The Stage Awards winners 2021: Kiln Theatre, London theatre of the year
"I want to give a particular shout out to the theatremakers, the freelancers, the people that tell the stories on our stages, which we haven’t been able to do for a long time. We’ve missed you. We need you and we cannot wait until we can get back and tell stories."
In a year like no other, Kiln Theatre reassessed its purpose and recommitted to its core mission – serving its local community in Kilburn. Just before the first lockdown, Kiln was enjoying a run of critically acclaimed shows, and its production of Antoinette Nwandu’s Pass Over had been extended. But when the doors closed, the theatre explored how it could contribute to Brent’s recovery and renewal, and put itself firmly at the heart of that process through a range of initiatives.
One of these involved partnering with charity Food for All, to provide free meals once a week to local people in need.
It also remained devoted to young people in Brent, and produced two online productions, as well as continuing its Agency project, which supports young people aged 15 to 25 years old, to develop ideas for social change in their area.
Kiln was also able to continue its Minding the Gap project, supporting young people newly arrived in the UK to develop language skills and confidence through drama. Responding to the challenges of this year, it adapted the project and offered it as a satellite scheme, through which it visited individual schools and colleges.
Kiln also launched its Young Writers Programme, for young people from Brent who have never written for theatre before – giving a platform to the voices of the next generation. To enable this work, it launched a £70,000 fundraising campaign, with money also going towards free English classes for adults in Brent, with free childcare, a collaboration with a local GP surgery to support people living with diabetes in the London borough and subsidised tickets for its reopening season in 2021.
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Announcing the fund, artistic director Indhu Rubasingham said that, since closing, “we know, more than ever, how vital our communities are, and simply how much we miss them”. She added: “The building is a shell without the energy and passion of all who come through our doors. Through these past months, we’ve looked for every possible way to make a difference to our communities, and this fund will help us to continue to support them whenever and however we can.”
Impressed by its resilience and adaptability during this time, the judges were in awe of the theatre’s hugely valuable work in Brent.
They also felt Rubasingham had overcome challenges in winning back the trust of the local community following a difficult transition period, when the change of the venue’s name led to protests, to make the theatre one that sits truly at the heart of its local area and brilliantly serves the people around it.
Indhu Rubasingham and Daisy Heath’s speech accepting the award for London theatre of the year at The Stage Awards 2021
Highly commended
Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park
Back in the summer, as the UK emerged from lockdown, Regent’s Park was the first large-scale London theatre to reopen with live performances. The period from the government announcing that open-air theatre was allowed to its first performance was just 22 days.
Its concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar was both a galvanising moment for the sector, but also led the way in showing how it was possible to deliver rehearsals, performances, ticketing and audience management in line with government regulations. It also helped provide 140 jobs, including 70 for freelancers and performers. Across its summer season, it played to 28,014 audience members in the open-air auditorium.
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