Southwark Playhouse

It was my first visit here yesterday to see Harvey Fierstein’s ‘Casa Valentina’ and I have to say what a cracking little venue this is!
The Southwark Playhouse reminded me of the Menier Chocolate Factory and great little venue close by, also south of the Thames. It is a theatre company that has been going for years. It moved to its current location in 2013. The theatre is converted a three story warehouse between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations. This is only a temporary theatre, and home until 2018. It houses two performance spaces: a 240-​seat Main House and a 120 seat Studio. The play I saw was in the main auditorium. The seast were bucket seats with no arm rests, but comfortable enough. The audience sat on four sides with the actors in the middle (they also acted behind us at this performance). There is a great view anywhere you are seated. The sound system is very good too.
This theatre has a great bar. It is also reasonable in price, especially for a theatre bar. The have Meantime beers on draught. I had a pint of Yakima Red, which only cost £4.60. You can also take your drinks into the auditorium without transferring them them into plastic glasses, which is a bonus. The bar is relaxed area, which also serves food. It is alos open for lunch, even if there are no productions on.
I instantly fell in love with this place, and will certainly be returning. I think it’s Xanadu, the musical next (I think I’ll be back pretty soon!).

I saw a fantastic show here recently called ‘These trees are made of blood’ about the Argentinian dirty war and the thousands of politically minded students that were ‘disappeared’ aka imprisoned, tortured & murdered, justified as acts of war against terrorism and immorality. Some really stand out performances from fabulous actor musicians that really made you question right & wrong & justifiable acts of war. The show was set in the style of a cabaret & the intimate nature of Southwark playhouse really suited this presentation. As audience members we felt complicit & immersed. Thoroughly recommend this venue as they’ve clearly got an eye for great new shows and spotting young acting talent!

Small and intimate playhouse. The audience is up close with the performers, so you see their facial expressions very well compared to bigger West end theatres.
They have a lovely bar, that also serves snacks and meals pre and post performance. You are allowed to carry your drinks and snacks into the theatre with you

What an absolute gem tucked away behind Elephant and Castle roundabout.
I’ve been walking past this theatre all year, and finally decided to check it out. I’m kicking myself now for not coming sooner! They have a couple of plays running at any time. We watched Twelfth Night by the Oxford University Dramatic Society. I have seriously never laughed so much during a theatre production, much less a Shakespeare comedy. This is a very talented, young group of actors and actresses, and if this is indicative of the quality of other productions at the Southwark Playhouse, I’m going to be returning very soon.
The café is a great little space with tons of couches, benches, board games, and even an old piano tucked away in the corner. The drinks and food are REALLY reasonably priced! There’s also free wifi, so it would be a cool spot to work or hang out during the week.

I’ve been to the Southwark Playhouse twice now in it’s new location. I’ve been lucky enough to get discounted tickets so thought it worth a try.
Now, I am a huge fan of the West End and the big shows but having seen Titanic and Johnny Got His Gun at the Southwark Playhouse I’m also in love with these smaller plays. It’s an intimate venue so you can really feel part of it and you’re so close to the actors you can really see and feel the emotion and see their expressions which you often miss out on in the big theatres.
The seats aren’t the most comfortable but they are perfectly adequate.
There’s no huge stage sets and not so many fancy effects but they create something really incredible with the minimum and the acting really shines through.
I’d definitely recommend finding a play and going to see it. Even if you don’t know the story behind it, you’ll discover something new.

I got a really cheap ticket (£10) to see a play here by my favourite playwright, Dennis Kelly. And they have free water by the bar — something I always respect in theatre bars! I like the modern, hippy vibe of this place too.

Bad bar service. The management really need to train the kids behind the bar some manners.

I came here to see Titanic during preview.
Upon entering the venue, I felt like the place was pretty run down, and was starting to worry about my next few hours at this venue. I also thought the worst of the quality of the production. I fully expected an amateur community theatre type of production.
When I entered the theatre, «The Large», they called it, it was dark, and I had to watch my step and walk under some stairs, it was really weird and it didn’t help my expectation of mediocre theatre production.
All those thoughts went out the door as soon as the play started. Although the theatre was small, it made for an intimate performance, the actors were close to me, I felt like we connected, I felt like I was part of the production. Talented actors and actresses and the production was astounding.
They say never judge a book by its cover, same applies to Southwark Theatre, don’t judge it by the way it looks.

A Perfect Theatre Experience.
A cosy, intimate, versatile venue with a classy variety of performances. This is what theatre is all about.
Just a minutes walk from bustling London Bridge station, just off Tootley Street sandwiched in-​between the Ship Tavern and another generic pub/​restaurant is the gateway to The Southwark Playhouse. Passing a small box office area with smiley young staff, you are ushered into the bar area to wait.
The bar is a cute hang out space in its own right. Dark walls, comfy sofa and wooden tables the bar has a unique relaxed atmosphere. Under the tracks of London Bridge you can hear the intermittent chug chug, rattle rattle of the trains passing overhead. An exposed brick, cave like den of drinking.
I manage to buy a round for two, a pint of meantime pale ale and a Jamacian Ginger beer for under a fiver. With the happy knowledge of knowing for once I haven’t been completely ripped off at a poesy theatre bar I immediately relax into the excitable chatter of the bar.
I went to watch Victor Victoria in The Vault, a second performing space in this venue. It was a perfect setting for this sort of performance. A tunnel roof, again with that exposed brick and audience on either side. The chairs are cramped, close together and very uncomfortable, but it’s a delight to be in such an innovative space.
You can take your drinks in with you, making the transition from bar to show that much easier.
I can’t believe it took me this long to finally get around to going to this place. I love it. I will be returning again and again.

This is definitely not the type of place I would normally chose to go but I was out with some gay friends and one of them suggested it. I must say that I was glad I went along. There were some exciting charachters here and it just turned out to be a bloody greta night.

The Unilocalers before me were right: It’s a delightful, wonderful little venue!
Has an almost cavernous feel, and a quirky lounge reception area, with well priced drinks for a pre-​show beer, cocktail or cappucino.
I saw their magical rendition of Miyazaki’s «Howl’s Moving Castle» and the intimate space was perfect, it worked really, really well and I really enjoyed it :)
I’ll definitely be coming back when another show perks my interest.

Compared with Off-​Broadway theatres in New York, the British playhouse offers beyond the theatrical experience. I am particularly fond of the low key and spacious bar and lounge area. It’s more of a warehouse than a playhouse w/​public access just behind the theatre. No booking fee is required and just turn up even for a large group of 10 – 15. The prices are a bargain, e.g. £1 for a cup of ginger & lemon tea. Downside, it’s not well heated in winter.
Southwark Playhouse is one of the smaller studio theatres south of the river, reminds me Shunt, in a more concentrated way. My 1^st Playhouse encounter is Anansi: An African Fairy Tale. The Ghanian High Life music brought me live. The stage and audience are so close that we shared the pulse of the play.
Thanks to Christine C for the initial introduction and Chen-​en for suggesting the play.

A friend of mine mentioned a cabaret night here called Encore, so I checked it out online, didn’t find out very much and we went along last night not really knowing what to expect.
It set into the railway arches under London Bridge which is certainly atmospheric. On arrival we paid our £6, our hands were stamped and we walked into a vaulted room that operates as a foyer with a bar manned by people that just couldn’t connect the huge queues before them with any sense of operational urgency, there was a small stage with some guitarists playing jazz and most everyone was dressed in 1920s garb. Signage on the inside of the venue advertised this as a 1920s speakeasy night. As luck would have it, what I was wearing didn’t put me too much out of place. A door leading to what I found out later to be a vaulted hall was closed and we were informed by someone standing against it that it would open in a few minutes «after the pole dancing». Pole Dancing! I thought I’d come to a cabaret night at a theatre!!! About 5 minutes later, a somewhat sturdy lady with bobbed hair, big lashes, a fake beauty spot strolled up to the pole wearing pumps, big knickers, bra, lacy top and a bowler hat, strolled up to the pole and some 20s music started playing. I must have had a somewhat confused and bemused look on my face which she noticed, because she sauntered up to me in a theatrical manner, put her hat on my head and proffered her cheek for a kiss. After five minutes of burlesque, very athletic and gravity defying pole work she she donned a robe to cover nip’ tassles and panties, retrieved her hat and the door to the vaulted hall opened. It was strange really, not in the slightest erotic but entertaining, which I suppose was the point.
The vaulted hall was absolutely freezing, it was cold yesterday night but somehow this hall seemed even colder than it was outside not benefitting from the space heaters that were warming the smaller room. Two glitter balls radiated points of light from phased spotlights, there was another bar and more 20s music was playing. After what seemed like 30 minutes or so the band took stage. They looked like an early rock and roll group but played their own numbers that were vaguely reminiscent of the Doors and at times the Smiths, while happy revellers danced the night away and sensible people stayed in the smaller warm room watching fire jugglers and avoiding hyperthermia.
This was billed on the website as a weekly event, but looking at the Southwark Playhouse website today, there is no mention of it, so if you are thinking of going, give them a call first. All in all it was a lot of fun but could have been improved massively by some heating.

The Southwark Playhouse is a delightful little venue which is a credit to the area. It is a little tricky to find but once you do, you’ll be sure to have a good night — well, if you like theatre that is (and even if you don’t, it is a great way to indulge in a little culture).
The venue shows a range of traditional and quirky performance arts and often have different types of performances on various nights which they call their Secrets Season. The downstairs bar is where the action happens an it is very cool indeed as is also good for socialising and to enjoy a drink.
The performers also tend to drink in the bar afterwards and seem enjoy chatting to everyone so don’t be afraid to give them a pat on the back (well, if they were good!).

Had many an audition in this great fringe venue. Central enough that agents can be tempted down means that the genuinely challenging and well-​produced plays attract a good calibre of actors who commit throughly to their work. The overall atmosphere is great with a cool little bar to hang out in either during the interval or after the show, especially if you’re a performer who’s earn’t their well deserved drink.

A true and rare hidden gem. Let’s talk about the bar first. It is a concocted venue with a very simple yet successful attire. Old mis-​matching wooden chairs, rows of chinese like round paper red lights, inside one of the old victorian tunnels, a small stage with a microphone, some couches and doors to enter the theatre part. The bar sells bottled beers, four kinds of spirit (gin, vodka, whisky and rum) and a selection of soft drinks. Such a great vibe to come here for a couple of drinks before going through the doors at half seven for the show.
Let’s talk about the theatre. Great acoustics (thank you tunnel), good size venue and at the moment (and most times) thought provoking plays. Catch their recent production ‘Presumption’ a story about love but not as we know it.

This is a great little venue, which is not getting the attention it deserves. At the moment they are putting on great shows, Philip Pullman’s new play is about the premier here!
Located just by London Bridge station, the actual theatre space is pretty big and very versatile. I have seen it used as a traverse space and a conventional end-​on. There is also a bar for interval drinks. The owners and directors of the place are really cool.
They let a group of us put on a night at the venue, we staged 6 short plays and attracted quite a crowd. I thought it was great of them to give us the oppurtunity as it shows their openess to try us out!