Theatre 503
Encyclopedia
Theatre503 is located at 503 Battersea Park Road in Battersea
in the London Borough of Wandsworth
, above the Latchmere pub. It is a performing arts venue which specialises in new work.
.
The original name of the theatre was linked with the pub downstairs, but in 2002, the theatre relaunched under Artistic Director
Paul Higgins under its new name of Theatre503 as a home for new writing. In November 2006 Paul Robinson and Tim Roseman were appointed as artistic directors with the specific brief to develop the profile of the theatre, and the new theatre launched with the European Premiere of The Atheist
.
Since 2002, the venue has seen the premiere of more than fifty new writers, including Dennis Kelly
, Phil Porter
, Duncan Macmillan and Rachael Wagstaff. It went on to win the Peter Brook Empty Space Award, was nominated for a Time Out Live Award in 2006, and won an Olivier Award
in 2010 for its production of Katori Hall
's The Mountaintop
.
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
in the London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Wandsworth
The London Borough of Wandsworth is a London borough in southwest London, England, and forms part of Inner London.-History:The borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, but...
, above the Latchmere pub. It is a performing arts venue which specialises in new work.
History
Originally founded in 1982 as a custom-built studio theatre, the opening production was a new adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which proved so successful that the production transferred to the West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
.
The original name of the theatre was linked with the pub downstairs, but in 2002, the theatre relaunched under Artistic Director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
Paul Higgins under its new name of Theatre503 as a home for new writing. In November 2006 Paul Robinson and Tim Roseman were appointed as artistic directors with the specific brief to develop the profile of the theatre, and the new theatre launched with the European Premiere of The Atheist
The Atheist (play)
The Atheist is written by Irish born playwright, Ronan Noone. His previous plays include The Lepers of Baile Baiste and The Blowin of Baile Gall which had its Off-Broadway debut, produced by Gabriel Byrne, at the Irish arts Center in New York in 2005...
.
Since 2002, the venue has seen the premiere of more than fifty new writers, including Dennis Kelly
Dennis Kelly
Dennis Kelly is a London-based writer for both the theatre and television. Oberon plays have published a volume of Dennis Kelly Plays; Debris, After the End, Osama the Hero and Love and Money...
, Phil Porter
Phil Porter
Phil Porter is an English playwright, librettist and television writer, particularly known for his plays for young people. He is a graduate of the University of Birmingham.-Plays and libretti:Plays and libretti include:...
, Duncan Macmillan and Rachael Wagstaff. It went on to win the Peter Brook Empty Space Award, was nominated for a Time Out Live Award in 2006, and won an Olivier Award
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
in 2010 for its production of Katori Hall
Katori Hall
Katori Hall is an American playwright, journalist and actress from Memphis, Tennessee.Her play The Mountaintop, about Martin Luther King's last night before his assassination, premiered in London in 2009 to great critical acclaim. After a sell-out run at Theatre 503, the play transferred to the...
's The Mountaintop
The Mountaintop
The Mountaintop is a play by American playwright Katori Hall. It is a fictional depiction of the Reverend Martin Luther King's last night on earth set entirely in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel on the eve of his assassination on April 4, 1968.-Productions:...
.
Previous productions
- 20 October - 13 November, The Charming Man by Gabriel Bisset-Smith
- 21 September - 16 October, Breed by Lou Ramsden
- 15 June - 10 July 2010, Wild Horses by Nimer Rashed
- 11 May - 5 June 2010, Madagascar by JT Rogers
- 7 April - 1 May 2010, Porn the Musical by Boris Cezek, Kris Spiteri, Malcolm Galea and Abigail Guan
- 2 March - 27 March 2010, Peter and Vandy by Jay DiPietro
- 26 January - 20 February 2010, Slaves by Rex Obano
- 27 October - 21 November 2009, This Much Is True by Paul Unwin and Sarah Beck
- 9 June - 5 July 2009, The MountaintopThe MountaintopThe Mountaintop is a play by American playwright Katori Hall. It is a fictional depiction of the Reverend Martin Luther King's last night on earth set entirely in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel on the eve of his assassination on April 4, 1968.-Productions:...
by Katori Hall - 12 May - 6 June 2009, Inches Apart
- 1 April - 26 April 2008, Cotton Wool by Ali Taylor
- 6 May - 31 May 2008, Natural Selection by Paul Rigel Jenkins
- 20 February - 15 March 2008, Shadow Language by Kelly StuartKelly Stuart-Life:She lived in Los Angeles.She has been a New Dramatists writer in residence at The Royal National Theatre’s Studio in London.She lives in New York, and teaches in the Theatre Department at Columbia University.-Awards:* 2000 Whiting Writers' Award...
- 27 November - 15 December 2007, Crestfall by Mark O'RoweMark O'Rowe- Personal Background :Mark O'Rowe was born in 1970 in Dublin, Ireland, to parents Hugh and Patricia O'Rowe. He grew up in Tallaght, a working class suburb just south of Dublin, and he claims that much of the violence in his work stems from watching and rewatching a tremendous amount of violent,...
- 30 October - 24 November 2007, Songs of Grace and Redemption by John DonnellyJohn DonnellyJohn W. Donnelly is a National Senior Games Champion and a gold medal winner in Florida Senior Games State Championships in table tennis. Born in Iowa, he began playing the game in high school. In the 1920s after college, he became a stock broker in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and quit the game for 30 years...
- 9 October - 27 October 2007, The Final Shot by Ben EllisBen Ellis (playwright)Ben Ellis is a playwright from Gippsland in Australia, now based in London. His significant works include Post Felicity , Falling Petals , a stage adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis , and more recently Poet No. 7 and The Final Shot , both premiering in London...
- Archive what's on listings from 1996 and current shows