The Theatre

The Jack Studio is a vibrant and intimate performance space in south east London, with a long history within its community and the London-wide theatre scene.

We are committed to producing theatre that inspires, challenges and entertains our audience.

The theatre supports new companies, providing a space for them to develop their work, alongside the productions created each year by the Jack’s in-house team.

Winner of Most Welcoming Theatre (south east) in The Off West End Theatre Awards 2013, 2015, 2016 & 2017

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 (Theatre Producer).

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 a theatre director and designer, who has also worked throughout London and the UK, staging several British premieres, as well as opera, revivals and community theatre events. She directs all of the Jack’s in-house productions. Kate is committed to supporting new writing, 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.

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 www.arrowsandtraps.com

Associate Directors: Tanith Lindon, Brigid Lohrey, Matthew Parker

Literary Associate: Serena Haywood, Jonathan Clarkson

Jack Associate Artists: Ben Jacobs, Jack Barton, Martin J Robinson, Laurel Marks

Writer-in-residence 2015-17: Howard Colyer

Creative Consultants: Grey Swan www.greyswan.org.uk

15+

productions a year

seasons and counting

100,000

hours of light

The Jack Studio Theatre Creative Team

Karl Swinyard

Theatre Producer

Contact Karl

David Bottomley

Literary Manager

Contact David

Darren Batten

Resident Producer

Contact Darren

Serena Haywood

Scratch Producer

Contact Serena

Julia Stubbs Hughes

Literary Associate

Contact Julia