Young Vic

Theatre, Private theatres Southwark
62 Love It
Save it
Young Vic
© Philip Vile

The content on this page is provided by a Time Out partner.

One of the world's most outward-looking and influential theatre

Founded back in the mists of time (well, 1970) as a sort of youth-orientated adjunct to the National Theatre (then located at the Old Vic), the Young Vic has grown in stature to the point of now being one of the most influential theatre in London, if not the world.

Long-term artistic director David Lan's programming is eclectic, with the two smaller studio spaces (the Clare and the Maria) often hosting new writing and experimental performances. But the heart of the Young Vic programming lies in leftfield productions of great classics, bringing auteur directors from across the globe in and pairing them with the cream of British acting talent. The Young Vic is arguably the closest Britain has to a 'directors' theatre' in a European mould, with the added bonus of big name actors eager to perform on its stage.

Tickets are very reasonably priced and there is a terrific outreach programme that offers free and subsidised tickets to schools and the local community: it's perhaps the only major theatre in London to boast a genuinely young and diverse audience.

It's also got extensive bar facilities on two levels, plus a menu centred on that ubiquitous London staple the burger. It's a lunchtime hub for workers in the Waterloo area, many of whom are only vaguely aware that they're dining in one of the greatest theatres in the world.

Posted:

Venue name: Young Vic
Contact:
Visit Website Call Venue
Address: 66
The Cut
London
SE1 8LZ
Transport: Tube/Rail: Waterloo
Do you own this business?

Pick a date

to
  • Theatre

    Fun Home

    The Young Vic maintains its occasional but impressive record of bringing over high class American musicals with the UK premiere of 'Fun Home'. An adaptation of Alison Bechdel's graphic novel by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron, in 'Fun Home' we meet the protagonist...

    Musicals Monday June 18 2018 - Saturday September 1 2018
  • Theatre

    Things of Dry Hours

    Genesis Award-winning director Debbie Hannan is staging 'Things of Dry Hours', an interrogation of radical politics in the Depression Era South. Naomi Wallace's poetic, structurally complex play follows a black father and his daughter whose Christian...

    Drama Wednesday August 15 2018 - Saturday August 25 2018
  • Theatre

    Twelfth Night

    Kwame Kwei-Armah is kicking off his first season at the helm of the Young Vic with something he prepared earlier: a musical version of 'Twelfth Night' that premiered in New York, made with composer Shaina Taub. He'll rope in a sizable (the US version...

    Musicals Tuesday October 2 2018 - Saturday November 17 2018
  • Theatre

    The Convert

    Danai Gurira might have hit the movie bigtime with her recent role in 'Black Panther', but she's also got an impressive track record as a playwright. She's landed strong reviews both sides of the Atlantic for knotty, hard-hitting plays like 'Eclipsed',...

    Drama Friday December 7 2018 - Saturday January 19 2019
  • Theatre

    Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train

    Stephen Adly Guirgis made a splash on Broadway with 2011's 'The Motherfucker with the Hat', a swear-heavy story of a self-destructive Puerto Rican couple. Now one of his earlier plays is getting a new production at the Young Vic. 'Jesus Hopped the 'A'...

    Comedy Thursday February 14 2019 - Saturday March 30 2019

You may be interested in:

Average User Rating

4.5 / 5

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star:4
  • 4 star:4
  • 3 star:0
  • 2 star:0
  • 1 star:0
LiveReviews|8
1 person listening
tastemaker

Great space with great productions. Modern theatres just have the capacity to take on more exciting sets. I've seen so many stage layouts used here. Maybe not all plays would be to my liking but productions are always fresh and though provoking. I also like how they attract a wide age range.

Ticket prices are also excellent and seats pretty comfy. Last time I did a lucky dip and ended up in the front.

The bar and restaurant is also great to hang out in, if not a bit crammed during the interval when all the women are queuing for one toilet! It's nice and easy having dinner before a show there and has better food than some of the external options nearby.

tastemaker

My favourite theatre in London, I've seen so many amazing plays here, for an absolute bargain too. The food is excellent and decently priced and the balcony/terrace is lovely on a summers day/evening. Highly recommended.

tastemaker

The young vic, my favourite of the two, has such a cool vibe for a theatre I often find myself just wanting to hang out on the terrace for drinks. It's my first stop for finding brilliant productions for reasonable prices where you know you'll get seeing a thought provoking play for your money. I've seen a few productions now, my favourite being A streetcar named desire, and the sets are always inventive and brings the show to life.

If you're ever at a loose end give the box office a call and try your luck at getting tickets for a tenner!!

Tastemaker

The younger sister of the old vic, this theatre is really targeted at the younger crowd in London. The content of some of the shows (Cuttin it, Blue/Orange) can be pretty provocative and thought provoking. There are also international companies like the Belarus Free Theatre who also come in to add their own bit of flavour to the place. One of the trendiest theatre bars in London also accompany this venue so your pre and post theatre all sorted. Finally, the prices for these top shows are so so so affordable compared to the stuff you see on west end! And some of them even transfer to the west end and win Oliviers (a view from the bridge)!!

Tastemaker

I like this theater, it consistently shows quite innovative shows. However the seating can be a bit uncomfortable. The bar is fun though!

Tastemaker

It has been some time but we really enjoyed ourselves at the bar of the young vic on a Friday night. Vibrant, nice atmosphere, yummy food, one of the most unique bars, definitely worth visiting! Going to the theatre to watch a play there is on my to-do list! And I'll surely visit the bar again afterwards.

Tastemaker

Our reserved tickets magically turned into unreserved tickets upon our arrival, which wasn't super impressive. Then we were crammed into the side pens, like sheep about to be shorn, until everyone else had taken their places. When we were let in, however, the ushers pushed us into a spot dead centre and only five rows back - the illustrious £35 zone. We'd only paid £15 each. Result. 


The Young Vic is more of an edgy character than it's older brother, who is also named Vic and lives up the road. I tried to capture this edge with a post-play snap, but failed to match the edge of Philip Vile's photo, seen above. I'll put mine in anyway, for posterity. Hey, I'm not a professional, but I gave it a shot. 


Excellent cast, lively atmosphere, kind and helpful staff. The prices are low compared to other theatres in London, however, there are no student discounts which is a shame bearing in mind the audience is mainly young people.