 Almeida Theatre
Almeida Street, Islington, London, N1 1TA
What's on at Almeida Theatre
Nearest underground:
Angel (Northern Line) and Highbury and Islington, Victoria Line
Nearest rail:
Highbury and Islington and Essex Road
The history of the Almeida building extends back until 1837, although it only became a theatre relatively recently. Purpose-built for the Islington Literary and Scientific Institution, the handsome neo-classical structure had been used as a music hall and even a factory before it was left disused. It was rediscovered in 1972 by three Oxford graduates who renovated the dilapidated building and opened it as a theatre in 1980.
The Almeida became home to a full-time producing company in 1990 under the direction of Jonathan Kent and Ian McDiarmid and quickly established itself as an innovative and award-winning theatre. Some of the actors that have walked its boards include Kevin Spacey, Cate Blanchett and Juliet Binoche.
By 2001 the building was again in need of major repair and it closed. The theatre’s operations relocated to a disused bus garage in King’s Cross whilst an appeal to raise the necessary £7.6 million for renovation work was launched. It re-opened at its Islington home again in May 2003 with Michael Attenborough as artistic director. Its opening and critically acclaimed production was Henrik Ibsen’s The Lady and the Sea.
What's on at Almeida Theatre
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