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The Bloomsbury Theatre
The Bloomsbury Theatre showcases the best of theatre, music, dance, comedy and everything in between. We seek out new work by some of the UK’s most imaginative performers and cultural organisations, as well as welcoming high-profile and household names throughout the year.
The Bloomsbury Theatre seats up to 541 people and the Bloomsbury Studio (seating up to 70 people) provides a more flexible space for performances.
The theatre is proud to be part of UCL, one of the world’s leading universities. We work together with students and researchers to bring ground-breaking discoveries to the stage, from art and design to science, technology and beyond.
History of the Bloomsbury Theatre
Over the years huge artists including UCL alumnus Ricky Gervais, singer Adele, US jazz artist Gregory Porter, comedian Jo Brand and the world-famous Stomp percussion group have entertained audiences at the Bloomsbury.
In 2019, 50 years after its very first performance, the landmark Brutalist building reopened its doors following a major renovation project to create a spectacular main auditorium with more than 500 luxurious seats, as well as the smaller, more intimate Bloomsbury Studio. Over three years, the theatre's original concrete walls and brick foyers were refurbished and every bit of the building was upgraded - from the carpets to the roof, the stage to the dressing rooms - to create a cutting-edge performance space in the heart of London.
UCL Alumni and the Bloomsbury Theatre
UCL Alumni whose careers directly benefitted from their Bloomsbury Theatre experience
UCL alumni who credit the Bloomsbury Theatre as being crucial to their UCL experience and also their future career include UCL Film Soc president and Oscar winning director Christopher Nolan (English Literature) and film producer Emma Thomas who were both ardent supporters of the Bloomsbury Theatre and its refurbishment. Nolan also filmed part of his film Inception in the UCL Flaxman Gallery. Read the Guardian article What An English Degree Did For Me where Nolan cites choosing to attend UCL specifically for its film facilities.
UCL alumni who regulary appear on the Bloomstage include David Baddiel (PhD English) and Ricky Gervais (Philosophy) who also filmed his show Animals (2003) here.
Katy Lipson (Human Genetics) is Company Director/Producer of her own theatre company Aria Entertainment which recently toured The Addams Family across the UK and Cruise in the West End. She performed as part of UCL Musical Theatre Society's production of Cabaret.
Ric Lipson (Bartlett School of Architecture) founded the UCL Garage shows (now known as the Studio) and has worked at STUFISH (entertainment architects) since 2006, including building the ABBA Voyage Arena and designed for Beyonce, Elton John, Madonna, Lady Gaga and the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
Nica Burns (Law), theatre impresario, producer and co-owner of the Lyric, Apollo, Garrick and Duchess theatres in London's West End participated in 26 drama productions in her three years at UCL.
Lizzie Bea (History) was an active member of UCL Musical Theatre Society (2012 -2015). After graduation she went on to appear in the London Coliseum production of Hairspray (2021) in the lead role of Tracy Turnblad alongside Michael Ball.
Simon Whitaker (BSc Natural Science 2018) performed in various UCL Musical Theatre Society productions before achieving a place on the highly prestigious Royal Academy of Music Musical Theatre Masters and has since starred in The Phantom of the Opera in London’s West End.
Madeleine Edis (BA History of Art 2017) was involved as a producer, performer and most notably a costume designer across various student productions and now works professionally in the costuming industry, working on West End shows and major TV productions including recent BBC success This Is Going to Hurt. She is currently a costume designer at the National Film and Television School.
Natalie Pound (MSc Physics 2019) is a talented musician and musical director and was part of numerous shows in the Theatre and Studio for various arts societies, including the world premiere of the updated version of From Here To Eternity in the Bloomsbury Theatre. Natalie went on to gain a place on the Royal Academy of Music’s Musical Direction Masters and now has a successful career in the West End as a professional musician and musical director including productions such as SIX! (Vaudeville), The Jersey Boys (Trafalgar Studios) and Legally Blonde (Regents Park Open Air). Natalie came back to campus on November 2022 to speak with current UCL Musical Theatre Society students about how her Bloomsbury Theatre show experience has helped her pursue a career in the West End.
Joseph Coelho (Archaeology 2002) was a member of UCL Drama society and directed several plays at the Bloomsbury theatre, which inspired him to become a writer and poet and later became the Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate 2022-2024
Our Staff
The Public Venues team manages the Bloomsbury Theatre & Studio spaces with the aim to provide an excellent experience to all visitors.
| Head of Bloomsbury Theatre | John Maisey |
| Theatre House Manager | Joan Coffey |
| Ticketing Manager | POSITION VACANT |
| Theatre Technical Manager | Chris Hoyle |
| Venue Hire and Bookings Manager | Ellen Frost |
| Operations Coordinator | Shalini Simpson |
Contact
Ticketing: ticketing@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 1000
Administration: theatre@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 3108 6789
Technicians: theatre.technical@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7679 1361