LOST Theatre

The LOST Theatre in Stockwell

LOST Theatre is a 180-seat Off West End Fringe theatre based in Stockwell dedicated to promoting and developing young and emerging talent.

LOST produces a variety of different shows throughout the year including their One Act and Five Minute Festivals.

In addition to the auditorium, the South London venue also has two rehearsal spaces for hire by performers. There is also an award-winning bar space on the first floor called Bar 208, with a variety of drinks and beers on tap.

The LOST Theatre was a featured venue in the BBC3 series South Side Stories.^[1]

History of LOST

LOST was founded by Cecil Hayter in 1979 at the London Oratory School as an after-school theatre club; hence its name - L.O.S.T.^[2]

In 1982 LOST was relocated to a new venue on Fulham Broadway. At this 100-seat black box, LOST was host to over 100 plays and festivals for the next 17 years until re-development of the area forced the company to look for a new home.^[3]

During the next 10 years LOST was an itinerant company, hiring other theatre spaces in order to continue its work whilst branching out into Europe taking shows to Spain and Russia. In 2004 negotiations began for the acquisition of its present home in the London Borough of Lambeth (208 Wandsworth Road). This building opened in January 2010.^[4]

Sir Derek Jacobi is the LOST Theatre's current arts patron.^[5]

LOST Today

In what is hoped to be its permanent location, LOST hosts numerous productions each year that range anywhere from plays and musicals to pantomime and festivals.

Recent productions include A Clockwork Orange, Twelfth Night, The Ghost Train, Mojo, Let the Right One In and Jerusalem.^[6]

Each year, the LOST Theatre has its annual One Act and Five Minute Festivals. The One Act Festival allows writers to submit works between 20 and 45 minutes in length to the LOST Festival Artistic Committee. Winners of the festival receive a monetary prize. The Five Minute Festival has three rules: submissions must be less than five minutes in length, they must have a narrative thread, and at least either the writer, director or cast must be under 27 years old. The pieces can cover a wide range of areas including: dance, theatre, spoken word, poetry, physical theatre, ensemble work, and devised work. The winners receive £100.

Throughout the year, several acting and dance teachers conduct classes in the rehearsal studios each week.

Awards

The LOST Theatre won Best Theatre Bar at The Offies in 2013 hosted by OffWestEnd.com.^[7]

References

Coordinates: 51°28′32″N 0°07′54″W / 51.4755°N 0.1316°W / 51.4755; -0.1316