Arcola Theatre
24 Ashwin Street, Dalston, London E8 3DL
Housed in a restored paint factory in the heart of Dalston, and the height of industrial chic, this brilliant venue stages a little bit of everything, from Ibsen plays to premieres of experimental work, and its productions are of a consistent high quality, and occasionally outstanding. It has a large auditorium, studio and bar, and has featured productions by some big names in contemporary theatre, such as Timberlake Wertenbaker, Ariel Dorfman, Sean Holmes, Dominic Dromgoole and Max Stafford-Clark, while the studio space hosts more youth-oriented shows. If you want to make an evening of it, start off with a snack and a drink at neighbouring Café Oto.