About The Old Red Lion Theatre

"For a neighbourhood theatre, it has to be the Old Red Lion. I put my own play on there and recently I saw a production of the 'Playactor', directed by Julio Maria Martinez. I remebered again as I went ustairs why this tiny theatre is so exciting. Atmosphere. Because of the pub, the place has its own life. The two are connected in a way you don't often find. Each feeds into the other".

- Time Out - 'Best of London' - March 14 - 20 2007

Nina Raine, winner 2006 Most Promising Playwright Award. Nina Staged her first show 'Rabbit' at the Old Red Lion Theatre March/April 2006.

The Old Red Lion Theatre Pub has played host to some of Britain's most exciting theatrical talent since it was founded in 1979 as the Old Red Lion Theatre Club.

Then led under the Artistic Direction of Charlie Hanson (Birds of a Feather, Harry Hill and Extras) it became a place for actors, directors, designers , writers and technicians to experiment and thrive with their art.

After the Kings Cross Disaster in 1987, the theatre was threatened with closure due to the tightening of fire regulations. A saviour came in the form of new Artistic Director Ken McClymont who raised funds to keep the theatre from closing.

Ken continued here as Artistic Director until 2002 where he enjoyed a prolific 15 years as an award winning director and designer. His productions included: Diaspora Jigs, Waiting For The Angels, The Coming of The Gowf, Murder at Bridgeport, The Timekeepers and many, many more...

The new theatre manager Helen Devine hopes to keep the ORL's reputation for innovation and make it into a hotbed for the UK's most exciting new theatrical talent.

OLD RED LION WINS DAN CRAWFORD PUB THEATRE AWARD

Wednesday 8th November

It was announced yesterday at the 17th Empty Space... Peter Brook Theatre Award's ceremony at the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden, that the Old Red Lion Theatre has won the Dan Crawford Pub Theatre Award for 2006, receiving a cheque for £2,000.

This is the second year of the Award, which is for pub-based venues and is named in memory of Dan Crawford, the late founder and artistic director of the King's Head Theatre in Islington, who with his pioneering work in the 1970's is viewed as the 'father of the fringe'. The award is open to venues nationwide and the winner is chosen by a panel of national theatre critics.

On making the Award to the Old Red Lion Theatre, Daily Telegraph theatre critic Dominic Cavendish said,

"The work I've seen there in the past 12 months has included two of the best things I've seen anywhere this year - Nina Raine's witty, trenchant account of metropolitan twentysomething life, Rabbit - rightly picked up for a further life at the Trafalgar Studios and Don DeLillo's satire on celebrity culture and the hollowness at the heart of modern media, Valparaiso. Other venues might be bigger and better ventilated but few have offered such mind-expanding work and afforded such bracing breaths of fresh air."

Helen Devine, Old Red Lion Theatre artistic director since 2004, commented on receiving the award,

"We were completely taken by surprise and delighted by this Award. It's fantastic to be recognised by our peers in the theatre world. Our thanks go to all the shows that have performed in the theatre last year and to all the theatre-goers who come and support the Old Red Lion Theatre."

Old Red Lion Theatre Managing Director Damien Devine said,

"I had often joked more than once with Dan, that the West End was really just" off Islington!" We are delighted and it is an honour to be the recipient of an Award in the memory of our good friend Dan Crawford. Much credit is due to our Artistic Director, Helen Devine, and all of the hard-working staff at the Old Red".