Bush Theatre 'Breaks Out' Along Uxbridge Road

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Moving to other venues while building closes for major facelift

The Bush Theatre is about to 'break out' into other local venues, including Bush Hall and churches, pubs and even laundrettes while the theatre itself gets a major facelift.

Work on the theatre, housed in the former Shepherd's Bush Library on Uxbridge Road will include a new conservatory running alongside the courtyard, with a new entrance greeting visitors as they exit the tube station.

A new lift will provide better accessibility for visitors in wheelchairs and for its artists, there will be new dressing rooms, studio and an expanded rehearsal room. For staff the office will also be expanded.

Those behind the project hope it will enable the venue to better reflect, connect with and pay homage to its community.

Funding for the works has reached 90% and has been supported by Hammersmith & Fulham Council and Arts Council England.

While the expansion works are underway, the theatre will host shows at various venues including a European premiere of Boys Will Be Boys at Bush Hall, The Royale at the Tabernacle in Notting Hill.

This Place We Know meanwhile will feature a series of plays performed at venues along the Uxbridge Road, including churches, pubs and laundrettes.

Launching the Bush Breaks Out plans, artistic director Madani Younis said he hoped they will prevent the fear that theatre would become 'the domain of a chosen few'.

" 2016 will be such a landmark for us," he said. " Many theatres in this country don’t reflect the culture of this country. This city is changing and so this theatre must too."

Madani added that despite the venue having served as a good home to date, it was time to expand and make better use of the available space and bring the venue closer to the community in which it resides.

" This is a very exciting time for the Bush Theatre and we’re delighted to be supporting them as they embark on this ground-breaking venture," added Cllr Andrew Jones, H&F Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration." This will be a huge boost to the arts and culture in Shepherds Bush and beyond.

The work is due to begin in mid-April and after it is completed by early 2017 it is hoped will generate 15,000 more visitors per year.

Tickets for Boys Will Be Boys and The Royale are now available online.

March 7, 2016