Bloomsbury Theatre

The Bloomsbury Theatre stands on Gordon Street in Bloomsbury, a district in the London Borough of Camden. It is owned by University College London and has a seating capacity of 545. The theatre presents professional programmes of music, drama, comedy and dance throughout the year. It also hosts student-led productions for twelve weeks annually. The building includes the Bloomsbury Studio in the basement, a flexible black box space with seating for up to seventy. The theatre opened in 1968 as the Collegiate Theatre and became the Bloomsbury Theatre in 1982. It was renamed the UCL Bloomsbury from 2001 to 2008 to highlight its link with University College London. The main theatre closed for renovation in 2015 and reopened in February 2019. The original logo, designed by cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, was restored after nearly twenty years. The building also provides access to the UCL Union Fitness Centre and a café on the ground floor. Notable performers have included comedian Ricky Gervais, who staged two stand-up shows there. Adele gave her first solo concert at the theatre in January 2008. The venue has hosted lectures, orchestral residencies and premieres such as Pirandello’s Liola in English. It also played a role in the early careers of filmmakers Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas. The theatre remains a lively part of London’s cultural scene.