Kiln Theatre

Theatre, Private theatres Kilburn
5 out of 5 stars
(18user reviews)
Winner<br/>2016

Winner
2016
Winner<br/>2016

Winner
2016
Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn

North London's most vibrant theatre

After an ambitious refurbishment and upgrade, the venue formerly known as The Tricycle has rebranded as Kiln Theatre. The name's a homage to its home in Kilburn, and to its aim of being a crucible for new work that'll get the local community excited: including a new stage version of Zadie Smith's hit novel 'White Teeth'. 

A vibrant one-stop-shop for culture in north London, the Kiln Theatre packs a lot into its medium-sized frame: bar, kitchen, cinema and of course a theatre. Long run by Nicolas Kent, whose tenure was marked by pioneering work in the field of verbatim theatre, the current artistic director is Indhu Rubasingham, who's steered the venue through its recent transformation.

Posted:

Venue name: Kiln Theatre
Contact:
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Address: 269 Kilburn High Rd
London
NW6 7JR
Transport: Tube: Kilburn
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  • Time Out says
    3 out of 5 stars
    Chile’s Sebastián Lelio pays attention to overlooked female stories – as in his recent Oscar-winning ‘A Fantastic Woman’ and its resilient transgender heroine. The director’s forte is on display in his daring but distancing latest, a drama that er...
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  • Time Out says
    3 out of 5 stars
    The mood sours, gradually and surprisingly, in this thoughtful, journalistic documentary about three identical triplets who were adopted separately at birth and reunited as late teens in early 1980s New York. At the time, these handsome Jewish sib...
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  • Time Out says
    4 out of 5 stars
    The scourge of police shootings in the US shows no signs of stopping, but the Black Lives Matter campaign has at least flagged up the problem. A crop of films has too, including the recent ‘Blindspotting’, but the one best placed to raise awarenes...
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  • Time Out says
    3 out of 5 stars
    If it’s slipped your mind that Gus Van Sant directed ‘Good Will Hunting’ and ‘Finding Forrester’, here’s a reminder that he still believes in redemption for characters who choose self-destruction over living as part of a community. Indeed, human c...
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  • Time Out says
    4 out of 5 stars
    Loose-limbed and rascally, ‘The Old Man & the Gun’ is a throwback to an era when making beautifully understated crime comedies was the peak of Hollywood’s ambition (before all the spandex took over). The movie’s weathered star, Robert Redford, sho...
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  • (© Mark Douet)
    Theatre

    ‘White Teeth’ review

    If you're going to stage a musical version of Zadie Smith’s vivid, sprawling breakout novel ‘White Teeth’, then the Kiln Theatre couldn’t be a more perfect place for it. The cast of playwright Stephen Sharkey’s adaptation dances along a cut-out version...

    3 out of 5 stars
    Drama Until Saturday December 22 2018
  • Theatre

    Approaching Empty

    Ishy Din's 2012 debut play, 'Snookered', was a sharp, lively drama about a bunch of pool-playing British Asian men. A former cab-driver, Din might well be drawing on experience with his follow-up, 'Approaching Empty', which is set in a scruffy minicab...

    Drama Wednesday January 9 2019 - Saturday February 2 2019
  • Theatre

    The Son

    French hit-monger Florian Zeller has been treating London's theatre scene to a frighteningly high number of well-crafted dramas: 'The Truth', 'The Lie', 'The Father' and 'The Height of the Storm' have all won him fans. Now, his latest play 'The Son' is...

    Drama Wednesday February 20 2019 - Saturday April 13 2019

Average User Rating

4.5 / 5

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star:13
  • 4 star:3
  • 3 star:1
  • 2 star:0
  • 1 star:1
LiveReviews|18
1 person listening

Best theatre in the area. Closed for refurbishment, but has exciting renditions of the classics and great new shows.


The Tricycle is the best place I have discovered in London. I have been lucky enough to visit many times. The best thing about NW London.


A wonderful institution that continues to make art reachable and affordable.


Always putting on really intriguing plays. Can't wait for it to reopen after the refurb. Also a great bar.

Tastemaker

Fabulous and often revolutionary theatre space. See any play that they do. Numerous plays, most recently 'Red Velvet' with Adrian Lester, have premiered here in this small venue and gone on to major West End theatres and often Broadway. One of my favourite-ever productions was 'Moonlight and Magnolias', a comedy about the filming of 'Gone with the Wind"--very funny. The real bonus is that the audience is usually clued up about good, and bad, theatre and react accordingly. 

tastemaker

Blink and you'll miss the entrance - hopefully the forthcoming upgrade will remedy this.  Just 5 minutes walk from Kilburn Station (Jubilee Line), an area yet to be "gentrified".  The cafeteria inside is comfortable and welcoming - though strangely, no sandwiches or savoury snacks for lunch - only cooked meals.  The shows here are of a very high standard, with world famous names and incredibly good value ticket prices.  A very comfortable, charming theatre. 

Tastemaker

The most comfortable cinema in London. Those who complain about leg room will find no cause for concern here. The theatre here is hit or miss, but you can't fault the Tricycle's commitment to interesting new writing. And the small gallery/cafe makes this a decent place for coffee as well, making this a genuinely multipurpose arts centre - and a fixture in Kilburn.

Tastemaker

A great, local venue with some really engaging and challenging theatre and a big, comfortable cinema which regularly has cast Q&As and pre-show events. There's also a decently priced bar and loads of activities for kids. I always feel at home here!


Such a fantastic local venue- you get it all- films, theatre, food, buzz and atmosphere! How great is that!

Tastemaker

A live-action performance of The Gruffalo which took place at the Tricycle theatre has left me scarred for life. Still, I love the place. The stands are all made out of scaffolding, great for mid-play intermission calisthenics workouts, and its atmosphere is expertly curated to the gritty North West London lifestyle. Cheap but charming, and edgy as an only slightly dulled serrated blade - you know, it's maybe been used thirty or forty times, to cut open oranges or a watermelon here and there, but its sharpness is still close to that of its factory fresh brethren.  


I voted for the tricycle because I think it's an amazing venue easy to get to and it ogfers a fantastic variety of entertainment for all kinds . Tricycle rocks!


A West End Theatre in Kilburn. A theatre that aims to reflect the community that built it.


After decades of frequenting the Tricycle theatre, I cannot in good conscience continue to do so and I will not renew my membership.  As a Jewish woman, I now find myself totally unwelcome in this independent Arts Venue.  The reason for this is the very recent boycott of the UK Jewish Film Festival.  The UK Jewish Film Festival is totally apolitical.  By demanding that they actively reject funding from the Israeli Embassy, the Tricycle has pushed them into a corner, a Catch 22 if you like, and demanded that they either become political, or they are not welcome in the establishment. This is deeply unfair and was only ever going to end one way.


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