The Yard Theatre

The Yard Theatre stands in Hackney Wick, a converted warehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It opened in 2011 under Artistic Director Jay Miller, with help from Tarek Iskander, Sasha Milavic Davies and Alex Rennie. The building was once a disused warehouse, now transformed into a theatre and bar. The theatre works with young people and local groups, including Hackney Wick’s community centre Hub67. In 2019 it took on The Hall in East Village, Newham, and in 2024 received £700,000 to build a new permanent venue. The Yard has won awards for its work, including the Peter Brook Empty Space Award in 2013 and 2017. It also received the Dan Crawford Innovation Award in 2012 and another Peter Brook award in 2025. In 2026 it claimed its first Olivier Award for Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre. Shows like Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum Dreams began at The Yard before moving to the National Theatre and becoming a BBC series. Its nightlife programme has been covered in national and international press. Inside, the theatre hosts plays, performances and digital events such as Yard Online. Productions have included a gender-swapped version of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Clare Barron’s Dirty Crusty. Nightlife events feature collectives like INFERNO and Pxssy Palace. The space also supports community projects and young people’s work, much of which moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic.