THEATRE PROFILE

THEATRE503

Above The Latchmere pub

503 Battersea Park Road

London, SW11 3BW

https://theatre503.com/

LASTEST NEWS / 2023

Theatre503 enters its next exciting phase of a capital campaign, working towards the opening of a brand new 503Studio in Nine Elms.

IN A NUTSHELL

Theatre503 is the national theatre for debut playwrights and the artists who bring their words to life. It plays a vital role in the theatre ecology by helping diverse new voices reach the first rung on the artistic career ladder.  The 63-seat theatre based in Battersea, has nurtured modern classics such as The Mountaintop by Katori Hall and Rotterdam by Jon Brittain – both Olivier Award winners – and classics in the making like Yasmin Joseph’s J’Ouvert, winner of the 2020 James Tait Black Prize, and Ross Willis’ Wolfie, winner of the 2020 Writers Guild Award for Best New Play. Theatre503 alumni have written for Succession, Doctor Who, Killing Eve, Normal People and One Day.

LOCATION

Housed above the Latchmere pub in Battersea, South London.

By Tube:

Sloane Square then bus 319

South Kensington then bus 49 or 345

Vauxhall then bus 344

By Train:

Clapham Junction then 20 minutes walk or bus 49, 319, 344 or 345

By Bus:

44, 49, 319, 344, 345

Get off at stop The Latchmere

PRODUCTIONS

The plays are in close conversation with our times, from voices we haven’t heard before, that makes us see the world anew.  They like to surprise, invigorate and entertain audiences, celebrate bold theatricality, with an emotional connection and plays that provoke the mind.

VALUE ADDED

For Audiences

503Friends - an annual subscriptions offers several

• Priority Booking
• Free Ticket Exchange (for another date in the show’s run)
• 20% Discount on Dining at The Latchmere (Mon-Fri)
• Biannual Supporters Newsletter
• Gift Membership for Friends and Family

Audience Special performances/ ACCESS

Socially distanced performances, Relaxed, Parent and Baby, Captioned and Pay What You Can, Enhanced performance and touch tour

Physical Access

A lift is being installed in the Battersea theatre in 2023.

For Theatre Makers

This new writing theatre offers many opportunities for writers including: an annual International Playwriting Award, 503Five Writers Residency, Writers courses, 1-2-1 dramaturgy, script reading.

Writers Night: A chance for writers to enjoy a discounted ticket and meet our literary department and the writer of the show. Attendees to Writers Night are invited to submit for our Rapid Write Response initiative.

The 503Studio at Nine Elms – a new 320 square metre, state-of-the art studio space in Nine Elms, Wandsworth which will open its doors by 2026.  It aims to be a centre of excellence for early career playwrights, an open space for anyone in the local community who wants to tell their story and explore their creativity and a bridge to the theatre.

THE PUB

A landmark building, The Latchmere has recently undergone huge regeneration, restoring one of Battersea’s most beautiful buildings to create a spectacular public house and garden. The garden spaces include a heated courtyard (covered in the winter months), an al fresco snug and a sun terrace.

A BRIEF HISTORY

In 1982 the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill expanded to include a custom built studio theatre above the Latchmere Pub – The Latchmere Theatre, subsequently renamed the Grace Theatre. In 2002 the venue became first known as Theatre503 and took its first steps towards being a home for new writing, becoming a registered charity in 2006. That year under the leadership of Paul Robinson and Tim Roseman as joint Artistic Directors, 503 became an entry level new writing theatre. In 2012 Paul became sole Artistic Director with Jeremy Woodehouse appointed as 503’s first Executive Director. In 2016 Lisa Spirling and Andrew Shepherd became Artistic and Executive Directors, supported by Literary Manager Steve Harper.  Anthony Simpson-Pike as apppointed new Artistic Director, succeeding Lisa Spirling who departs Theatre503 after eight years to join Stratford East as Artistic Director. In a new leadership model for Theatre503, Anthony will share the role of Joint CEO with Executive Director Emily Carewe.

Since 2006 many first-time writers have gone on to establish a career in the industry thanks to the support of Theatre503: Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer, RSC & West End), Anna Jordan (Bruntwood Prize Winner for Yen, Royal Exchange, Royal Court and Broadway), Vinay Patel (writer of the BAFTA winning Murdered By My Father), Katori Hall (Mountaintop, 503, West End & Broadway – winner of 503’s first Olivier Award), to name a few. 2 of the last 5 winners of the Evening Standard’s Most Promising Playwright Award came from 503’s writers’ residency, the 503Five (Beth Steel and Charlene James). They have nurtured modern classics such as The Mountaintop by Katori Hall and Rotterdam by Jon Brittain – both Olivier Award winners – and classics in the making like Yasmin Joseph’s J’Ouvert, winner of the 2020 James Tait Black Prize, and Ross Willis’ Wolfie, winner of the 2020 Writers Guild Award for Best New Play. Theatre503 alumni have written for Succession, Doctor Who, Killing Eve, Normal People and One Day.

Archive Interview with Andrew Shepherd 2021

By Heather Jeffery

Andrew Shepherd is Executive Director of Theatre503 and works alongside Artistic Director Lisa Spirling.  I have never seen him so animated as when asked what kind of theatre he likes. There is a momentary pause and then a whole new persona emerges. Shepherd is actor and playwright, having had work performed all over the world.  He has written that funding application, and he is well-versed in what it takes to get a play onto the stage.

Part of his job at Theatre503 is to make sure everybody and everything is in the best possible place. “Our Mantra is that art leads, but art cannot work in isolation” explains Shepherd, “it needs to be created, literal, tangible and it’s my job to ensure that everything around that artistic narrative is serving the arts as best we can.” On a practical day to day basis, he looks after the more operational side, the venue, communications, fund raising, and business development. However, there is an overlap with the small team and a synergy between himself and Spirling.

He is always asking whether the production team has the best possible circumstances for making successful theatre but at the same time he is also practical, it might be the plumbing or health and safety.

So, to hear him speak about his love for theatre is a joy to hear. “I love the theatricality” he explains. “I love the joy when people throw everything at a show, I adored Wolfie (directed by Spirling).” Theatre503s current show also comes in for praise (also directed by Spirling). “Milk and Gall … it’s that stretching of the emotions that goes with it.”  

He admits that he has always been obsessed with Shakespeare.  He trained as an actor at LAMDA after his law degree. “I always wanted to be an actor” he admits, “it was the deal I made with my family.”  He quietly mentions that he didn’t go to as many lectures as he should have because he was mainly acting and making friends.  His mother’s entire family are lawyers who have their own law firm but he is not alone in his love of Shakespeare, it’s a family thing.

Shepherd is particularly fond of new writing and has a similar taste to Spirling. He elaborates: “Those stories which have an ability to stretch the emotions on stage with powerful acting and directing. That silence in the room filled with people who don’t want to blink. That ability to make someone laugh, or cry, to switch in a moment.” He also sees that good plays are like playing music, that there’s a musicality throughout the play.   “When you get that special play it’s like hearing music; there is a rhythm and a cadence to it.” 

When he is reading scripts he hears the actors voices and listens for that musicality. “The human voice is a musical instrument and often really fab writers write that on paper, a play like Wolfie clicks and connects with you” says Shepherd with much animation.

Theatre503 is well known as a International centre of excellence for new writing with excellent writing courses and global links. There are several different routes to getting a play produced at Theatre503 via: unsolicited scripts which are read all the year round, Theatre503 International Playwriting Award and they also have the 503Five writers residency. 

However, Theatre503 was concerned about the local community. “If it’s not serving the people who live on our doorstep then we’re failing them” says Shepherd. “We felt that we weren’t quite there; the Young Vic is the closest, but what does a world class neighbourhood centre look like?” He and the team pooled their collective experience to win a funding bid to open 503Studio – a new 320 square metre, state-of-the art studio space in Nine Elms, Wandsworth which will open its doors by 2023. It aims to be a centre of excellence for early career playwrights, an open space for anyone in the local community who wants to tell their story and explore their creativity.

It aims to fill the gap in the ecology. “A space for writers who don’t know they’re writers yet” says Shepherd. “We want to harness that in the local area; people just being creative by telling their stories but the most important part of that is that the community is extending beyond Wandsworth.”

There are still people in the Wandsworth area who don’t know Theatre503 exists and some may feel it is not for them. “There are 350,000 people in Wandsworth” says Shepherd, “If we reach just ten percent of them that’s 35,000, of really exciting untapped resources for creativity in our local community.”

Theatre503 are keen to broaden access to theatre. “It’s about who is telling the stories” he says. “Whether it’s about Notting Hill Carnival, or third generation immigrants or a story about a Syrian refugee family, it’s speaking about a moment or a story you haven’t seen before.”

The same goes for their tailored performances which include parent & baby, relaxed performances and captioned performances.   Which brings us neatly round to the current production at Theatre503, Milk and Gall. It’s about a woman giving birth on the same night as the 2016 elections in the United States. Spirling (director) took her three month old baby into the rehearsals with her which informed the play. With a parent and baby performance of the show, young families don’t have to miss out.  Plans are already being drawn up for a bigger conversation embedded in the creativity at Theatre503 for captioned performances.

Passionate about access, Theatre503 is also looking at physical access to the theatre with the installation of a lift by the end of 2023. The future of Theatre503 is being created right now.