Streatham, South London, UK info@streathamhilltheatre.org 020 3582 4912
Breaking the Code cast

Breaking the Code – Streatham Festival 2015

Streatham’s very own theatre company, STC, presents Breaking the Code at Streatham Hill Theatre, for this year’s Streatham Festival. It tells the story of Alan Turing, who was the eccentric genius who helped break the complex German Enigma code, playing a major role in the winning of WW II.

After the war Turing turned his scientific and mathematical genius to the concept of developing an ‘electronic brain’; the first computer.

Meanwhile, in his private life Turing was breaking another code: the taboo of homosexuality. In 1952 he was convicted of the criminal act of gross indecency and sentenced to undergo hormone treatments as part of his rehabilitation.  He committed suicide in 1954.

Following on from the recent film The Imitation Game, our production  of Hugh Whitemore’s play focuses on Turing the man, his personal moral code, the relationships that influenced his life and his struggle to appreciate the conventions and laws of 1950s society.

“Hitler did not like Panto” for Streatham Festival 2015

As part of the Streatham Festival in 2015, Lucy Spanyol created a series of blue plaques for various sites around Streatham, including the Streatham Hill Theatre.

It alludes to the bombing of the theatre during World War 2.

Update Feb 2022: Lucy has kindly donated the plaque to our archive – thanks Lucy!

Lucy’s plaques were part of the Art23 Art Trail:

Painter Lucy Spanyol displays her blue plaques along Streatham High Road and Streatham Hill. There are over 12 plaques to be spotted. Some are humorous, some sincere and some plain damn lies!”

Access all Eras show image

Access All Eras – Halloween at Streatham Hill Theatre

At Hallowe’en (All Hallows Eve and All Hallows Day) ghouls and ghosts – and old actors – come out of the fabric of this historic theatre. This is a rare chance for a night time tour of our local former theatre, and who knows what might happen on the way!

Streatham Theatre Company presents Access All Eras, a theatrical performance where anything might happen! You must be 18 or over to attend due to licensing restrictions. You will be entering non-public and unused areas of this listed building and must be able to climb stairs.

STC’s Memories of Streatham Blog

Streatham Theatre Company’s blog has been collecting memories of Streatham, including a number involving Streatham Hill Theatre.

The blog was started as part of the Playing with Sugar project:

“We involved local people in devising and performing a new show to celebrate 125 years since the Streatham Free Public Library Act 1889. The show was performed to mark the celebrations for the opening of the newly renovated Streatham Tate Library in March 2014. It was inspired by the collected reminiscences of local residents from Streatham and a volunteer research team interviewed residents and collated submissions. The STC artistic team then worked with local people to devise, write and perform the show based on those reminiscences. The show is complemented by this blog, which tells the story of the project and shares a selection of the memories and extracts from the interviews.”

On the Air cast

On the Air: STC returns to Streatham Hill Theatre

Following on from their launch show at the theatre, STC are back with a new show On the Air.

A special live anniversary performance of a Sherlock Holmes story is performed in an historic radio theatre in front of a live audience. However in this stressful environment, the tensions and conflicts between the members of the radio cast and production team which have built up during the long -running series come to a head. The off-mic drama threatens to interfere with the live broadcast, but whatever happens, once on the air, the show must go on…

Then and Now show image

Then and Now, the glamour days of Streatham – 2013 Streatham Festival

For the Streatham Festival 2013 Beacon Bingo have kindly invited the festival to use the former mezzanine lounge of the former Streatham Hill Theatre. Amongst the events on offer is Streatham Theatre Company’s production Then and Now, reflecting Streatham’s history of performance in theatre, film, music and dance.

The show’s writing team (Bernie Byrnes, Frances Bruce, Kirsty Eyre) has selected poems by prolific writer and local celebrity Brenda Hargreaves, and written theatrical responses to them. The poems will be read by Brenda, and the scenes performed by our local cast, directed by Bernie Byrnes (assisted by Sally Lofthouse), with songs selected and sung by local singer Alison Rycroft.

The show combines humour and poignancy on the theme of past and present (then and now), with a flavour of Streatham’s glamour days running through it.

Starring local performers, and staged in what was previously Streatham’s “west end” theatre, this is the first production by Streatham Theatre Company, our new local ‘open access’ theatre company. Why not join and get involved in future shows?

Streatham Society posts about the Theatre’s history

The Streatham Society regularly post about the history of Streatham Hill Theatre on Twitter as part of their “On this Day” programme.

You can follow them on Twitter, and on Facebook, or see their website for more.

Bingo at SHT in the 1970s

Streatham Hill Theatre – a Memory by Peter Gauci.

Peter Gauci became the general manager of Streatham Hill Theatre in 1973, managing the Mecca Social/Bingo club. It was the flagship club of the company and was every manager’s dream to run it. 

He documented his memories on the Francis Frith website as part of its Streatham collection here: https://www.francisfrith.com/uk/streatham/streatham-hill-theatre_memory-205924.

“Bingo Girls” Exhibition

12 Jul 2008 – 13 Jul 2008 at ASC Studios Streatham Hill: An exhibition of portraits by artist Timothy Sutton celebrating the old Streatham Hill Theatre and the ladies who are paying for its preservation.

One of the “bingo girls” by artist Timothy Sutton

https://www.artrabbit.com/events/bingo-girls