Situated slap bang in the middle of Dalston since 2000, the Arcola Theatre was here before the hipsters and – despite one enforced change from its original venue on Arcola Street to its present former paint factory site – remains a bastion of interesting work in theatre-light east London.
The programme here is quite unpredictable but occasionally brilliant: shows have often been announced late in the day and it’s tricky to really put your finger on what the artistic policy is supposed to be. Still, expect revivals of ‘serious dramas’, new plays from fresh voices, and plenty of work with a political, international outlook programmed across its 200-capacity main auditorium and smaller downstairs studio space.
Its biggest constant is Grimeborn, an irreverent and influential festival of new opera writing that takes place in the summer to coincide with the world-famous Glyndebourne Opera Festival. There’s also a real focus on work of interest to the area’s local communities, with occasional stagings of Turkish language plays sitting alongside dramas by the Arcola’s Queer Collective. Tickets generally start at £15-£20, with a small number of Pay What You Want tickets available in person on Tuesdays.
The ramshackle bar is a cosy place to sink a pint before or after the show; it serves tea and coffee during the day, and generally fills up with artsy types on a Friday or Saturday night. The Arcola also has an admirable commitment to becoming completely carbon neutral, as demonstrated in its rather advanced-looking toilets.
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