About
An innovative & award-winning fringe pub theatre in Clapham, South London
'one of the most exciting ones amongst the London pub theatres!' - RemoteGoat
'an extremely ethical organisation' - London Pub Theatres Magazine
'a new wave of venues (....) – all on the sort of sweetheart deals of old. Further proof, then, that it’s far from last orders for pub theatre.' - The Guardian
Introduction
A 40- to 60-seat fringe venue above The Bread & Roses Pub, this intimate and versatile space boasts a wide variety of productions which bring in local and far-reaching audiences alike. Artistic quality and representation of our societies' real diversity are at the heart of the theatre's programming with a focus on new writing, underrepresented voices, distinctive work and the development of new work and opportunities. As well as welcoming visiting companies, the theatre hosts an in-house schedule of its own, producing well received in-house productions and facilitating a range of schemes and events.
More a creative hub than simply a venue, the Bread and Roses Theatre offers many ways for emerging creatives to take to the page or stage. Theatre-makers are offered rich and challenging writing opportunities to involve in and box office split deals with no hidden fees. Thereby providing audiences with a constantly increasing diversity of perspectives, voices and creative approaches.
More a creative hub than simply a venue, the Bread and Roses Theatre offers many ways for emerging creatives to take to the page or stage. Theatre-makers are offered rich and challenging writing opportunities to involve in and box office split deals with no hidden fees. Thereby providing audiences with a constantly increasing diversity of perspectives, voices and creative approaches.
Photographer: Ricardo Correia
Contemporary revivals, reinvented classics, devised work, improvisational theatre, comedy events, family shows and physical theatre – this adaptable space can accommodate all.
Located within walking distance of several Underground and Overground stations in London Travel Zone 2 (Clapham North, Clapham Common, Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road) as well as major bus routes, the theatre sits in a brilliant location.
The pub itself offers drinks, food, a beer garden and a vibrant live music scene on Fridays and Saturdays - after the theatre performances are finished.
Located within walking distance of several Underground and Overground stations in London Travel Zone 2 (Clapham North, Clapham Common, Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road) as well as major bus routes, the theatre sits in a brilliant location.
The pub itself offers drinks, food, a beer garden and a vibrant live music scene on Fridays and Saturdays - after the theatre performances are finished.
'this kind of venue proves what can be accomplished in the city’s smaller performance spaces' - 17Percent
'exploring London’s fantastic fringe theatre scene is a rewarding experience, and at a fraction of cost of the big well-known productions. The Bread & Roses Theatre works well as a venue and made for the perfect setting' - LondonTheatre1
In-House Theatre Life
Managing Director Rebecca Pryle & Executive Director Tessa Hart at the launch of the first Clapham Fringe in 2015
Since 2015 The Bread & Roses Theatre Company (BRTC) regularly produces full-scale in-house productions, particularly focused on new writing and contemporary revivals, such as Low Level Panic (Clare McIntyre), dirty butterfly (debbie tucker green), The Buzz (Lydia Rynne) and Hungerland (Rachel O'Regan). The Platform, meanwhile, is the in-house scratch night that has been growing strong since 2012 and showcases short pieces of new writing and works in progress, usually twice a year.
The Clapham Fringe - founded by the The Bread & Roses theatre team in 2015 - takes place each year, typically from late September to early October. Opening their doors to a huge variety of performers and productions, this jam packed two-week-period offers companies and individuals of all disciplines and levels of experience stage time, promotion and a supportive fringe experience, right here in London.
The Clapham Fringe - founded by the The Bread & Roses theatre team in 2015 - takes place each year, typically from late September to early October. Opening their doors to a huge variety of performers and productions, this jam packed two-week-period offers companies and individuals of all disciplines and levels of experience stage time, promotion and a supportive fringe experience, right here in London.
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The theatre also runs several support and outreach schemes with its Playwriting Award, Emerging Director & Producer Programs as well as Emerging Companies Award. Furthermore, since 2018 The Bread and Roses Theatre has been publishing selected play scripts that premiered at the venue, through its own independent publishing house and from December 2018 to February 2020 the team ran a second location in London King's Cross called the Chapel Playhouse.
In 2020, due to Covid-19, for the first time in its history, none of the in-house theatre projects could take place, however, the theatre was granted lifeline funding from Lambeth's Council Arts & Culture at Risk fund, as well as the government's Culture Recovery Fund (through Arts Council England), to help enable it to continue operating as well as keeping fringe theatre diverse and exciting.
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Interview with Managing Director Rebecca Pryle & Artistic Director Velenzia Spearpoint in 2019On The Bread & Roses Playwriting Award and the in-house production Hungerland written by Rachel O'Regan
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The Pub
The Bread & Roses Pub is owned by the Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Union Council. This is a lay run local trade union body which is the South West London arm of the national TUC. BWTUC, trading through its Workers Beer Company fundraising arm, has been running bars at festivals throughout the UK and Ireland for over 27 years. It trades at Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds, Latitude, Proms in Hyde Park, Tolpuddle Festival and many more including the free Olympics Live Sites event in Victoria Park throughout the Olympics in 2012. The Bread and Roses in Clapham is the Company's first pub and is a great place for live music, comedy and theatre.
To find out more about the pub and its history go to www.breadandrosespub.com. |
The Theatre
The in-house Bread & Roses Theatre Company (BRTC), founded in summer 2012, has been running regular new writing night The Platform since October that year, in what was initially nothing more than the upstairs function room at The Bread & Roses Pub. Following these first regular theatre performances at the venue other companies and groups started enquiring about the space and putting up scratch performances and showcases. Hence the idea of creating a permanent pub theatre at the venue was born.
After some major refurbishing work of the space and the investment in lights and stages - all sponsored by the fabulous Bread & Roses Pub - the theatre was then officially launched in November 2014 under the management of the BRTC. Since the launch the theatre has immediately been able to build up a busy and diverse quality programme, which is going from strength to strength. |
Short documentary for the theatre's second anniversary in 2016
With the Co-Founders, Managing Director Rebecca Pryle & Executive Director Tessa Hart (also Artistic Director until 2018)
Why 'Bread & Roses'?
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Bread and Roses was a song written during a strike of women textile workers in Lawrence Massachusetts, USA in 1912. Twenty seven thousand women went on strike and marched for eleven weeks to improve their working conditions.
Their banners called for bread and roses and a poet among them, James Oppenheim, wrote these words, which went on to become a famous song for women trade unionists everywhere and is still sung by delegates to the ICTU Women's Conference at the conclusion of the conference. The pub is named in recognition of their struggle and the theatre and in-house theatre company consequently decided to adopt the same name. |
As we come marching, marching in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray, Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses, For the people hear us singing: "Bread and roses! Bread and roses!" As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men, For they are women's children, and we mother them again. Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes; Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses! As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread. Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew. Yes, it is bread we fight for—but we fight for roses, too! As we come marching, marching, we bring the greater days. The rising of the women means the rising of the race. No more the drudge and idler—ten that toil where one reposes, But a sharing of life's glories: Bread and roses! Bread and roses! |
Examples of The Bread & Roses Theatre covered in the press and media
In June 2016 The Bread & Roses Theatre was featured as pub theatre of the month by the London Pub Theatres Magazine.
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Our Edinburgh Fringe Previews (July 2015), Clapham Fringe (September 2015) and One Billion Rising Festival (February 2016) were all covered by television channel London Live.
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The Stage, the world's longest-running publication for the performing arts industry, featured our launch in October 2014!
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Female Arts published an interview with the venue's co-managers Tessa Hart & Rebecca Pryle.
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After another interview with the theatre's co-managers the SW Londoner also published an article about our launch.
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2020 - London Pub Theatre Awards
Commendation for Services To Pub Theatres (Tessa Hart, Rebecca Pryle, Velenzia Spearpoint) 2019 - TravelMag Top 8 Best Pub Theatres in London 2018 – Time & Leisure Food & Culture Awards Commended in the category Most Innovative Arts Project 2015/2016/2017 – International Centre for Women Playwrights Recipient of ICWP 50/50 Applause Award for three years in a row 2015 – TimeOut Readers' favourite six small-scale theatres in London |
