The Theatre

The Jack Studio is a vibrant and intimate performance venue in south east London, with a long history within its community and the London-wide theatre scene. Home to theatre productions, Scratch nights, film screenings, workshops and rehearsals, our award-winning team and space provide an accessible and exciting programme of arts activities throughout the year.

We are committed to producing theatre that inspires, challenges and entertains our audience. The theatre also supports new companies and theatre artists, providing a space for them to develop their ideas and work, alongside the productions created each year by the Jack’s in-house team. Throughout the year we programme a diverse mix of productions, providing a platform for new writing, innovative revivals of classic texts, adaptations and musical theatre.

London Pub Theatre of the Year, Joint Runner Up, 2019
Winner of Most Welcoming Theatre (south east) in The Off West End Theatre Awards 2013, 2015, 2016 & 2017
Winner Best Programmes and Online Booking, Off West End Awards, 2019
Runner up, Time Out London, Best Loved Cultural Space (south east) 2017, 2018

The
Jack
Studio Off-West End Nominations Selected Press Quotes Associate Companies and Artists

The Jack Studio Theatre is led by Kate Bannister (Artistic Director) and Karl Swinyard (Executive Producer), supported by the Jack’s team. Kate and Karl produce and programme theatre at the Jack throughout the year. They were awarded Best Venue Directors in the Fringe Report Awards for their work ‘in making The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre an outstanding venue for exciting theatre; and for encouraging the development of new talent.’

Kate is an established theatre director and designer, who has worked throughout London and the UK, staging several British premieres, as well as opera, revivals and community and youth theatre events. She directs all of the Jack’s in-house productions. Kate is committed to supporting new writing through the Jack’s writing programmes, and was Artistic Director for the Write Now Festivals, which she instigated in 2010. The theatre was one of 10 venues to be part of the BBC writersroom 10 scheme 2014-15.

The Jack has continued to work with artists online, since March 2020, providing commissions & opportunities for theatre writers, directors, actors and technicians.

Best Director: John Patterson for Not I, Catastrophe & Rockaby
Best Costume Design: Martin Robinson for The Invisible Man
Best Male Performance: Alan Goodbody for A Kind of Loving
Best Video Design: Douglas Baker for Moby Dick
Best Sound Design: Alistair Lax for Jekyll & Hyde
Best Video Design: Andy Ioannou & Daniel Frampton for Jekyll & Hyde
Best Musical Director: Jordan Li-Smith for Queen of the Mist
Best Lighting Design: Bethany Gupwell for Queen of the Mist
Best New Play: Ross McGregor for Gentleman Jack
Best Director: Ross McGregor for Gentleman Jack
Best Male in a Play: Andrew Umerah for Sweet Like Chocolate Boy
Most Promising New Playwright: Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu for Sweet Like Chocolate Boy
Best Supporting Female in Play: Cornelia Baumann for Dracula
Best Set Design: Francine Huin-Wah for Dracula
Best Supporting Male in a Play: Alex Stevens for Dracula
Best Lighting Design: Tom Kitney for Lifeboat
Best Sound Design: Jack Elliot Barton for Lifeboat
Best Production: The White Rose, produced by Arrows & Traps Theatre
Best Production: Kes, produced by the Jack Studio Theatre
Best Director: Kate Bannister for Kes
Best Male in a Play: Simon Stallard for Kes
Best Male in a Play: Rob Pomfret for Kes
Best Sound Design: Elliot Clay & Jack Elliot Barton for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Best Production: The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Best Lighting Design: Ben Jacobs for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
WINNER 2018
Best Supporting Male in a Play: Bryan Pilkington for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Best Supporting Female in a Play: Harriet Earle for The Importance Of Being Earnest
Best Male in a Play: Daniel Hall for The Importance Of Being Earnest
Best Male in a Play: Riley Jones for The Importance Of Being Earnest
Best Supporting Male in a Play: Will Pinchin for Frankenstein
Best Director: Ross McGregor for Frankenstein
Best Production: House of America

Best Sound Design: Jack Barton and Elliot Clay for Macbeth

Best Lighting Design: Ben Jacobs for Macbeth

Best Male Performance: Christopher Tester for Crime and Punishment

Best Director: Sebastian Palka for Holding the Man

Best Male Performance: Alex Dowding for The Awakening

Best Set Designer: Florence Watts for The Awakening

Best Lighting Designer: Jennifer Rose for The Awakening

Best Sound Designer: Max Graef for The Awakening

Best Production: Time of Our Lives

Best Choreography: Will Pinchin for Anna Karenina

Best Costume: Ross McGregor for Anna Karenina

Best Costume Designer: Zahra Mansouri for The Peculiar Tale of Pablo Picasso and the Mona Lisa

Best Set Designer: Zahra Mansouri for The Peculiar Tale of Pablo Picasso and the Mona Lisa

Best Ensemble: The Peculiar Tale of Pablo Picasso and the Mona Lisa

Best Male: Daniel Chrisostomou for Elephant Man

Best Production: Elephant Man

Best Production: The Mystery of Irma Vep, produced by the Jack Studio

Best Director: Kate Bannister for The Mystery of Irma Vep

Best Male: Jonathan Kemp for The Mystery of Irma Vep

Best Male: William Kempsell for The Mystery of Irma Vep

Best Lighting Designer: William Ingham for The Mystery of Irma Vep

Best Musical: Love Story, produced by Lanaguage Laid Bare

Best Set Designer: Richard Evans for The Merchant of Venice

Best Lighting Designer: Paul Need for Who Will Carry The Word?

Best Lighting Designer: Stuart Glover for The Merchant of Venice

Best Costume Designer: Rochelle Parry for Julius Caesar

Best Sound Designer: Max Pappenheim for Kafka v Kafka

Best New Play: Lewis Hetherington for Bodies Unfinished

Best Lighting Designer: Katherine Lowry for Bodies Unfinished

Best Production: Bodies Unfinished, produced by Grey Swan

Best Set Design: Stephanie Williams for Bodies Unfinished

The Jack’s commitment to giving a platform to exciting new work under the artistic direction of Kate Bannister cannot be ignored. Pool is one of a number of pieces of new writing in the theatre’s Write Now Festival. It is everything Fringe theatre can achieve and more.

PostScript Journal

Jack Studio’s Write Now Festival celebrates the diversity and energy of south east London’s emerging playwrights. Writer Olga Nikora explores the turmoil of confused identity, dramatising the problem of artificially constructed boundaries and social categories in a progressively diversifying world. Nikora has a talent to inject fire and emotion into every line that engages the audience tirelessly holding their attention until the very last. 90 minutes straight through, and not once did it falter

**** The Upcoming

the script does not disappoint, ending with a shocking visual and aural display. True to the Jack Studio Theatre style, this is a new adaptation of a script with great potential.

*****Everything Theatre

Inventiveness underpins a hilarious romp that takes us through de Rougemont’s incredible life story… a triumph of theatrical storytelling.

****The Stage

A fascinating story, compellingly told and ingeniously staged… gloriously brought to life with plenty of imagination and fun.

****The Newshopper

Put simply, the entire show was marvellous… a truly wonderful piece of theatre.

*****London Theatre1

Seasonal fare doesn’t get better than the Jack Studio Theatre’s Seasonal Offering. Kate Bannister serves up yet another winner – perfectly timed and done to a crisp. This is a sparkling production.

**** Live In London

The Jack Studio does it again with another excellent, unique production that effectively incorporates a range of theatrical styles.

****Everything Theatre.

one of the must-see shows of the year … an amazing, compelling, thought provoking and unforgettable production.

***** LondonTheatre1

Flawless script and impeccable acting – Spank House exposes with glitz and dark humour the seedy truth of the ‘boiler room’ scams…A triumph! Jake Costello’s performance is incomparable. Arguably one of the best shows in south London! This show is not to be missed.

*****Everything Theatre

enjoyable and well-acted show: there aren’t many productions of this quality on the fringe, and you owe it to yourself to catch them when you can

*****Plays To See

Unmissable… the strongest fringe theatre show I’ve seen in a long, long time

*****Everything Theatre.

Associate Company: Arrows & Traps Theatre arrowsandtraps.com
Associate Directors: Tanith Lindon, Brigid Lohrey, Matthew Parker
Jack Associate Artists: Ben Jacobs, Jack Barton, Martin J Robinson, Laurel Marks, Jonathan Clarkson
Creative Consultants: Grey Swan greyswan.co.uk

18+

productions a year

seasons and counting

100,000

hours of light

The Jack Studio Theatre Creative Team

Karl Swinyard

Executive Producer

Contact Karl

Julia Stubbs

Literary Associate

Contact Julia

Serena Haywood

Scratch Producer

Contact Serena

David Bottomley

Literary Manager

Contact David

Darren Batten

Resident Producer

Contact Darren