The Bush Theatre in London reopens on 18 March after a year-long redevelopment project. Architects Haworth Tompkins led the GBP4.3m (€4.9m) renovation work, which includes a new studio space and a rehearsal room.
Bush Theatre estimates that the new spaces will allow it to work with 200 more artists each year, increasing the number of works it produces, co-produces and commissions by 50 per cent.
The building, which was converted from a library into a theatre in 2011, has a new entrance and front-of house area. The architects also addressed energy efficiency and accessibility issues, making the it more sustainable to run.
To mark the reopening, Bush Theatre has programmed works that celebrate diversity. Black Lives, Black Words addresses the #BlackLivesMatter campaign and runs from 23–25 March, while Guards at the Taj is a new work from Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph (7 April – 20 May).
Said Bush Theatre artistic director Madani Younis: ‘It was important to me that we re-open with a week of celebrations that embrace the diversity of the world we live in. Black Lives, Black Words is a bold statement about one of the most important movements of our time. This, followed by Rajiv Joseph’s award-winning Guards at the Taj, sets the tone of the stories we want to tell in our beautiful new home.’
