INTERVIEW WITH ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MICHAEL KINGSBURY ON  CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS AT GOLDEN GOOSE THEATRE

October 2025

BACKGROUND

Michael Kingsbury founded Golden Goose theatre during Covid 19 in 2020.   "It garnered quite a lot of publicity at the time, The Guardian, Time Out, The Stage, they couldn’t quite believe anyone would be foolish enough to do it," says Kingsbury.  Kingsbury is Time Out and Peter Brook Award-winning writer and director, and in 2022 he was awarded LPT commendation for OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PUB THEATRES.

He came across Golden Goose pub when he took a different route on foot to visit his mother in her care home.  He knew he'd stumbled across an ideal pub theatre venue, which would also benefit the pub and bring in the local community. 

The theatre opened with LIVING WITH THE LIGHTS ON, a critically acclaimed one-man show, written and performed by RSC actor Mark Lockyer, on his experiences surviving and living with bipolar disorder. (The Guardian called it 'Gripping and brutally funny' ★★★★).  "It was a fabulous one-man show that he did with Latvig Studio originally and toured with ATC touring company" adds Kingsbury.

A year later Golden Goose theatre presented their inaugural in-house production of A Rat, A Rat by Chloe Yates.  Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Playwriting from Paines Plough & Ellie Keel, it won a Standing Ovation Award from London Pub Theatres.

DEVELOPMENTS

Since the opening, there have been many developments at the theatre, including past appointment of Georgia Harris as Artistic Director and two administrators, James Creighton Goode and Emily Rennie, and a newly appointed administrator.    "We're offering proper sustained backup," explains Kingsbury, "assisting with contracts, chatting things through, answering question, meeting companies and overseeing get ins and get outs."

A total refurbishment of the theatre has proved to be a game changer.   "A couple of years ago" says Kingsbury "we had everything stripped out and had three carpenters completely refurbish for six weeks".   It is now a comparable space in terms of size to SoHo studio or the Arcola Studio with raked seating, high ceilings and disabled access on the ground floor.  That is quite rare on the off-west end circuit and Kingsbury is rightly proud of this.   "Certainly, with the fabulous deals that we’re able to do in an 83-seater, there are people coming through and cutting their teeth and developing work in one of the largest pub theatre spaces," agrees Kingsbury.   

FURTHER ACHEIVEMENTS

The theatre has played host to many established companies, actors and creatives of note. "Yes", says Kingsbury, "Since opening, we have hosted multi-Offie-award-winning company Out Of The Forest Theatre, Fringe-First winner Chris Larner, and a new horror company featuring new work by Olivier award-winning Morgan Lloyd Malcolm & Abi Zakarian."  Added to this Chewboy Productions DJ Bazzer's Year 6 Disco won an Offie for its run at the Golden Goose in 2021.  Shows have also been recipients of London Pub Theatres Standing Ovation Awards.  Past Tents by Seth Jones  and David J. Keogh, George Orwell’s Animal Farm adapted by Paul Stebbing,   and actor Edmund Dehn for Lear Alone.

It's also a space for shows featuring emerging artists which are very popular with people in their 20s and 30s.  The space is semi-thrust with traditional wings, but it can be adapted to theatre in the round and this audience friendly set up has led to some exciting shows which have been particularly popular. Kingsbury has the stats to hand.  "From a year ago, there have been around 73 events at the venue with all the scratch nights and one-offs. Involving over 600 practitioners and playing to large audience numbers."   The Lambeth Fringe Festival is currently running, with 14 plays at the venue for three weeks (closing 25 October).   "It’s a really good energy" says Kingsbury.

COMING UP.

In November the venue has a two-week run of The Sea Horse   by Edward J Moore, a two hander which went to Broadway.  "So it’s a real coup" says Kingsbury, "it was performed at the Circle Repertory Company, a huge company in America."

Many more exciting projects are lined up for 2026.  "It's been a huge success," says Kingsbury.  "It's growing and growing; the opportunities are immense."

Michael Kingsbury was chatting with LPT Editor, Heather Jeffery

The full programme of shows at Golden Goose Theatre can be viewed here

Image: Michael Kingsbury