Bush Theatre

Bush Theatre

Bush Theatre
Address	Shepherd's Bush London, W12 United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°30′19″N 0°13′33″W / 51.505277°N 0.225939°W / 51.505277; -0.225939
Public transit	Shepherd's Bush Market
Owner	Alternative Theatre Company
Type	Studio theatre
Capacity	144
Production	Seasons of guest and commissioned productions
Opened	1972 (1972)
Website
bushtheatre.co.uk

The Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world.

A seedbed for the best new playwrights, many of whom have gone on to become established names in the industry, the Bush has produced hundreds of groundbreaking premieres, many of them Bush Theatre commissions, and hosted guest productions by leading companies and artists from across the world.

Artistic Directors

• Jenny Topper (1977–88), jointly with Nicky Pallot (1979–90)^[1]
• Dominic Dromgoole (1990–96)^[2]
• Mike Bradwell (1996–2007)^[3]
• Josie Rourke (2007–12)^[4]
• Madani Younis (2011–present)^[5]

Venue

The Bush Theatre's Original Home (2005)

In 1972 the theatre was established above The Bush public house on the corner of Goldhawk Road and Shepherd's Bush Green, in what was once the dance studio of Lionel Blair. It was established by a maverick actor, Brian McDermott, who used to tour the Fringe.^[6] The venue, despite its fame and massive output, was intimate, only holding a maximum audience of approximately 80.

In November 2010, the Bush Theatre announced it would be leaving its home of nearly forty years and moving to the old Passmore Edwards Public Library building, round the corner from its own home, on Uxbridge Road.^[7]

The move took place in 2011 and opened with the "Sixty-Six Books" project.^[8] This was a celebration of the anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible, which used 66 different writers, many of whom were veterans of the Bush.

Madani Younis took over as Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre in 2012. In 2013 he programmed the company's most successful season to date, which saw the theatre play to 99% capacity.

The Bush Theatre's 2013 production of Pulitzer Prize for Drama winning Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar.

New writing

The Playwriting Department at the Bush Theatre is committed to discovering the best new plays from playwrights from the widest range of backgrounds and therefore seek unsolicited submissions from playwrights throughout the year in dedicated script windows. The Bush is a proud champion of playwrights with a keen interest in those voices not often heard and reflecting the contemporary culture ofLondon, the UK and beyond. The Department receives nearly 2000 scripts a year from new and established playwrights all of which are read and considered for production or development at the Bush.^[9]

Book

To celebrate 40 years of the Bush Theatre, "Close-Up Magic": 40 Years at the Bush Theatre^[10] was published, charting the history of the theatre and including contributions from past directors, actors, writers and audience members.

Productions

Selected past productions

This is a list of selected productions of the Bush Theatre:^[11]

• 2015 Forget Me Not by Tom Holloway
• 2015 RADAR 2015
• 2015 F*ck the Polar Bears by Tanya Ronder
• 2015 The Invisible by Rebecca Lenkiewicz
• 2015 The Angry Brigade by James Graham
• 2015 The Royale by Marco Ramirez
• 2015 Islands by Caroline Horton
• 2014 Visitors by Barney Norris
• 2014 Albion by Chris Thompson
• 2014 RADAR 2014
• 2014 Perseverance Drive by Robin Soans
• 2014 Incognito by Nick Payne
• 2014 We Are Proud to Present a Presentation by the Herero of Namibia, formerly known as South West Africa, from the German Sud-Ouest Afrika Between the Years 1895 - 1915 by Jackie Sibblies-Drury
• 2014 Ciphers by Dawn King
• 2013 Jumpers for Goalposts by Tom Wells
• 2013 RADAR 2013
• 2013 The Herd by Rory Kinnear
• 2013 Josephine and I by Cush Jumbo
• 2013 Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama)
• 2013 Three Birds by Janice Okoh
• 2013 Money the game show by Clare Duffy
• 2012 Straight by D. C. Moore
• 2012 Snookered by Ishy Din^[12]
• 2012 Chalet Lines by Lee Mattinson^[13]
• 2012 The Beloved by Amir Nizar Zuabi^[14]
• 2012 Mad About the Boy by Gbolahan Obisesan^[15]
• 2012 Fear by Dominic Savage^[16]
• 2012 Our New Girl by Nancy Harris^[17]
• 2011 The Kitchen Sink by Tom Wells^[18]
• 2011 Sixty-Six Books by Sixty-Six Writers^[19]
• 2011 This is where we got to when you came in by non zero one^[20]
• 2011 Where's My Seat? by Dierdre Kinahan, Tom Wells and Jack Thorne^[21]
• 2011 In The Beginning by Nick Payne^[22]
• 2011 Moment by Deirdre Kinahan^[23]
• 2011 Little Platoons by Steve Waters^[24]
• 2011 The Knowledge by John Donnelly^[25]
• 2010 My Romantic History by D C Jackson^[26]
• 2010 The Aliens by Annie Baker^[27]
• 2010 The Great British Country Fete by Russell Kane and Michael Bruce^[28]
• 2010 Like A Fishbone by Anthony Weigh^[29]
• 2010 A Little Gem by Elaine Murphy^[30]
• 2010 Eigengrau by Penelope Skinner^[31]
• 2010 The Whisky Taster by James Graham^[32]
• 2009 The Contingency Plan by Steve Waters^[33]
• 2009 The Stefan Golaszewski Plays by Stefan Golaszewski^[34]
• 2009 If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet by Nick Payne^[35]
• 2009 Sea Wall by Simon Stephens^[36]
• 2009 2 May 1997 by Jack Thorne^[37]
• 2009 suddenlossofdignity.com by Zawe Ashton, James Graham, Joel Horwood, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm & Michelle Terry^[38]
• 2009 Apologia by Alexi Kaye Campbell^[39]
• 2009 Stovepipe by Adam Brace^[40]
• 2009 Wrecks by Neil LaBute^[41]
• 2008 50 Ways to Leave your Lover at Christmas by Leah Chillery, Ben Ellis, Stacey Gregg, Lucy Kirkwood, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm & Ben Schiffer^[42]
• 2008 I Caught Crabs in Walberswick by Joel Horwood^[43]
• 2008 Broken Space Season by Neil LaBute, Bryony Lavery, Simon Stephens, Declan Feenan, Mike Bartlett, Nancy Harris, Lucy Kirkwood, Ben Schiffer, Jack Thorne & Anthony Weigh^[44]
• 2008 Turf by Simon Vinnicombe^[45]
• 2008 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by Leah Chillery, Ben Ellis, Stacey Gregg, Lucy Kirkwood & Ben Schiffer^[46]
• 2008 2,000 Feet Away by Anthony Weigh^[47]
• 2008, Tinderbox by Lucy Kirkwood^[48]
• 2008 Artefacts by Mike Bartlett^[49]
• 2008 Helter Skelter/Land of the Dead by Neil LaBute^[50]
• 2007 tHe dYsFUnCKshOnalZ! by Mike Packer^[51]
• 2007 How To Curse by Ian McHugh^[52]
• 2007 Flight Path by David Watson^[53]
• 2007 Trance by Shoji Kokami^[54]
• 2007 Elling by Simon Bent^[55]
• 2007 Tom Fool by Franz Xaver Kroetz^[56]
• 2007 I Like Mine With a Kiss by Georgia Fitch^[57]
• 2007 Product: World Remix by Mark Ravenhill^[58]
• 2007 What Would Judas Do by Stewart Lee^[59]
• 2006 Whipping It Up by Stephen Thompson^[60]
• 2006 Bones by Kay Adshead^[61]
• 2006 Pumpgirl by Abbie Spallen^[62]
• 2006 Cruising by Alecky Blythe^[63]
• 2006 Crooked by Catherine Trieschmann^[64]
• 2006 Trad by Mark Doherty^[65]
• 2006 Christmas Is Miles Away by Chloe Moss^[66]
• 2006 Try These On For International Size by Reg Cribb, Jón Atli Jónasson, Abbie Spallen, Shoji Kokami^[67]
• 2006 Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers Of The Qur'an by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt^[68]
• 2005 When You Cure Me by Jack Thorne^[69]
• 2005 Bottle Universe by Simon Burt^[70]
• 2005 After the End by Dennis Kelly^[71]
• 2005 The Obituary Show by The People Show^[72]
• 2005 Kingfisher Blue by Lin Coghlan^[73]
• 2005 Mammals by Amelia Bullmore^[74]
• 2005 Take Me Away by Gerald Murphy^[75]
• 2005 Bites by Kay Adshead^[76]
• 2004 Going Donkeys by Richard Cameron^[77]
• 2004 How Love Is Spelt by Chloe Moss^[78]
• 2004 Damages by Steve Thompson^[79]
• 2004 Adrenalin...Heart by Georgia Fitch^[80]
• 2004 One Minute by Simon Stephens^[81]
• 2004 Christmas by Simon Stephens^[82]
• 2003 The God Botherers by Richard Bean^[83]
• 2003 Airsick by Emma Frost ^[84]
• 2003 Nine Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo^[85]
• 2003 Little Baby Nothing by Catherine Johnson^[86]
• 1997 Disco Pigs by Enda Walsh^[87]
• 1997 Love and Understanding by Joe Penhall^[88]
• 1997 St Nicholas by Conor McPherson^[89]
• 1997 All of You Mine by Richard Cameron^[90]
• 1987 Dreams of San Francisco by Jacqueline Holborough^[91]
• 1987 It's A Girl by John Burrow
• 1987 Tattoo Theatre by Mladen Materic^[92]
• 1987 The Mystery of the Rose Bouquet by Mauel Puig^[93]
• 1987 Effies Burning by Valerie Windsor^[94]
• 1987 People Show No 92 Whistle Stop by People Show^[95]
• 1987 Love Field by Stephen Davis^[96]
• 1987 More Light by Snoo Wilson^[97]
• 1987 An Imitation of Life by Abbie Spallen^[98]
• 1986 The Oven Glove Murders by Nick Darke^[99]
• 1986 Making Noise Quietly by Robert Holman^[100]
• 1983 Hard Feelings by Doug Lucie^[101]
• 1980 Duet for One by Tom Kempinski
• 1972 The Relief of Martha King by David Parker^[102]
• 1972 Christmas Carol by Frank Marcus^[103]
• 1972 Plays for Rubber Gogo by Christopher Wilkinson^[104]

Bibliography

• Burkey, Neil (2011). "Close-Up Magic": 40 Years at the Bush Theatre. Google Books. London: Profile Books Limited. ISBN 978-1906-50765-7. 

References

External links

• The Bush Theatre Retrieved December 2014
• Bush Theatre at the Shepherd's Bush Blog Retrieved December 2014