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King's Head Theatre

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40: 136: 119: 128: 1442: 1454: 425:- a week of work bringing together highlights from the past 50 years and featuring work from Timberlake Wartenbaker, Audrey Sheffield, Dame Harriet Walter, Gemma Whelan, Tom Stoppard, Stephen Jeffreys, Annabel Arden, Tim Luscombe, Bryony Lavery, Abigail Anderson, Victoria Wood, Annabel Leventon, Bill Russel & Janet Hood. 336:
In March 2010, Opera Up Close founded by Adam Spreadbury-Maher and Robin Norton-Hale became resident company of the theatre. Spreadbury-Maher was also appointed Artistic Director in the same year. In October 2010, it was announced that the theatre would become "London's Little Opera House", the first
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The King's Head has presented a wide array of productions: musicals, stand-up comedy, revues, contemporary forgotten classics, and new work by both new and established playwrights. Under the Crawfords' leadership The King's Head has won multiple awards and numerous productions have transferred to
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The theatre renews its focus on showcasing LGBTQ+ work, work that is joyful, irreverent, colourful and queer. In an interview, Ravenhill stated: "I'm excited to move forward the LGBTQ+ work of the King's Head Theatre. Historically, the stories of gay men have tended to dominate and while we will
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and others, and pulled the theatre out of debt. In 2007, Sinclaire was joined by the Tony Award-winning New York producer, Steven M. Levy, who has been serving as the company's Executive Producer. Levy and Sinclaire got the theatre producing for a year and presented several musical and play
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The atmosphere Crawford created in 1970 was intended to be enjoyed by an interesting, cosmopolitan and cultural audience, but noise complaints have limited the music from its previous nights a week. Crawford disagreed with the introduction of decimal currency; for over twenty years after
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of the pound (1971), the bar continued to show prices and charge for drinks in pre-decimal currency. However, the current management decided to introduce computerised tills, while keeping the antique till as the main focal point in the pub.
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venue in London. It is the oldest operating pub theatre in the UK. In 2021, Mark Ravenhill became Artistic Director and the theatre focusses on producing LGBTQ+ work, work that is joyful, irreverent, colourful and queer.
235:, since 1543. The theatre was previously used as an old boxing ring and pool hall. The theatre's reconstruction in 2007–2008 increased both the stage size and seating capacity, with the addition of new seating. 429:
continue to tell some of those stories, I'm looking forward to exploring the full spectrum of experiences symbolised by the rainbow flag. We want to be the home for a new wave of diverse queer theatre makers."
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In 2002, Crawford and Sinclaire won the Queen's Golden Jubilee Award for their contribution to the Arts, and the Trainee Resident Director Scheme that they had begun won the Royal Anniversary Trust Award.
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took over with help from those who had worked with Crawford. She mounted 20 galas in the first year at the theatre with the help of Caroline Smith and longtime supporters such as
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by Tennessee Williams received its UK premiere before transferring to the West End. Other notable productions that premiered at the King's Head Theatre include
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The theatre continued to receive multiple transfers and awards. In 2011 the theatre won an Olivier Award for Best New Opera Performance for Opera Up Close's
1485: 324:(2006), was produced by Dragonfly Films and Xi Pictures, and co-directed by Stephanie Sinclaire and Jason Figgis. It ran on SkyARTS World for three years. 460:'Islington: Social and cultural activities', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8: Islington and Stoke Newington parishes (1985), pp. 45–51 317:
also ran at the theatre for nine months in the late night slot as well as the main time slot before Steven Levy transferred it to The Arts Theatre.
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In the period before the Covid-19 pandemic, the theatre started to build its reputation for producing LGBTQ+ work, with notable titles including
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In 2021, Mark Ravenhill was appointed Artistic Director of the theatre. The theatre celebrated its 50th anniversary with
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Dan Crawford ran the venue for 35 years until his death in 2005. His wife and long-serving associate artistic director
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The small theatre is located in the back room behind the bar at the King's Head pub on
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new opera house in London for over 40 years. The first opera performed was
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Index

Kings Head Theatre

Upper Street
Islington
N1
Coordinates
51°32′17″N 0°06′10″W / 51.538056°N 0.102778°W / 51.538056; -0.102778
London Underground
Angel
National Rail
Essex Road
London Underground
Highbury & Islington
kingsheadtheatre.com
off-West End
Upper Street
London Borough of Islington
St Mary's Church
Stephanie Sinclaire
Maureen Lipman
John Mortimer
Linda Marlowe
Sharon D Clarke
Clive Rowe
Janie Dee
decimalisation
West End
Broadway
Leonard Bernstein
Peter Pan

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