The Kings Head Theatre

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115 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 1QN T: 0844 412 2953

The Kings Head Theatre in Islington

The Kings Head Theatre, Islington

The King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970 by the late Dan Crawford, is an Off-West End venue in London. It was the first pub theatre in the UK.

The theatre is located in the back room behind the bar at the King's Head pub on Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington.

The small area creates a very intimate setting for actors and audience alike.

The theatre is now housed in a Victorian building, but a public house, originally known as The King's Head Tavern, has remained on the same site, opposite the parish church, since 1543.

The King's Head has presented a wide array of productions: musicals, stand-up comedy, revues, contemporary and forgotten classics, and new work by both new and established playwrights. It has won multiple awards. Numerous productions have transferred to mainstream West End and Broadway theatres.

Artists who have appeared at the King's Head Theatre include Steven Berkoff, Kenneth Branagh, Kathy Burke, Judy Campbell, Ken Campbell, Dan Castellaneta, Quentin Crisp, Anita Dobson, Dawn French, Brian Friel, Rupert Graves, Patricia Hodge, John Hurt, Neil Innes, Ben Kingsley, Peter Land, Joanna Lumley, Jean Marsh, Sylvester McCoy, Ron Moody, Gary Oldman, Clive Owen, Susan Penhaligon, Nigel Planer, Michael Praed, Bertice Reading, Corin Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Prunella Scales, Mel Smith, Victor Spinetti, John Standing, Imelda Staunton, Tom Stoppard, Janet Suzman, Sylvia Simms, Victoria Wood, Susannah York and Leigh Zimmerman.