King’s Head Theatre is an Off-West End theatre in Islington that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, onstage and off. 

As well as platforming LGBTQ+ theatre, we programme a wide range of plays and musicals, alongside a cabaret programme including drag and comedy.

Established in 1970, the old King’s Head Theatre was the longest-running pub theatre in London. 

The venue operated for 53 years, housed in the back room of the King’s Head Pub on Upper Street. 

After many successful years, the theatre closed its door on 13th August 2023, ready to move to its new home.

Under Artistic Director & Founder Dan Crawford, whose tenure lasted 35 years until his death in 2005, the theatre became known as a breeding ground for new talent and great work. 

Renowned actors like Maureen Lipman, Hugh Grant, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Alan Rickman & Richard E Grant have all performed here, and a number of our productions have transferred to the West End & Broadway. 

Over the years, King’s Head Theatre has premiered work from writers such as Steven Berkoff, Tom Stoppard, Bryony Lavery & Victoria Wood.

In 2010, the Olivier Award-winning Opera UpClose Productions became the theatre’s resident company for four years. 

With Adam Spreadbury-Maher as Artistic Director, they turned the King’s Head into ‘London’s Little Opera House’, winning an Olivier Award for La Boheme in the Best New Opera category. 

The theatre has long had a commitment to emerging, daring & innovative work, such as Trainspotting, the Edinburgh Fringe & touring immersive theatre hit that was developed under our roof.

Briefly over the pandemic, renowned playwright Mark Ravenhill took tenureship, and became the Artistic Director who solidified the theatre’s commitment to showcasing theatre by and for the LGBTQ+ community. 

Before closing the pub theatre in August 2023, the King’s Head also hosted a Guest Artistic Director pilot programme supported by Arts Council England, with artists David Cumming, Isabel Adomakoh-Young, Tom Ratcliffe and Tania Azevedo each taking the reigns for a short period.

The new King’s Head Theatre was opened on the 5th January 2024, under the leadership of current Executive Producer Sofi Berenger; the opening show was Exhibitionists, written by Olivier-Award winning writer Sean McKenna. 

In our first year, the theatre also worked with artists such as Heartstopper's Cormac Hyde-Corrin, Ella Vaday (Nick Collier), Jonathan Maitland, Luke Bayer, Neil Ashton and Rob Madge.

As the new building goes into its second year we look forward to working with artists such as Vikki Stone, Tony and Olivier nominee Lauren Ward, TV star Amanda Abbington, and writer/actress Rosie Day.

King’s Head Theatre focuses on showcasing LGBTQ+ work which explores the full spectrum of experiences symbolised by the rainbow flag. 

We are a home for a new wave of diverse queer theatre makers, and we love to embrace stories that haven't been told before, in ways that haven't been invented yet.