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Theatre and Performance Venues in London

Find and book a performance venue or theatre in London

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Welcome to our collection of theatre production venues. Unusual performing arts venues are hot property right now, with the creative industry constantly on the lookout for unique immersive theatre spaces in London or cool performing arts spaces, both classic and alternative in style and feel. Here at Canvas, we are delighted to be able to offer you a wide variety of options that fit the bill, each and every one offering its own merits and appeal for a stand-out performance. From hip interactive theatres to immersive spaces that help set the tone for the occasion, we have fantastic options for hire all over the city, so that you can really make the most of what London has to offer; whether it’s the convenience of Central London, the trendy vibes of the East End or the precedence of the West End that most attracts you.

Top Tips for a Successful Theatre Production

There are a lot of different cogs that make up the machine that is a theatre production, and all of them need to be well oiled right from the start. It’s not an easy job but seeing a play you’ve produced be performed live to an appreciative audience is a reward that you’ll never forget. Here are our top tips for making yours a success:


Choose A Play You Enjoy


If you are going to be producing or directing the production, you are going to need to really like the play that you’re putting on. After all, you’re going to be seeing an awful lot of it. Whether it’s a musical script, some classic Shakespeare, or a brand-new play by an up and coming writer, you really need to believe in the message that you are bringing to the stage. If you are enthusiastic about it, the rest of the people around you will be too. If you already have a group of actors, make sure that the play you choose suits their tastes and style as well. It’s important that they love it just as much as you do.


Get a Team Together


Putting on a truly great theatre production is no small feat, and you are going to need a large team of creative people behind you to have a chance of being successful. Depending on your budget for the play, will decide whether the majority of these people are hired, or if they are volunteers. If you need volunteers, look to your local universities for those interested in costume design and lighting. Even if you can pay them something, their wages will still work out less than those with more experience.


Pre-Production


The pre-production stage is vitally important for any theatre production. This is where you set out your vision for how you want the play to look. It is the time to discuss lighting, effects, and set design as well as costume. Knowing at this stage what is and isn’t going to be feasible will help you to get everyone involved on the same page. This will include a number of meetings as a group, but you might also need individual meetings with certain members of the team to go through how they see themselves working and any extra ideas that they can bring to the table.


Find a Venue


While you might already have a space sorted for your initial rehearsals, you are going to need somewhere for your play to actually be performed. This is a decision that your team needs to be involved in, as different venues will affect how they are able to work. It’s best to choose somewhere that isn’t too far from the rehearsal venue and it will need to be free for a few weeks before the opening night. This is so you can get everything ready and have full dress rehearsals in the actual space that you’ll be in on the night. Luckily, there are a wide rage of theatre production venues for hire in London, so you shouldn’t have any difficulty in picking one out.


Host Auditions


Here comes the tough bit, choosing your cast! In order to get the talent that you’re looking for, you’ll need to post your call-outs well in advance so that those that want to try out have time to prepare. You’ll also need to be specific in what you want to see at an audition. How long of a scene will you want, are you accepting a monologue as an audition, is singing a requirement? All of these questions need to be answered in your notice and you’ll need to promote your auditions far and wide. Make sure that you have a comfortable and relaxed venue to hold all of the auditions in to put everyone at ease, and make sure there is a strict time-limit on everyone’s performance!


Rehearsals


Once you’ve chosen your cast, the next step is getting them all on board with your vision for the play. In your first meeting, lay out everything that has been decided in pre-production and have some ice-breakers and warm ups to help the cast get to know each other if they don’t already. When it comes to rehearsals, you need to have them regularly on a strict schedule that everyone knows about. They also need to start on time, and most importantly – end on time. Your cast won’t appreciate being held late unexpectedly. By having a strict schedule, you’ll have no problems getting everything perfect.


Sell Some Tickets


With the rush of rehearsals, actually selling tickets for the event can be overlooked. This is another reason why you’ll need extra hands to help out. Advertising and marketing are absolutely key, so having adverts not only online but as printed flyers and in your local newspaper will really help you to get the word out and get tickets sold. Having the teaser video of the cast in rehearsal will really spark people’s interest so this is a great thing to incorporate if you can. Getting a good poster designed is crucial as this will be the most that your audience will have to go on before the big night. Another good idea is to have early bird tickets for sale to encourage people to buy early and secure their seats. This will help to give you some breathing room knowing that you’ll definitely have an audience in attendance.


While putting on a theatre production is hard work, it is also massively rewarding. When you have a good team around you, then trust that they are doing their jobs correctly and marketing and selling tickets. Before you know it, opening night will be here, yet there’s no point in worrying, enjoy it! Going into an event like this with a positive attitude will make a massive difference to the people around you, so make sure you savour the moment.

FAQs Theatre and Performance Venues in London

What is a theatre production venue?

London is home to a whole host of iconic theatre production venues that shape the capital’s exciting entertainment landscape. But what is a theatre production venue? A theatre production venue is a space that hosts concerts, shows and other performances. Today, there is a huge demand for exciting performing arts venues and unique immersive theatre spaces in London that are able to provide the perfect setting for every type of production.



What type of theatre production venues can you hire in London?

When it comes to hiring a theatre production venue in London, you will find a wide variety of options that have been designed to accommodate all of your theatre production needs. From hip interactive theatres to immersive spaces that help set the tone for the occasion, there are some fantastic options for hire all over the city, so you can really make the most of what London has to offer. Other theatre production venues you can hire include: • Proscenium stages • Thrust stages • Black-box or studio theatres • Platform stages • Hippodromes • Theatres in-the-round • Arena theatres • Open air theatres



What type of events can you host in a theatre production venue?

Whether you’re planning on putting on a production that you have worked tirelessly on or you’re looking for the perfect venue for an awards ceremony, there’s lots of events that you can host at a theatre production venue. Other events include the following: • Conferences • Celebrations • Dramas • Awards ceremonies • Competitions • Graduation party • Charity gala • Wedding



Why is London famous for its theatre production venues?

London’s West End is arguably the theatre capital of the world. Renowned for its many theatre production venue spaces, if you’re looking to hire a theatre production venue, London should be your first port of call! Of course, there are lots of other theatres in London too so you’ll have a wide variety of choices.



Which part of London is famous for its theatres?

London's theatrical heartland is the West End. However, lots of other parts of London are also home to their fair share of fantastic theatre venues, including Piccadilly Circus Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden to the east.



Popular areas for theatre production venues in london

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