Established in 1970, King's Head Theatre is now over 50 years old. Here are just a few of the highlights of our incredible journey so far...
 

1970 | Dan Crawford founds the first pub theatre in London since Shakespeare’s day and King’s Head Theatre is born. Dan Crawford serves as Artistic Director for 35 years.

1983 | A revival of Mr Cinders, opens at King’s Head Theatre before transferring to the West End. It goes on to run for 527 performances.

1983 | Noel and Gertie, starring Joanna Lumley, premieres at King’s Head Theatre.

1985 | Hugh Grant makes his acting debut at King’s Head Theatre.

1986 | Maureen Lipman stars in Olivier Award-nominated Wonderful Town at King’s Head Theatre.

1988 | The premier of Tom Stoppard’s Artist Descending a Staircase opens at King’s Head Theatre before transferring to Broadway.

1991 | Steven Berkoff directs & stars in the UK premiere of Kvetch at the King’s Head Theatre.

2002 | Dan & Stephanie Crawford receive Her Majesty the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for Contribution to the Arts, & The Trainee Resident Directors Scheme wins the Royal Anniversary Trust Award.

2006 | The documentary King’s Head Theatre: A Maverick in London, is made. It airs on SkyARTS World for 3 years.

2010 | Opera Up Close, founded by Adam Spreadbury-Maher & Robin Norton-Hale become resident company for 4 years. Adam becomes Artistic Director of King’s Head Theatre.

2011 | La boheme wins the Olivier Award for Best New Opera Performance.

2012 | Vieux Carre by Tennessee Williams receives its UK premiere before transferring to the West End.

2015 | King’s Head Theatre forms a new charity to secure the future of the theatre.

2015 | Shock Treatment, the sequel to The Rocky Horror Show Picture Show has its world premiere at King’s Head Theatre.

2015 | Trainspotting is first performed at King’s Head Theatre, hitting its 900th performance in August 2017.

2016 | 43,857 audience members see a show at our London home - our highest footfall ever!

2017 | King’s Head Theatre announces the transfer of La boheme & Strangers in Between to Trafalgar Studios 2 in London’s West End. La boheme goes on to be nominated for Best New Opera Production at the Olivier Awards.

2019 | King’s Head Theatre’s production of Kevin Elyot’s Coming Clean transfers to Trafalgar Studios 2 in London’s West End.

2021 | Mark Ravenhill is appointed as Artistic Director.

2022 | King's Head Theatre finally has its 50th birthday celebration, delayed because of Covid-19.

KHT50: Barstools to Broadway plays for one week bringing together work which premiered at King’s Head Theatre in the 1970s & 1980s. These plays included Timberlake Wertenbaker’s The Third, performed at the V&A & read by Harriet Walter & Gemma Whelan, directed by Audrey Sheffield.

Other plays are read at KHT include Tom Stoppard’s Artist Decending a Staircase, directed by original director Tim Luscombe. Stephen Jeffreys' Like Dolls or Angels, directed by his wife Annabel Arden and performed by Isobel Adomakoh Young & Joel Maccormack. Bryony Lavery’s Grandmother’s Steps, performed by Showstoppers! stars Ruth Bratt & Lucy Trodd, directed by Abigail Anderson. Victoria Wood’s musical Good Fun, directed by original cast member Annabel Leventon. Finally, we closed the week with Elegies for Angels Punks & Raging Queens, directed by writer Bill Russell and joined by 30 recent graduates. 

2022 | Produced the UK Premier of Freud’s Last Session which was developed into a major motion picture starring Anthony Hopkins.

2022/23 | The theatre co-produced Mediocre White Male starring Will Close (Olivier Award Winner 2024 for Best Supporting Actor) and written by Will Close and Joe von Malachowski.

2023 | King's Head Pub Theatre closes its doors after 53 years, on the 13th August 2023, with a special event starring Steven Berkoff, Mark Gatiss, Ian Hallard, Dame Janet Suzman, Linda Marlowe, Freddie Love, Saul Boyer and Bold Mellon.

2023 | The theatre hosted Guest Artistic Directors Isabel Adomakoh Young (Orlando, As You Like It, Globe Theatre), Tom Ratcliffe (Writer, Wreckage - UK Tour; Director, Breeding by Barry McStay), Tania Azevedo (Director, But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical) and David Cumming (Writer & Performer, Operation Mincemeat, Olivier Award Winner 2024 for Best New Musical).

2024 | King's Head Theatre opened at its new building 116p Upper St on 5th January with Exhibitionists by Shaun McKenna and Andrew Van Sickle.