Hampstead Theatre
Eton Avenue Hampstead London NW3 3EU
Hampstead Theatre began life up by the Everyman Cinema but it’s been based in Swiss Cottage since 1962, where it opened a fine new auditorium in 2003. It has a commitment to new writers and produced early work by Mike Leigh, Hanif Kureishi and Harold Pinter, among others. Under the current director, Edward Hall, it continues in good shape, hosting one of London’s best and most adventurous programs, both in the main auditorium and the studio downstairs, the Michael Frayn Place – which puts on regular ‘Start Nights’ in which the audience give feedback on excerpts from new plays in development.