Away from the limelight

London is spoilt with its choice for stage shows, with long-standing plays like The Mousetrap, new musicals like Clueless and experimental comedy and sketch shows popping up in pub theatres across the capital. But more often than not, audiences find themselves on autopilot, rushing towards the West End in search of entertainment, without considering the productions on offer away from this cultural hub.

The term ‘Off-West End’ can refer to a few things. Most obviously, it refers to theatres that are outside the West End district of London, but it can also refer to smaller venues with a smaller capacity for seating, as well as theatres that support emerging creatives rather than commercial shows that present existing IP. Off-West End shows often take creative risks, are bold in their choice of topics, contemporary in their perspective and exciting for audiences to engage with.

A vital pipeline

Last year, London saw the closure of Vault Festival, an annual event that aimed to make theatre ‘more diverse, more experimental, more inclusive, more joyful and more embracing of the talents and ideas that emerging artists have to offer.’ It was a huge loss to the creative community when it didn't secure the funding it needed to continue in 2023, and was forced to close the following year.

But these venues and festivals form the pipeline for the bigger West End venues. If venues and festivals that support new talent are not funded, it makes it completely unsustainable for a team to ever be able to climb the ladder. We end up in a world of regurgitated IP, limited new talent coming through and a step back in the progression of diverse stories.

It's not just the actors who are affected: it's entire teams. ‘An issue which faces the new writer is isolation,’ says Sam Pout, literary associate and dramaturg at Omnibus Theatre in Clapham. ‘Writers need long-term relationships with fringe venues that they identify with, and vice versa.’

A recent play that stole the hearts of the West End audience was Shifters by Benedict Lombe which had a sold-out run at the Bush Theatre before getting its West End transfer. It just shows how important venues like the Bush Theatre are to contribute to the theatre scene of London.

Money matters

With the cost-of-living crisis is affecting many industries across the country, West End ticket prices are skyrocketing. According to the Guardian, the average ticket price is now £57.31, but we have all seen how tickets can go for hundreds of pounds with a celebrity cast member. Off-West End tickets, however, tend to stay in the range of £10-30, making it a much more affordable options for audience members of all socioeconomic backgrounds. That ticket price also goes into supporting a venue and team that are championing new work. Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond has recently launched an Under 30s night, in which young people can see a performance and post-show talk with a free drink for just £15.

A look ahead

While the Vault Festival is no longer with us, there are still plenty of new programmes, venues and small-scale festivals popping up around London and in other cities around the UK. So instead of booking Les Mis for the millionth time, why not try something new at a smaller venue to fuel our creative industries? Let's keep London's theatre scene alive and well with new work from a diverse pool of theatre-makers.

A few Off-West End venues to visit

Theatre 503

Location: Battersea

Capacity: 64

Best for: new writing

Omnibus Theatre

Location: Clapham

Capacity: studio seats 75, main theatre seats 110

Best for: interdisciplinary work

Orange Tree Theatre

Location: Richmond

Capacity: 180

Best for: contemporary drama and reimagining classics

Southwark Playhouse

Location: Elephant and Castle

Capacity: large theatre seats 230, smaller theatre seats 134

Best for: stories from a diverse range of voices