King's Head Theatre

Started in the 1970s as London's first pub theatre on a spectacularly lean budget, the King's Head Theatre was a tiny space tucked away at the back of a Victorian boozer on Islington's Upper Street. In the past, it's helped launched a raft of stars, among them Hugh Grant, Steven Berkoff and Alan Rickman. In 2024 it moved to new, purpose-built premises just behind the pub. Currently without an artistic director – seemingly a permanent decision – its programming is eclectic but leans heavily towards queer work.