws at a time when people across the globe are being forcibly displaced due to the impacts of war and climate change. This fantastical new play by Sami Ibrahim follows an all too familiar story of a woman seeking sanctuary who is instead faced with a hostile environment. This is just the beginning of more stories to come from Gate Theatre which will serve our community by telling rich and nuanced stories representative of the multi-generational diasporic communities on our new doorstep.”
Barrister and human rights activist, Baroness Shami Chakrabarti will join as Chair of the Board later in the summer. She said: “I am honoured to be joining the Gate as its chair at this pivotal moment. Its values of internationalism, diversity and community are the essence of great theatre and what it brings to our lives in challenging times.”
A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain will be followed by a season of work to be announced shortly, alongside farewell activity at the original venue on Pembridge Road. https://www.gatetheatre.co.uk/
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