Brixton House

Summary

Brixton House is an Off-West End theatre in Brixton in the London Borough of Lambeth, located at 385 Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8GL. It is the successor to Ovalhouse at Kennington, and opened in 2022.[1]

Brixton House
Map
Address385 Coldharbour Lane
London, SW9 8GL
United Kingdom
OperatorOvalhouse Theatre Limited
TypeCommunity producing theatre
Capacity180 and 120
Construction
Opened2021; 3 years ago (2021)
ArchitectEdmund Wilson
Website
brixtonhouse.co.uk

Ovalhouse edit

The roots of Brixton House can be traced back to the 1930s and its foundations, as Christ Church (Oxford) Clubs, by the graduates of Christ Church, Oxford. Young people from disadvantaged areas in South London were able to access sports activities, skills training and supervised leisure activities through membership of the club. In the 1960s the club moved into theatre and it became known as the Oval House Theatre (later Ovalhouse), gaining a reputation as one of the most important centres for pioneer fringe theatre groups.[2]

Ovalhouse closed in 2020, and moved to Brixton, initially named as Ovalhouse in Brixton but then Brixton House in time for opening in 2022.[2] The move to Brixton was long in development: it was first announced in 2013, with an initial opening date of 2016.[3]

Brixton House edit

The inaugural artistic director of Brixton House is Gbolahan Obisesan.[4] The theatre aims to be a cultural hub for social entertainment and artistic inspiration.[5] There are two performance spaces, seating 180 and 120 audience members.[5] The building was designed by Edmund Wilson of Foster Wilson Architects.[5][6] It is adjacent to, and retains views of, Nuclear Dawn, one of the Brixton murals.[6]

Planned Productions edit

Planned productions include:[7]

  • Mugabe, My Dad and Me, by Tonderai Munyevu[8]
  • Station, by Hussina Raja[8]

References edit

  1. ^ "Brixton House: Our Story". Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Ovalhouse: About Us". Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  3. ^ "What's On Stage: Ovalhouse Theatre 'delighted' by planned move to Brixton, 28 August 2013". Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Brixton House: From Ovalhouse to Brixton House". Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Brixton House: Our House". Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Foster Wilson: Brixton House". Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  7. ^ Thompson, Jessie (23 February 2022). "Brixton House: London's newest theatre is ready for its audience". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  8. ^ a b "The Guardian: "A Tale of Two Buildings", 27 February 2022". Retrieved 18 March 2022.

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