Theatre 503

Theatre503
The Grace Theatre, The Latchmere Theatre

Theatre503 and Latchmere Pub, from Battersea Park Road
Address 503 Battersea Park Road
London
 United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°28′29″N 0°09′15″W / 51.4746°N 0.1542°W / 51.4746; -0.1542
Type Fringe theatre
Capacity 63 seats
Current use Theatre
Production New Writing
Opened 1982
Years active 32
Website
www.theatre503.com

Theatre503 is located at 503 Battersea Park Road in Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth, above the Latchmere pub. It is a performing arts venue which specialises in groundbreaking plays. Their programme combines new plays by emerging playwrights alongside work un-revived since the 1980s/90's in their Second Look Programme. The third strand of work is made up of plays written by upcoming talent that has been picked by esteemed playwrights, such as Howard Brenton, Caryl Churchill and Timberlake Wertenbaker.

History

Theatre503 was originally founded in 1982 as an offshoot of the Gate Theatre (London), and is a custom-built studio theatre. The opening production was a new adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which proved so successful that the production transferred to the West End.

The original name of the theatre was linked with the pub downstairs, but in 2002 the theatre relaunched under Artistic Director Paul Higgins with a new name of Theatre503, and became a home for new writing. In November 2006 Paul Robinson and Tim Roseman were appointed as artistic directors with the specific brief to develop the profile of the theatre, and the new theatre launched with the European Premiere of The Atheist.

Since 2002, the venue has seen the premiere of more than fifty new writers, including Dennis Kelly, Phil Porter, Duncan Macmillan, Rachel Wagstaff, Alice Birch, Gabriel Bisset-Smith, Chris Urch, Jon Brittain and Phoebe Eclair-Powell. It went on to win the Peter Brook Empty Space Award, was nominated for a Time Out Live Award in 2006, and won a Olivier Award in 2010 for its production of Katori Hall's The Mountaintop. Tim Roseman left Theatre503 in October 2012 and is now Artistic Director of PlayWriting Australia. Paul Robinson opened his 1st season as sole Artistic Director with 'Desolate Heaven', a new play by Ailís Ní Ríain. In 2014 the theatre was nominated for a second Peter Brook Empty Space Award, and won the Argus Angel for Artistic Excellence for its production "Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho".

Awards and nominations

Nominations - Off West End, Best New Play (Jon Brittain for Rotterdam) Off West End, Best Set Designer (Ellan Parry for Rotterdam) Off West End, Best Supporting Female (Jessica Clark for Rotterdam)

Winner- Argus Angel for Artistic Excellence (Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho)

Winner - Off West End, Best Set Designer (Signe Beckmann for A Handful of Stars)

Nominations - Off West End, Best Director (Paul Robinson for A Handful of Stars) Off West End, Best Sound Designer (Simon Slater for A Handful of Stars) James Tait Black prize for Drama (Ailis Ni Riain's for Desolate Heaven) Off West End, Best Set Designer (Petra Hjortsberg for Occupied) Off West End, Best Supporting Female (Fiz Marcus for Occupied)

Nominated- Peter Brook Empty Space Award

Nominations-Off West End Awards: Paul Robinson for Best Artistic Director Best Production (Land of Our Fathers) Most Promising new Playwright (Sam Potter for Mucky Kid) Best Sound Designer (Simon Slater for The Life of Stuff) Most Promising Playwright (Jon Brittain and Matt Tedford for Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho)

Winner – Off West End Awards: Most Welcoming Theatre Best New Musical (Porn – The Musical) People’s Choice Best Female Performance (Jessie Cave for Breed) Nomination – Most Promising Playwright (Gabriel Bisset-Smith for The Charming Man) Winner – Off West End Adopt A Playwright Competition – Sarah Grochala

Winner – Olivier Awards, Best New Play, The Mountaintop by Katori Hall Nominated – Olivier Awards, Best Actress, Lorraine Burroughs for The Mountaintop Nominated – WhatsOnStage Awards – Best Actor, David Harewood for The Mountaintop Nominated – WhatsOnStage Awards – Best New Play, Katori Hall for The Mountaintop Nominated – Alfred Fagon Award – Rex Obano for Slaves

Nominated – Evening Standard Awards, Most Promising Playwright, Katori Hall for The Mountaintop Shortlisted – Evening Standard Awards – Best Actor, David Harewood for The Mountaintop Nominated – TMA Awards, Best New Play, The Lifesavers by Fraser Grace (co-production with Mercury Theatre, Colchester) Winner – Meyer Whitworth Award, Ali Taylor for Cotton Wool

Nominated – Peter Brook Empty Space Award

Productions

Now showing...

Transfers

Previous productions

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Wil Johnson – (In A Better World – 2010)". mattjhorn.wordpress.com. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
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