A group of actors started this theatre in the room of a pub but you’ll now find its productions in a much larger, theatre-in-the-round venue.
Attend performances by the in-house and touring theater groups at the award-winning Orange Tree Theatre, located in the London suburb of Richmond.
Established in 1971, the first shows took place in a room of the Orange Tree Pub, with six old church pews used for seating. Two decades later it moved to its current location, which is the Victorian Gothic-style building of a former school with a modern extension. The venue is regarded as London’s only full-time theater-in-the-round, a style of theater with a circular seating plan, or seating on three or more sides. Sam Walters, the artistic director, received an MBE for his services to theater and the theater itself has won multiple Offies (Off West End Theatre Awards).
Take your seat among the 172 audience members to enjoy intimate performances. Seating on all sides of the stage allows the actors to enter from various directions, get up-close with the crowd and encourage participation. Notable British playwrights, such as David Cregan and Terence Rattigan, have all directed shows here. Watch everything from comedies, dramas and musicals to adaptations of plays by George Bernard Shaw and Shakespeare classics such as The Merchant of Venice.
The theater is a minute’s walk from Richmond Station, which is served by London Underground and overground trains. Numerous bus lines also stop at the station. Drivers can use the metered car park at nearby Old Deer Park. Share a drink with fellow theater-goers before and after a show at the Orange Tree Pub, located opposite the theater.
Events take place at Orange Tree Theatre most nights of the week throughout the year. Some shows are one-offs while others run for one month or longer. Reserve tickets by phone or online via the theater’s official website. Alternatively, purchase at the box office from Monday to Friday.
