Kiln Theatre

The Kiln Theatre stands on Kilburn High Road in the London Borough of Brent. It began in 1980 as the Tricycle Theatre, home to the Wakefield Tricycle Company, a touring group founded eight years earlier by Ken Chubb and Shirley Barrie. The building itself was once the Foresters’ Hall, built for a friendly society and later used as a cinema, music hall and council office. After a fire in 1987 destroyed much of the interior, the theatre was rebuilt and reopened in 1989. In 2018 it became the Kiln Theatre, a change supported by artistic director Indhu Rubasingham as a link to local identity and global creativity. The name shift drew public debate, with petitions both for and against. The theatre has long championed new writing and political work. It has staged original plays by playwrights including Lynn Nottage, Zadie Smith and Roy Williams. From 1994 under Nicolas Kent it pioneered “tribunal plays,” verbatim reconstructions of public inquiries, bringing legal and social issues to the stage. The venue also runs extensive education and community programmes in the Creative Space. After a major refurbishment completed in 2018, the auditorium now seats 292 with improved access and a new street-level café. The rebuild added technical bridges and extra toilets, making the building more welcoming. Inside, visitors find a flexible auditorium with an enlarged stage and individual seating. The refurbishment kept the original proscenium arch but moved the acting area forward into a courtyard-like space. A 300-seat cinema sits beside the theatre, and the Creative Space hosts workshops and classes. The street-facing café offers a place to pause between shows. The building’s history remains visible in the restored façade and the unusual layout shaped by past uses. Audiences come for plays that reflect Brent’s diversity and for the chance to see work by emerging and established writers alike.