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East London’s coolest theatre is set to be demolished next year

Hackney Wick’s The Yard was only ever intended as a temporary structure, and will finally be torn down after 13 years

Andrzej Lukowski
Written by
Andrzej Lukowski
Theatre Editor, UK
Yard Theatre, 2024
Photo: Maurizio Martorana
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Made from reclaimed materials and erected as essentially a pop-up during the Olympic-era regeneration of east London, the Yard Theatre was too cool and weird to make an immediate massive splash when it opened in 2011. Time Out was one of the few mainstream publications to regularly visit the theatre in its early days, when its combination of eccentric left-field programming and location deep in the heart of Hackney Wick meant it was rather a hidden gem.

That has slowly changed over the years, with the Jay Miller-run theatre establishing itself properly, giving early gigs to the likes of Michaela Coel, Emma D’Arcy, Ncuti Gatwa and the director Alexander Zeldin. It’s always remained left-field, but time, wisdom and Arts Council funding has moved the offering on from the sort of short, mad art experiments of the yearly days. At the same time, the fact a lot of people now live in the neighbourhood now has given it a second life as a nightclub after theatre hours, with upcoming nights including Knickerbocker’s queer dance party NYE edition and the nostalgic nightcore rave Pixelate. 

Long story short, however, it’s been stated since the beginning that the Yard was not going to last forever. Next year it’s being torn down following a final production, as Miller directs Tennessee Williams’s great early masterpiece The Glass Menagerie.

The Yard, artist’s impression
Image: Takero Shimazaki architects

And that will be it… well, kind of. The Yard has assembled a £6.4m fund for its next phase, as it’s scheduled to be rebuilt into a larger, 220-seat permanent structure – partially using materials from the demolished building – by the renowned architect Takero Shimazaki (see sketch above).

It sounds really great, with sustainable design, day to night use, and a structure developed through workshops with artists, young people and residents. Great news, but clearly you can’t just demolish and rebuild a theatre in a couple of months – the new Yard is projected to rise at a TBC point in 2026.

The Glass Menagerie will run at the Yard Feb 28-Apr 21, 2025.

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