King's Head Theatre (LB Islington)
The King’s Head Theatre in Islington Square officially launched in January 2024.
Supported by the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund, it has enabled the theatre to move from its existing, unsecure premises at the back of the King’s Head Pub into a permanent new home.
The project has evolved the King’s Head Theatre into a sustainable organisation that allows for increased theatre capacity and revenue generating space, including a new café and bar area and workshop spaces.
The Mayor’s funding has also secured an important LGBTQ+ community space and for the first time in the King’s Head’s history, lift access into the space will ensure it is as accessible and inclusive as possible.
The previously vacant underground space has been creatively retrofitted by S+CO and PUP Architects transforming it into a flexible and creative space that can be used for creative productions and by the community.
Project Value: £1.85 million (£800,000 Good Growth Fund, £1,051,990 King’s Head Theatre Match (from Sponsors).
Funding Programme: Good Growth Fund
Project Keywords: Theatre, Culture , Flexible Community Space, Workspace, Theatre Infrastructure, LGBTQ+ Space, Retrofit, High Streets
I’m so excited to be announcing this incredible array of artists who will be the first to perform in our brand-new space, along with many more to be announced for our first year. Across our two spaces, we’ll be able to present multiple productions per week so there will always be something to see from plays, musicals, opera, drag, cabaret, comedy, family shows, pantomime and more at the new King’s Head Theatre!
Delivering a fairer, greener and more prosperous city
The project delivered, and will be delivering the following outcomes aligned with mayoral priorities:
Delivered:
Local training and employment opportunities
- Created and safeguarded 25 jobs across the organisation (including front of house, talent and community facing roles).
Developing culture in Islington
- Retro-fit and provision of new 757m2 of floorspace for the King’s Head Theatre.
- A main theatre seating 200 audience members and lower-level multi-use space that acts as a cabaret (50 Seat) and mini-bar to the main theatre.
- A transforming cafe/bar that will act as a community living room and space for emerging theatre producers.
- New box office, foyer and back-of-house spaces (dressing rooms, offices, technical rooms) for the KHT team.
- Fully accessible theatre space and lift access (for the first time in theatre’s history),
Protect an LGBTQ+ community space
- New cafe and workshop spaces to support KHT with local programming and partnership working with young people and schools with an LGBTQ+ Focus.
Secure KHT’s future through financial sustainability
- Enabled KHT to move from unsecure premises at the back of the Kings Head Pub into a permanent new home at Islington Square.
- Grow the capacity of the organisation from restricted operations (6-11pm Weekdays and 12-11pm Weekends) into longer operational hours that is open to the local community.
In it’s an operational phase, the theatre will be delivering cultural programmes (including heavily subsidised tickets for unemployed people, new residents and under 18s), protect the theatre as an LGBTQ+ community space (through showcasing LGBTQ+ talent, supporting intergenerational support) and grow a year-round programme of diverse and accessibly priced productions.
Project location
51.538356606576, -0.10275647489315
King's Head Theatre,115 Upper Street, London N1 1QN
Securing the future home of the King’s Head Theatre
The King’s Head Theatre (KHT) has been at the heart of Islington since it first opened in 1970. It has built a reputation for supporting and incubating talent including Hugh Grant, Joanna Lumley, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Isabel Adomakoh Young, Tania Azevedo, the late Alan Rickman and Richard E Grant.
However, the King’s Head Theatre started from humble beginnings located at the back of the King’s Head Pub and post-pandemic was caught up in landlord aspirations to develop the site, meaning the theatre faced an uncertain future and potential closure.
In the last ten years, there has been a 58 per cent loss of LGBTQ+ spaces in London. Islington is one of the hardest hit boroughs, losing 80 per cent of LGBTQ+ venues since 2006 as highlighted by the Mayor of London’s report on LGBTQ+ Venues published in 2016.
It is recognised that the organisations such as the Kings Head Theatre form a strong and dynamic part of Islington’s community and economy.
The Mayor’s investment helped secure a new permanent home in Islington Square for the theatre. The theatre has been an important community asset and registered charity, with great local support, but the short-term nature of its lease and restricted access to the space created a vulnerable operating model with limited resources.
The ambition was to evolve the theatre into a sustainable LGBTQ+ community asset with a theatre, flexible café and bar provision and workshop spaces with an embedded community programme.
Through the investment, the new home has enabled an increased capacity and operational hours and opportunity for the audience-base to grow and attract a wider catchment.
Further partnerships are being developed with local communities, enhanced fundraising opportunities and commercial venue hires.
The development of a new 200-seat main theatre, cabaret space, transformed cafe and bar alongside a new public facing foyer will allow the theatre to operate as a flexible, non-alcoholic workspace for theatre workers and local community members – acting as a community living room and resource for local people seeking to establish new businesses.
Committed to a low-carbon economy, the retrofit of the basement is expected to operate from an existing EPC rating of F into an A-rated space, through new mechanical, ventilation and heat recovery systems.
The ambition to grow local partnerships within Islington allows the theatre to work with local young people and protect an LGBTQ+ Community Space in the area. Programmes such as intergenerational support for older members of the LGBTQ+ community with local community groups (Age Concern, Islington Pensioners Forum) is being progressed with young people to create support network.
A range of programming (from theatre productions to initiatives) to platform and showcase LGBTQ+ talent in the sector and local area is also being developed by the team to protect and grow the LGBTQ+ community space.
As a long-standing cultural institution in Islington, the relocation of the King’s Head Theatre to its new permanent home will enable the organisation to grow sustainably and continue to deliver an exciting programme of LGBTQ+ productions and local engagement for years to come.
Project team
Delivery partner: King’s Head Theatre
Supporting funders: King’s Head Theatre with sponsorship from Cain International, London Borough of Islington, The Foyle Foundation, Oak Foundation, Southampton Row Foundation, Cockayne, ATG Productions and the Clothworkers Foundation
Project partner: King’s Head Theatre
Architects: S+CO (Theatre and Base Build), PUP Architects (Fit-Out)
Project management: Thomas & Adamson
Structural engineer: Harley Haddow
M&E consultant: KJ Tait
QS: Thomas & Adamson
Principal designer: Thomas & Adamson
Main contractor: Albany Interiors
London Review Panel members: Ken Okonkwo (Chair), Robin Hutchinson MBE, Gurmeet Sian
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