The Finborough Theatre is a fifty-seat theatre in the West Brompton area of London (part of the

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is an Inner London borough with royal status. It is the smallest borough in London and the second smallest district in England; it is one of the most densely populated administrative regions in the ...

) under artistic director Neil McPherson. The theatre presents new British writing, as well as UK and world premieres of new plays primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Ireland, and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

including work in the

Scots language Scots ( endonym: ''Scots''; gd, Albais, ) is an Anglic language variety in the West Germanic language family, spoken in Scotland and parts of Ulster in the north of Ireland (where the local dialect is known as Ulster Scots). Most commo ...

, alongside rarely seen rediscovered 19th and 20th century plays. The venue also presents new and rediscovered

music theatre Music theatre is a performance genre that emerged over the course of the 20th century, in opposition to more conventional genres like opera and musical theatre. The term came to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s to describe an avant-garde approa ...

The Finborough Arms

The Finborough Arms was built in 1868 to a design by George Godwin and his younger brother Henry. It was one of five

public houses A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

built by Corbett and McClymont in the

Earls Court Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...

area during the West London development boom of the 1860s. The pub opened in 1871. The ground floor and basement of the building was converted into The Finborough Road Brasserie from 2008 to 2010 and The Finborough Wine Cafe from 2010 to 2012. The pub reopened under its original name of The Finborough Arms in February 2014.

1980s

June Abbott opened the theatre above the Finborough Arms Public House in June 1980. In its first decade, artists working at the new theatre included

Clive Barker Clive Barker (born 5 October 1952) is an English novelist, playwright, author, film director, and visual artist who came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories, the ''Books of Blood'', which established him as a leading h ...

Kathy Burke Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke (born 13 June 1964) is an English actress, comedian, writer, producer, and director. She achieved fame with her appearances on sketch shows such as ''French and Saunders'' (1988–1999) and her recurring role as Mag ...

Ken Campbell Kenneth Victor Campbell (10 December 1941 – 31 August 2008) was an English actor, writer and director known for his work in experimental theatre. He has been called "a one-man dynamo of British theatre". Campbell achieved notoriety in the ...

Mark Rylance Sir David Mark Rylance Waters (born 18 January 1960) is a British actor, playwright and theatre director. He is known for his roles on stage and screen having received numerous awards including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Laurence ...

, and Clare Dowie who appeared in the world première of her own play ''Adult Child/Dead Child''.

1990s

From 1991 to 1994, the theatre was best known for new writing with

Naomi Wallace Naomi Wallace (born 1960) is an American playwright, screenwriter and poet from Kentucky. She is widely known for her plays, and has received several distinguished awards for her work. Biography Naomi Wallace was born in Prospect, Kentucky, to ...

’s first play ''The War Boys'';

Rachel Weisz Rachel Hannah Weisz (; born 7 March 1970 ) is an English actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a BAFTA Award. Weisz began acting in British stage and television in the ...

in David Farr’s ''Neville Southall's Washbag'',

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

’s ''Glasses''; ''Holding Back the Ocean'' by Godfrey Hamilton; and three plays by

Anthony Neilson Anthony Neilson (born 1967, Edinburgh) is a Scottish playwright and director. He is known for his collaborative way of writing and workshopping his plays. Much of his work is characterised by the exploration of sex and violence. Neilson has bee ...

: ''The Year of the Family''; '' Normal: The Düsseldorf Ripper''; and ''Penetrator'', which transferred from the Traverse and went on to play at the

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

Upstairs. From 1994, the theatre was run by The Steam Industry under

Artistic Director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since th ...

Phil Willmott Phil Willmott (born 26 January 1968) is a British director, playwright, arts journalist, teacher, and founder of London based theatre production company The Steam Industry. He was the Artistic Director of the Finborough Theatre in London's Ear ...

. Productions included new plays by Tony Marchant, David Eldridge,

Mark Ravenhill Mark Ravenhill (born 7 June 1966) is an English playwright, actor and journalist. Ravenhill is one of the most widely performed playwrights in British theatre of the late-twentieth and twenty-first centuries. His major plays include ''Shoppin ...

, and Phil Willmott. New writing development included Mark Ravenhill's ''Shopping and F*cking'' (Royal Court, West End and

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

) and Naomi Wallace's ''Slaughter City'' (

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

), the UK première of

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...

’s '' The Woods'', and Anthony Neilson's ''The Censor'', which transferred to the

2000s

Productions since 2000 have included the UK premières of

Brad Fraser Brad Fraser (born June 28, 1959 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian playwright, screenwriter and cultural commentator.Gaetan Charlebois and Anne Nothof"Fraser, Brad" ''Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia'', June 2, 2019. He is one of the most widely pr ...

’s ''Wolfboy'';

Lanford Wilson Lanford Wilson (April 13, 1937March 24, 2011) was an American playwright. His work, as described by ''The New York Times'', was "earthy, realist, greatly admired ndwidely performed." Fox, Margalit"Lanford Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright ...

’s ''Sympathetic Magic'';

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

’ ''Something Cloudy, Something Clear''; and Frank McGuinness’ ''Gates of Gold'' with

William Gaunt William Charles Anthony Gaunt (born 3 April 1937 in Pudsey, West Riding of Yorkshire) is an English actor. He became widely known for television roles such as Richard Barrett in ''The Champions'' (1968–1969), Arthur Crabtree in '' No Place ...

and the late John Bennett in his last stage role which transferred to the West End; the London première of Sonja Linden’s ''I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda''; the specially commissioned adaptation of W.H. Davies’ ''Young Emma'' by

Laura Wade Laura Wade is an English playwright. Early life Wade was born in Bedford, Bedfordshire. She grew up in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, where her father worked for a computer company. After completing her secondary education at Lady Manners School i ...

and directed by

Tamara Harvey __NOTOC__ Tamara may refer to: People * Tamara (name), including a list of people with this name * Tamara (Spanish singer) (born 1984) * Tamara, stage name of Spanish singer Yurena (born 1969) * Tamara, stage name of Macedonian singer Tamara To ...

; the first London revival for more than 40 years of

Rolf Hochhuth Rolf Hochhuth (; 1 April 1931 – 13 May 2020) was a German author and playwright, best known for his 1963 drama '' The Deputy'', which insinuates Pope Pius XII's indifference to Hitler's extermination of the Jews, and he remained a controversial ...

’s ''Soldiers'';

Keith Dewhurst Keith Dewhurst (born 24 December 1931) is an English playwright and film and television scriptwriter. Life Born in Oldham, Keith Dewhurst was educated at Rydal School and Peterhouse, Cambridge, graduating with a B.A. in English in 1953. After wor ...

's ''Lark Rise to Candleford'', performed in promenade and in repertoire; the Great War drama ''Red Night'', and five first plays by new writers: Jason Hall's ''Eyes Catch Fire''; Chris Dunkley’s ''Mirita''; Dameon Garnett's ''Break Away'' , Simon Vinnicombe's ''Year 10'', Joy Wilkinson's ''Fair'' which transferred to the West End; ''Waterloo Day'' with Robert Lang; Sarah Phelps’ ''Modern Dance for Beginners'', subsequently produced at the Soho Theatre; Carolyn Scott-Jeffs' comedy ''Out in the Garden'', which transferred to the Assembly Rooms,

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

; the London premiere of

Larry Kramer Laurence David Kramer (June 25, 1935May 27, 2020) was an American playwright, author, film producer, public health advocate, and gay rights activist. He began his career rewriting scripts while working for Columbia Pictures, which led him to Lo ...

's ''The Destiny of Me'' ; ''The Women's War'' – an evening of original suffragette plays; Steve Hennessy’s '' Lullabies of Broadmoor'' (about the

Finborough Road Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...

murder of 1922); the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...

comedy ''Masks and Faces''; ''Etta Jenks'' with

Clarke Peters Peter Clarke (born April 7, 1952), known professionally as Clarke Peters, is an American-British actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his roles as Lester Freamon in the television series ''The Wire'' (2002–2008) and Albert Lambrea ...

and

Daniela Nardini Daniela Nardini (born 26 April 1968, Largs) is a Scottish actress who played Anna Forbes in the BBC Two television series '' This Life''. The role earned her a BAFTA Best Actress award in 1998 and also earned her a Scottish BAFTA. She won a se ...

; ''The Gigli Concert'' with Niall Buggy,

Catherine Cusack Catherine Cusack (born 21 December 1968) is a British actress. She is best known for portraying Nanny Carmel Finnan in the long-running ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' in 1992 and 1993. Early life and career Cusack was born on 21 Decemb ...

and

Paul McGann Paul John McGann (; born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He came to prominence for portraying Percy Toplis in the television serial '' The Monocled Mutineer'' (1986), then starred in the dark comedy '' Withnail and I'' (1987), which wa ...

which transferred to the

Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh The Assembly Rooms are meeting halls in central Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally solely a meeting place for social gatherings, it is now also used as an arts venue and for public events, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Hogmanay ...

); ''Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams'' with

Linda Bassett Linda Bassett (born 4 February 1950) is an English actress. Her television credits include Victoria Wood's '' dinnerladies'' (1999), '' Lark Rise to Candleford'' (2008–11), '' Grandma's House'' (2010–12) and '' Call the Midwife'' (2015–pres ...

, ''Albert's Boy'' by James Graham starring

Victor Spinetti Vittorio Giorgio Andre "Victor" Spinetti (2 September 1929 – 19 June 2012) was a Welsh actor, author, poet, and raconteur. He appeared in dozens of films and stage plays throughout his 50-year career, including the three 1960s Beatles films ...

, Peter Oswald’s ''Lucifer Saved'' with Mark Rylance, ''Blackwater Angel'', the UK debut of Irish playwright Jim Nolan with

Sean Campion Sean Campion (born 20 December 1959) is an Irish actor known for his portrayal as Virginio Orsini in the historical drama television series ''Borgia''. In theatre, he is best known for his portrayal as Jake Quinn in Marie Jones's '' Stones in Hi ...

, the first London revival for over seventy years of '' Loyalties'' by

John Galsworthy John Galsworthy (; 14 August 1867 – 31 January 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include '' The Forsyte Saga'' (1906–1921) and its sequels, ''A Modern Comedy'' and ''End of the Chapter''. He won the Nobel Prize ...

, the world premiere of '' Plague Over England'' by

Nicholas de Jongh Nicholas de Jongh is a British writer, theatre critic and playwright. He served as the senior drama critic of the ''Evening Standard'' from 1991 to 2009. Prior to that, he had worked for ''The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British dail ...

which subsequently transferred to the West End at the

Duchess Theatre The Duchess Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, London, located in Catherine Street near Aldwych. The theatre opened on 25 November 1929 and is one of the smallest West End theatres with a proscenium arch. It has 494 sea ...

, the first revival of ''

Hangover Square ''Hangover Square'' is a 1941 novel by English playwright and novelist Patrick Hamilton. It follows the schizophrenic alcoholic George Harvey Bone and his tortured love for Netta Longdon in the months leading up to the Second World War. Subtit ...

'', adapted by Fidelis Morgan from the novel by Patrick Hamilton, the UK premiere of the musical ''

Ordinary Days ''Ordinary Days'' is a sung-through musical with music and lyrics by American composer Adam Gwon. Set in New York City, the musical follows four characters, Claire, Jason, Warren, and Deb, exploring how their ordinary lives connect in the most am ...

'' by Adam Gwon and a season of plays by

William Saroyan William Saroyan (; August 31, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an Armenian-American novelist, playwright, and short story writer. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film ''T ...

2010s

In March 2010 the theatre presented the world premiere of ''A Day at the Racists'', a new piece of political theatre by

Anders Lustgarten Anders Lustgarten is a British playwright, who resides in London. Early life Lustgarten is the child of progressive American academics; his mother is Donna Dickenson. He read Chinese Studies at Oxford before heading to Berkeley in California to ...

, charting the rise of the BNP in Barking. In 2011 productions included a critically acclaimed production of ''Mixed Marriage'' by

St John Ervine St John Greer Ervine (28 December 1883 – 24 January 1971) was an Irish biographer, novelist, critic, dramatist, and theatre manager. He was the most prominent Ulster writer of the early twentieth century and a major Irish dramatist whose work in ...

, as well as Dawn King's ''Foxfinder'', as well as revivals of

Emlyn Williams George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor. Early life Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flints ...

's ''Accolade'' and

Caryl Churchill Caryl Lesley Churchill (born 3 September 1938) is a British playwright known for dramatising the abuses of power, for her use of non- naturalistic techniques, and for her exploration of sexual politics and feminist themes.

's ''Fen''. Air conditioning was also installed in 2011. In 2012 productions at the theatre included John McGrath's ''Events While Guarding the Bofors Gun'' and revivals of

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

's '' The American Clock'' and J. B. Priestley's ''Cornelius'' which subsequently transferred

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

. In November 2012, the theatre presented twelve new plays as part of its fourth annual ''Vibrant – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights''. The plays include ''The Andes'' by Alexandra Wood, ''The Sugar-Coated Bullets of the Bourgeoisie'' by

and ''Pig Girl'' by Colleen Murphy. 2012 saw transfers of ''London Wall'' by

John Van Druten John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observation ...

to St James' Theatre, and ''Cornelius'' by

J.B. Priestley John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in '' The Good Comp ...

. From 2009–12, the Finborough Theatre awarded the Leverhulme Emerging Directors Bursary in collaboration with the

National Theatre Studio The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. In ...

. The recipients of the award were

Blanche McIntyre Blanche may refer to: People * Blanche (singer), stage name of Belgian singer and songwriter Ellie Delvaux * Blanche (given name) * Blanche (surname) Places Australia * Blanche Harbor (South Australia), a bay on the east coast of Eyre Peninsula ...

, Ria Parry and Andrea Ferran.

Musical theatre

The Finborough Theatre has also presented musical theatre, including ''Schwartz It All About'' which transferred to Edinburgh and the

King's Head Theatre The King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970 by Dan Crawford, is an off-West End venue in London. It is the second oldest operating pub theatre in the UK. In 2021, Mark Ravenhill became Artistic Director and the theatre focusses on producing LGBT ...

, the world premiere of Charles Miller and Kevin Hammonds' ''When Midnight Strikes'', the UK premieres of ''Lucky Nurse and Other Short Musical Plays'' by Michael John LaChuisa,

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

’s opera ''Médée'', ''

Myths and Hymns ''Myths and Hymns'' (originally known as ''Saturn Returns'') is a song cycle by composer Adam Guettel, based on Greek myth and lyrics found in an antique hymnal. ''Myths and Hymns'' was first performed Off-Broadway, under the title ''Saturn Retur ...

'' by

Adam Guettel Adam Guettel (; born December 16, 1964) is an American composer- lyricist of musical theater and opera. The grandson of musical theatre composer Richard Rodgers, he is best known for his musical '' The Light in the Piazza'', for which he won the ...

, ''John and Jen'' by

Andrew Lippa Andrew Lippa (born December 22, 1964) is an American composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City. Early life Lippa was born in Leeds, England, to English parent ...

and ''Three Sides'' by

Grant Olding Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama * Grant, Inyo County, ...

, and an acclaimed series 'Celebrating British Musical Theatre' from the Victorian and Edwardian era with '' Florodora'', ''

Our Miss Gibbs ''Our Miss Gibbs'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts by 'Cryptos' and James T. Tanner, with lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank, music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton. Produced by George Edwardes, it opened at the Gaiety T ...

'', '' The Maid of the Mountains'' and ''A

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

Doublebill'' featuring '' Sweethearts'', a play by

W.S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...

, ''

The Zoo ''The Zoo'' is a one-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by B. C. Stephenson, writing under the pen name of Bolton Rowe. It premiered on 5 June 1875 at the St. James's Theatre in London (as an afterpiece to W. S. Gi ...

'', an

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its ...

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

and

Bolton Rowe Benjamin Charles Stephenson or B. C. Stephenson (1839 – 22 January 1906) was an English dramatist, lyricist and librettist. After beginning a career in the civil service, he started to write for the theatre, using the pen name "Bolton Row ...

, the opera ''The Boatswain's Mate'' by

Ethel Smyth Dame Ethel Mary Smyth (; 22 April 18588 May 1944) was an English composer and a member of the women's suffrage movement. Her compositions include songs, works for piano, chamber music, orchestral works, choral works and operas. Smyth tended t ...

and two rare musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein – the UK premiere of ''

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...

'' which transferred to the West End, and the European premiere of ''

Me and Juliet ''Me and Juliet'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The sixth stage collaboration by Rodgers & Hammerstein, it tells a story of romance backstage at a long-running musical: assistant stage ma ...

''.

2020s

Productions in 2020: 7 January – 1 February 2020. ''Scrounger'' by Athena Stevens. Directed by Lily McLeish. World premiere. 4 – 29 February 2020. ''On McQuillan's Hill'' by

Joe Crilly Joseph Crilly (1962–2017) was an Irish playwright. Hailing from Derrymacash in County Armagh, he lived for more than three decades in London, where he variously worked as an actor, journalist and social worker. He was arts editor of the ''Irish ...

. Directed by

Jonathan Harden Jonathan Harden (born 1979) is an Irish actor and director. Early life Harden was born in Belfast in 1979, the son of an Irish father and American mother. Career Harden's most notable credits include the roles of Sean Rawlins in the crime drama ...

. English premiere. 3 – 15 March 2020. ''Not Quite Jerusalem'' by Paul Kember. Directed by Peter Kavanagh. First new UK production in 40 years. As a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confirm ...

, the Finborough Theatre temporarily closed, cancelling its remaining productions for 2020. From May 2020, the Finborough Theatre began its #FinboroughForFree programme of archive productions streamed online: 7 May – 7 July 2020. ''It Is Easy To Be Dead'' by Neil McPherson. Directed by Max Key. World premiere production from 2016. 18 May – 31 December 2021. ''Continuity'' by Gerry Moynihan. Directed by Shane Dempsey. World premiere production from 2017. 5 June – 5 August 2020. ''Jane Clegg'' by

. Directed by David Gilmore. First London production in over 75 years from 2019. 2 July – 2 September 2020. ''Blueprint Medea'' by Julia Pascal. Directed by Julia Pascal. World premiere production from 2019. 1 – 3 and 31 August 2020. ''Scrounger'' by Athena Stevens. Directed by Lily McLeish. World premiere production from January 2020. 7 September – 7 October 2020. ''Death of a Hunter'' by

. Directed by Anthony Shrubsall. UK and English language premiere production from 2018. 1 October – 12 November 2020. '' Adding Machine (musical)'' by Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt. Directed by Josh Seymour. UK premiere production from 2016. 1 November – 31 December 2020. ''I Wish To Die Singing – Voices From The Armenian Genocide'' by Neil McPherson. Directed by Tommo Fowler. World premiere production from 2015. 1 December 2020 – 1 February 2021. ''S-27'' by

Sarah Grochala Sarah Grochala (born 9 January 1973) is a British playwright. Her plays have been performed at the Finborough Theatre, Theatre503, Hampstead Theatre, Arcola Theatre and Soho Theatre in London. Her plays have been produced internationally by the Gr ...

. Directed by Stephen Keyworth. The world premiere of the winner of Amnesty International’s first Protect The Human Playwriting Competition. From January 2021 the Finborough Theatre began to produce new original online content as part of its #FinboroughForFree programme: 1 February – 30 April 2021. ''Late Night Staring At High Res Pixels'' by Athena Stevens. Directed Lily McLeish. The world premiere of a new play repurposed for online viewing. 1–8 April 2021. ''Playfight'' by Julia Grogan. Directed by Blanche McIntyre. The world premiere rehearsed reading of the winner of the 2020 ETPEP Competition. 24 May – 20 June 2021. ''A Brief List of Everyone Who Died'' by Jacob Marx Rice. Directed by Alex Howarth. The world premiere rehearsed reading. 22 June – 20 July 2021. ''Leather'' by Peter Scott-Presland. Directed by Patrick Kealey. The first production in more than thirty years. 28 July – 25 August 2021. ''Masks and Faces or, Before and Behind the Curtain'' by

Charles Reade Charles Reade (8 June 1814 – 11 April 1884) was a British novelist and dramatist, best known for '' The Cloister and the Hearth''. Life Charles Reade was born at Ipsden, Oxfordshire, to John Reade and Anne Marie Scott-Waring, and had at lea ...

and

Tom Taylor Tom Taylor (19 October 1817 – 12 July 1880) was an English dramatist, critic, biographer, public servant, and editor of ''Punch'' magazine. Taylor had a brief academic career, holding the professorship of English literature and language ...

. Directed by Matthew Iliffe. The online premiere of a unique rediscovery. In September 2021, the Finborough Theatre reopened for live performances: 28 September – 23 October 2021. ''How To Survive An Apocalypse'' by

Jordan Hall Jordan Hall is a 1,051-seat concert hall in Boston, Massachusetts, the principal performance space of the New England Conservatory. It is one block from Boston's Symphony Hall. It is the only conservatory building in the United States to be de ...

. Directed by Jimmy Walters. UK premiere production from 2016. 26 October – 20 November 2021. ''The Sugar House'' by

Alana Valentine Alana Valentine is an Australian playwright, dramatist, librettist and Director working in theatre, film, opera and television. As a playwright, she won the Helpmann Award. Valentine first worked with Vicki Gordon Music Productions to create the F ...

. Directed by Tom Brennan. The European Premiere. 23 November – 18 December 2021. ''Yes So I Said Yes'' by David Ireland. Directed by Max Elton. The Great Britain premiere. 28 January – 25 February 2022. ''An Earl's Court Miscellany'' devised and directed by Catherine Harvey. The online world premiere. 31 January – 28 February 2022. ''How To Make A Revolution'' by Einat Weizman with

Issa Amro Issa Amro (Arabic: عيسى عمرو; April 13, 1980) is a Palestinian activist based in Hebron, West Bank. He is the co-founder and former coordinator (2007-2018) of the grassroots group Youth Against Settlements. Amro advocates the use nonvio ...

. Directed by Tommo Fowler. The online world premiere. 1 March – 2 April 2022. ''Bacon'' by Sophie Swithinbank. Directed by Matthew Iliffe. The world premiere. 19 April – 14 May 2022. ''The Straw Chair'' by Sue Glover. Directed by Polly Creed. The English premiere. 17 May – 11 June 2022. ''Bliss'' by Fraser Grace. Directed by Paul Bourne. The world premiere. Online from Monday, 30 May 2022. ''#FinboroughFrontier: Otvetka'' by Neda Nezhdana. Translated by John Farndon. The online premiere. Online from Monday, 6 June 2022. ''#FinboroughFrontier: The Peed-Upon Armored Personnel Carrier'' by Oksana Gritsenko. Translated by John Freedman. The online premiere. Online from Monday, 13 June 2022. ''#FinboroughFrontier: A Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War'' by Yelena Astasyeva. Translated by John Freedman. The online premiere. 14 June - 9 July 2022. ''Darkie Armo Girl'' by Karine Bedrossian. Directed by Anastasia Bunce. The world premiere. Online from Monday, 4 July 2022. ''#FinboroughFrontier: Stand Up For Ukraine'' Written and Performed by Bréon Rydell. The online premiere. 9 August - 3 September 2022. Two Ukrainian Plays. ''Take The Rubbish Out, Sasha'' by Natal’ya Vorozhbit. Directed by Svetlana Dimcovic. The English Premiere. ''Pussycat in Memory of Darkness'' by Neda Nezhdana. Directed by Polly Creed. The first production outside Ukraine. Online from Monday, 29 August 2022. ''#FinboroughFrontier: Tatiana Voltskaya'' Poems by Tatiana Voltskaya. Translated by John Farndon with Larissa Itina. The online premiere. Online from Thursday, 1 September 2022. ''#FinboroughFrontier: Director Polly Creed interviews Tetyana Filevska and Karina Sabri.'' 6 September - 1 October 2022. ''Distinguished Villa'' by Kate O'Brien. Directed by Hugh Fraser. The first London production since 1926. 4 October - 29 October 2022. ''The Coral'' by Georg Kaiser. Directed by Emily Louizou. The first UK production in 100 years. 1 November - 26 November 2022. ''Not Now'' by David Ireland. Directed by Max Elton. The English premiere. 29 November - 21 December 2022. ''12:37'' by Julia Pascal. Directed by Julia Pascal. The world premiere.

Awards

The Finborough Theatre has won the Pearson Award bursary for playwrights nine times for Chris Lee in 2000, Laura Wade in 2005, James Graham in 2006, Al Smith in 2007,

in 2009, Simon Vinnicombe in 2010, Dawn King in 2011, Shamser Sinha in 2013 and Chris Thompson in 2014 – as well as the Pearson Award for Best Play for Laura Wade in 2005 and – under its new name – the Catherine Johnson Best Play Award in 2007 for James Graham and for

in 2010. Anders Lustgarten also won the inaugural Harold Pinter Playwrights Award for the same play, ''A Day at the Racists'', in 2011. The Finborough Theatre won the Empty Space

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Sha ...

Award in 2010 and for a second time in 2012. It was also the inaugural winner of the Empty Space

Award's Dan Crawford Pub Theatre Award in 2005 which it also won again in 2008. It has also won the Empty Space

Mark Marvin Award in 2004 . The Finborough Theatre won four awards in total at the 2011 Off West End Awards, and at the 2012 Off West End Awards, the Finborough Theatre won eight awards in total including Best Artistic Director and Best Director for the second year running, and Best Production, Best Male Performance and Most Promising New Playwright. The Finborough Theatre was awarded

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

100's inaugural Fringe Theatre of the Year award in 2011. Neil McPherson was named as Best Artistic Director in the 2009 Fringe Report Awards and both the 2011 and 2012 Off West End Awards, and won an award for the Encouragement of New Writing from the

Writers Guild of Great Britain The Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), established in 1959, is a trade union for professional writers. It is affiliated with both the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG). History The un ...

in 2010.Writer's Guild website, November 2010

Artistic directors

* June Abbott (1980–1982) * Mike McCormack (1982–1988) * Jessica Dromgoole (1988–1991) * Cathryn Horn and Mary Peate (1991–1994) *

(1994–1999) * Neil McPherson (1999–)

References

External links

Finborough Theatre website
which includes an extensive archive of previous productions {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2020 Theatre companies in London Pub theatres in London Theatres in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Entertainment in London Theatres completed in 1980