Theatre503 is located at 503 Battersea Park Road in Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth, above the Latchmere pub. It is a performing arts venue which specialises in groundbreaking plays. Their programme combines new plays by emerging playwrights alongside work un-revived since the 1980s/90's in their Second Look Programme. The third strand of work is made up of plays written by upcoming talent that has been picked by esteemed playwrights, such as Howard Brenton, Caryl Churchill and Timberlake Wertenbaker.
Theatre503 was founded in 1982 as an offshoot of the Gate Theatre (London), and is a custom-built studio theatre. The opening production was a new adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which proved so successful that the production transferred to the West End.
The original name of the theatre was linked with the pub downstairs, but in 2002 the theatre relaunched under Artistic Director Paul Higgins with a new name of Theatre503, and became a home for new writing. In November 2006 Paul Robinson and Tim Roseman were appointed as artistic directors with the specific brief to develop the profile of the theatre, and the new theatre launched with the European Premiere of The Atheist.
Since 2002, the venue has seen the premiere of more than fifty new writers, including Dennis Kelly, Phil Porter, Duncan Macmillan, Rachel Wagstaff, Alice Birch, Gabriel Bisset-Smith, Chris Urch, Jon Brittain and Phoebe Eclair-Powell. It went on to win the Peter Brook Empty Space Award, was nominated for a Time Out Live Award in 2006, and won a Olivier Award in 2010 for its production of Katori Hall's The Mountaintop. Tim Roseman left Theatre503 in October 2012 and is now Artistic Director of PlayWriting Australia. Paul Robinson opened his 1st season as sole Artistic Director with 'Desolate Heaven', a new play by Ailís Ní Ríain. In 2014 the theatre was nominated for a second Peter Brook Empty Space Award, and won the Argus Angel for Artistic Excellence for its production "Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho".
Awards and nominations
2015
Nominations - Off West End, Best New Play (Jon Brittain for Rotterdam) Off West End, Best Set Designer (Ellan Parry for Rotterdam) Off West End, Best Supporting Female (Jessica Clark for Rotterdam)
2014
Winner- Argus Angel for Artistic Excellence (Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho)
2014
Winner - Off West End, Best Set Designer (Signe Beckmann for A Handful of Stars)
Nominations - Off West End, Best Director (Paul Robinson for A Handful of Stars) Off West End, Best Sound Designer (Simon Slater for A Handful of Stars) James Tait Black prize for Drama (Ailis Ni Riain's for Desolate Heaven) Off West End, Best Set Designer (Petra Hjortsberg for Occupied) Off West End, Best Supporting Female (Fiz Marcus for Occupied)
2014
Nominated- Peter Brook Empty Space Award
2013
Nominations-Off West End Awards: Paul Robinson for Best Artistic Director Best Production (Land of Our Fathers) Most Promising new Playwright (Sam Potter for Mucky Kid) Best Sound Designer (Simon Slater for The Life of Stuff) Most Promising Playwright (Jon Brittain and Matt Tedford for Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho)
2011
Winner – Off West End Awards: Most Welcoming Theatre Best New Musical (Porn – The Musical) People’s Choice Best Female Performance (Jessie Cave for Breed) Nomination – Most Promising Playwright (Gabriel Bisset-Smith for The Charming Man) Winner – Off West End Adopt A Playwright Competition – Sarah Grochala
2010
Winner – Olivier Awards, Best New Play, The Mountaintop by Katori Hall Nominated – Olivier Awards, Best Actress, Lorraine Burroughs for The Mountaintop Nominated – WhatsOnStage Awards – Best Actor, David Harewood for The Mountaintop Nominated – WhatsOnStage Awards – Best New Play, Katori Hall for The Mountaintop Nominated – Alfred Fagon Award – Rex Obano for Slaves
2009
Nominated – Evening Standard Awards, Most Promising Playwright, Katori Hall for The Mountaintop Shortlisted – Evening Standard Awards – Best Actor, David Harewood for The Mountaintop Nominated – TMA Awards, Best New Play, The Lifesavers by Fraser Grace (co-production with Mercury Theatre, Colchester) Winner – Meyer Whitworth Award, Ali Taylor for Cotton Wool
2008
Nominated – Peter Brook Empty Space Award
"I and the Village" by Silva Semerciyan, 9 Jun - 4 July, 7.45pm (Sundays 5pm, Sunday 21 Jun 3pm)
"The Air Around Us" by George Cresswell, 21 Jun 7.45pm - 22 June 3pm & 7.45pm
"Three Writers Walk Into A Forest..." by Rosalind Adler, Ian Dagger and Pippa Evans, 14 - 18 Jul, 7.45pm
"A Handful of Stars" by Billy Roche transferred to the West End.
"Land of Our Fathers" by Chris Urch transferred to the West End before touring.
"Freak" went up to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
"Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho" transferred to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the West End before touring.
"The Mountaintop" by Katori Hall transferred to the West End and Broadway.
25 August 2015 - 29 August 2015 "Frankenstein's Creature" by James Swanton
12 May 2015 - 6 June 2015 "Sense of An Ending" by Ken Urban
5 May 2015 - 9 May 2015 "EleXion" by Various Authors
8 April 2015 - 2 May 2015 "Animals" by Emma Adams
10 March 2015 - 4 April 2015 "WINK" by Phoebe Eclair-Powell
2 December 2014 - 10 January 2014 "Cinderella and the Beanstalk", Rhapsody of Words, Theatre503 and Sleeping Trees
10 November 2014 "Society of Strange", Extempore Theatre
4 November 2014 - 29 November 2014, "Cans" by Stuart Slade
28 October 2014 - 1 November 2014 "Red Like Embers: Contemporary Voices From Brazil"
3 September 2014 - 20 September 2014, "Starlore for beginners" by Samantha Ellis
21 August 2014- 27 August 2014, "Little Stitches" by Various Authors
1 July 2014 - 12 July 2014, "A First World Problem" by Milly Thomas.
24 June 2014 - 28 June 2014, "Is It Getting Cold In Here...?" by Various Authors
17 June 2014 - 21 June 2014, "It Never Ends" by Julian Poidevin
3 June 2014 - 14 June 2014, "ObamAmerica" by Various Authors
27 May 2014 - 31 May 2014, "Girl From Nowhere" by Victoria Rigby
30 April 2014 - 24 May 2014, "A Handful Of Stars" by Billy Roche
25 February 2014 - 22 March 2014, "Dog Days" by Annie Hulley
22 January 2014 - 15 February 2014, "A World Elsewhere" by Alan Franks
14 January 2014 - 18 January 2014, "Woman In The Dunes" by Micha Columbo
10 December 2013 - 4 January 2014, "Margaret Thatcher Queen Of Soho" by Jon Brittain and Matthew Tedford
10 December 2013 - 11 January 2014, "Boris And Sergey's Vaudevillian Christmas Adventure" (Company Devised)
5 October 2013 - 9 November 2013, "Hotbed Festival Double Bill" by Steve Waters
20 August 2013 - 24 August 2013, "Ernie" by James Craze
30 July 2013 - 3 August 2013, "Gather Ye Rosebuds" by Silva Semerciyan
17 June 2013 - 6 July 2013, "Our Share Of Tomorrow" by Dan Sherer
3 June 2013, "Rapid Write Response: Playing With Grown-ups"
18 February 2013 - 22 February 2013, "Double Bill: Still I See My Baby & Happiness" by D B Horriganand Danny Whitehead
5 February - 2 March 2013, Desolate Heaven by Ailís Ní Ríain
29 January - 2 February 2013, Freak/Staunch/Closure by Anna Jordan
22–26 January 2013, Festopia by Various
8–19 January 2013, Steve And Then It Ended by Adam Usden
9–10 December 2012, XY by Various
4 December - 5 January 2012, Cul-De-Sac by Matthew Osborn
6 November - 1 December 2012, Where The Mangrove Grows by Joe Hammond
9 October - 3 November 2012, Elegy by Douglas Rintoul
2–6 October 2012, Shhhh... by 503Five
4–29 September 2012, Life for Beginners by Various
12–13 July 2012, Billy Chickens is a Psychopath Superstar
10–11 June 2012, XY by Various
5–30 June 2012, MEAT by Jimmy Osborne
29 May - 2 June 2012, Mudlarks by Vickie Donoghue
1–26 May 2012, Shiverman by James Sheldon
23–28 April 2012, The Mole and the Worm by Lowri Jenkins
17–21 April 2012, The Crossing by Esther O'Toole
20 March - 14 April 2012, The Girl In The Yellow Dress by Craig Higginson
26 February 2012, Blast Off
7 February - 3 March 2012, Mathematics of the Heart by Kefi Chadwick
10 January - 4 February 2012, Man in the Middle - a wikiplay by Ron Elisha
3–7 January 2012, This Year It Will Be Different
1–26 November 2011, The Swallowing Dark by Lizzie Nunnery
17–29 October 2011, Kalashnikov: In The Woods By The Lake by Fraser Grace
27 September - 4 October 2011, Hacked by Various
30 August - 24 September 2011, Beasts (Las Brutas) by Juan Radrigan
15–17 July 2011, Carrot by ben Ockrent
17 May - 11 June 2011, Many Moons by Alice Birch
19 April - 14 May 2011, SOLD by Suzie Miller
27–28 March 2011, International Women's Month: PLAYlist
23–16 March 2011, The Consultant by Neil Fleming
15–19 March 2011, Ruffled by Ellen Gylen
15 February - 12 March 2011, The Biting Point by Sharon Clark
18 January - 5 February 2011, Bonnie And Clyde
5 January - 8 February 2011, Pushing Up Poppies by Kieran Lynn
7–12 December 2010, Phantasmagoaria by Gravel Theatre
23 November - 5 December 2010, Coalition by Various
20 October - 13 November 2010, The Charming Man by Gabriel Bisset-Smith
21 September - 16 October 2010, Breed by Lou Ramsden
15 June - 10 July 2010, Wild Horses by Nimer Rashed
11 May - 5 June 2010, Madagascar by JT Rogers
7 April - 1 May 2010, Porn the Musical by Boris Cezek, Kris Spiteri, Malcolm Galea and Abigail Guan
2–27 March 2010, Peter and Vandy by Jay DiPietro
26 January - 20 February 2010, Slaves by Rex Obano
27 October - 21 November 2009, This Much Is True by Paul Unwin and Sarah Beck
9 June - 5 July 2009, The Mountaintop by Katori Hall
12 May - 6 June 2009, Inches Apart
1–26 April 2008, Cotton Wool by Ali Taylor
6–31 May 2008, Natural Selection by Paul Rigel Jenkins
20 February - 15 March 2008, Shadow Language by Kelly Stuart
27 November - 15 December 2007, Crestfall by Mark O'Rowe
30 October - 24 November 2007, Songs of Grace and Redemption by John Donnelly
9–27 October 2007, The Final Shot by Ben Ellis
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