VISION 2015-2018

LONDON’S MOST VIBRANT VENUE FOR NEW THEATRE, COMEDY AND CABARET.

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La Bohème, 2010 Soho Theatre and OperaUpClose (associate company) 2011 Olivier Award winner for Best New Opera

SOHO THEATRE’S MISSION IS TO:

PRODUCE NEW WORK

DISCOVER AND NURTURE NEW WRITERS AND ARTISTS

TARGET AND DEVELOP NEW AUDIENCES

CONTENTSVISION

CORE

WHAT THE WORK

HOW DISCOVER, DEVELOP, PRODUCE

WHO AUDIENCES & ARTISTS

WHERE DEAN ST & ELSEWHERE

GROWTH

VALUES

SUMMARYChair of Board: Nicholas Allott OBEArtistic Director: Steve MarmionExecutive Director: Mark Godfrey

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VISION

Over the next three years...

WE WANT TO MAKE MORE WORK

WE WANT TO MAKE BETTER WORK

WE WANT MORE PEOPLE TO SEE IT

Utopia, 2012 Soho Theatre and Newcastle Live (associate venue)

Over the last five years we have almost trebled our audiences, opened a new venue and produced more work than ever before.

Each year we have over 2000 performances on our stages and audiences of more than 220,000 people see our work.

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DOES NOT BORE

DOES NOT LEAVE THE AUDIENCE FEELING STUPID

FOR PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY DON’T LIKE THEATRE

Realism, 2011 Soho Theatre WhatsOnStage Award nominee

“The two parts of our name sum us

up nicely. We are all the things you

associate with Soho, and we make

theatre. Edgy, not-the-mainstream,

and a-bit-slutty-sometimes theatre.”

WHATQUALITY IS OUR MAIN CRITERIA

THE WORK

“If you’re putting on stuff that’s a

regurgitation of a newspaper article

for people who’ve already read it,

and already agree, then nothing

changes – it’s basically an act of

mutual masturbation – very nice but

doesn’t make the world better.”

“We want to make things you’ve never seen before.”

THEATRE COMEDY

CABARET

“We are at our most innovative and distinctive with work at the convergence point of the areas we excel in.”Steve Marmion, Artistic Director

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HOW

Pastoral, 2013 Soho Theatre and HighTide. VBA winner 2011 Bottom to top: initial sketch, model box, production shot “A masterclass in how to deliver imaginative new writing.” Times

Workshops, discussions, rehearsal space, previews, placements, attachments, commissions, Soho Six, advice, mentoring...

Productions, co-productions, transfers, tours, festivals, Edinburgh...

Young Company, outreach, pitches, seeing shows, VBA, partners, Walthamstow, India, scripts, showcases, scouting, tip offs...

PRODUCE & PRESENT

DEVELOP & SUPPORT

DISCOVER & ENGAGE

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DISCOVER & ENGAGE

YOU FIND US

2000 scripts a year We look at every script and proposal we are sent.

WE FIND YOU

We see thousands of shows (over 400 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe alone) from emerging artists every year.

THE VBA

Over 900 entries The Verity Bargate Award for first-time writing. The prize? A full production.

OUTREACH

Over 1000 people each year Across London, the UK and India, and designed to offer a deepening road of engagement with our work – from homes, schools and screens, through our auditoria and onto our stages.

PARTNERSHIPS

We partner with other companies to reach artists and communities we may not otherwise find.

YOUNG WRITERS

Almost 60 entries each year Soho Theatre Young Writers’ Award. The prize? A full public reading.

YOUNG COMPANY

350 members each year Our Youth Theatre for writers, theatre makers and comedians aged 11–30. CHARLOTTE

JOSEPHINE

Took part in the inaugural

Young Company Writers’ Group

Won our Young Writers’ Award

with Bitch Boxer

A sell-out run at the Edinburgh

Festival Fringe and two at

Soho Theatre

Performed across the world

Under commission as

one of the Soho Six

Bitch Boxer, 2015 Production of Charlotte Josephine’s Soho Theatre Young Writer’s Award winning play at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, Athens

“We are looking for unique

and unheard voices – from all

backgrounds, attitudes and places.”

“People can get into a bit of a habit of what young writers are supposed to do. Soho Theatre are encouraging me to think bigger and think beyond that. And there’s a down-to-earth-ness about every-one that works there. I feel quite at home.”Charlotte Josephine

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“I love working in your building. You guys do the best and most experimental work in the country, no one else produces such a breadth of work, and the atmosphere of ‘let’s do it’ is palpable. A powerhouse of creativity that feels entirely inclusive; comedy, cabaret and theatre, the Venn diagram – it’s all there!” Joel Horwood

ASSOCIATES

Our network of partner venues, companies and artists enable us to extend our reach way beyond our own building.

DEVELOP & SUPPORT

ADVICE

From creative suggestions to producing and marketing advice.

SOHO SIX

Artists and companies on a year-long residency creating work for our stages.

SPACE & PREVIEWS

Supporting new projects with the space and time to experiment and collaborate.

COMMISSIONS

From traditional writer led plays to devised company projects.

ATTACHMENTS

Artists, administrators, assistants, apprentices, designers, directors, practitioners and producers.

WORKSHOPS & DISCUSSIONS

For anyone who wants them.

BLINKPhil Porter was commissioned

as part of the Soho Six

His script Blink was sent to

associate company nabokov

Workshop with associate venue

Live Theatre Newcastle

Co-production in Soho Theatre Upstairs

Second production opened with

international associates Jagriti Theatre

UK tour (including all associate venues)

closing in New York

Phil Porter has gone on to write

for the RSC show The Christmas Truce

Director Joe Murphy has joined Soho

Theatre full time as associate artist

In the end, Blink was seen by over

4000 people in 15 venues across

three countries

Blink, 2012/13 Soho Theatre and nabokov (resident associate company) National UK Tour, peformances in India and New York

“We act in whatever

way serves the

show-in-the-making.

We have lots of

awards, schemes

and programmes to

help find, focus and

develop it, but the

tail never wags the

dog – the work leads.”Our associates include: Live Theatre Newcastle, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Birmingham Rep, Jagriti Theatre Bangalore, Joe’s Pub New York, nabakov, OperaUpClose, DryWrite, Blind Summit,

Late Night Gimp Fight, Tamasha, Pajama Men, nitroBEAT (resident company), Nina Steiger, Joe Murphy, Tom Scutt, Roy Williams, Gordon Anderson,

Simon Kunz, Paul Sirett, David Johnson, Anthony Neilson, Suzanne Gorman, Owen McCafferty, Bryony Kimmings, Rubberbandits (house band)

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Fleabag, 2013 DryWrite (associate company) and Soho Theatre

“Over the past three years,

we played a part in getting

177 new shows and over

1500 artists in front of an

audience. We move in many

ways to get work to our

stages. We want to initiate

and produce more quality

work and deepen our

resources for its creation,

support, performance

and exposure.”

FLEABAG

Associate company DryWrite

approached us to do an evening

of shorts

Produced Mydidae by Jack Thorne

in Soho Theatre Upstairs

Transferred to the West End

Developed Fleabag which

went on to sell-out runs at the

Edinburgh Festival Fringe and

Soho Theatre Upstairs

Olivier Award nomination

Remounted at Soho Theatre for

a UK and international tour

(including South Korea)

Director Vicky Jones went onto

win the VBA as a writer, and is

now script editing for Channel 4

alongside a Soho commission

Actor/writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge

performed in VBA winning play

The One at Soho and is under

commission for her own TV series

LA BOHEME

Spotted in a room above

a pub in Kilburn

Developed and produced

at Soho Theatre

OperaUpClose joined as

an associate company

Won Olivier Award for

Best New Opera

Produced three more

shows together

Now a planned feature film

PRODUCE & PRESENT

“When I got a call saying [my play] had been short-listed, I started to think,

‘Wow, maybe something might come of this’. And then it won and had a five-week staging at Soho... It got me an agent, led to my relationship with the National Theatre, and really was the beginning of everything.” Matt Charman, VBA Winner 2004

DEATH OF A

COMEDIAN

Owen McCafferty’s award winning

Quietly spotted at the Edinburgh

Festival Fringe

Remounted with the Abbey Theatre

Dublin and the Lyric Theatre Belfast

New commission from Owen

with Abbey and Lyric

Directed by Steve Marmion,

opened in Belfast then Dublin

(while there we workshopped

a new co-production with the

Rubberbandits), before finishing

off at Soho Theatre

Owen joins the company as

an associate artist

The Abbey and Soho go on to

co-produce a new show in 2016

`

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AUDIENCEOur audience is diverse – class, age, sexuality, gender and race.

Their taste is broad – new theatre, to opera, to performance art, to comedy, to cabaret.

They come back to see work they want to see in a place they want to be.

They like an adventure and sometimes they have the most unforgettable nights out.

“You always have new and original and amazing shows for me to see any time of the year. I know I can rely on Soho to always have a beautiful diversity of artists. As a black woman I like to see other black people and women in the spotlight and I appreciate a diversity of sexualities, genders and bodies.” Tunde (audience feedback)

WHO

ARTISTSOur artists are diverse – class, age, sexuality, gender and race.

Their taste is broad – new theatre, to opera, to performance art, to comedy, to cabaret.

They come back to make work they want to make in a place they want to be.

They like an adventure and sometimes they have the most unforgettable nights out.

“Soho Theatre – the best theatre of all time in terms of artist treatment, as far as I am concerned.” Bryony Kimmings

“The initial attraction may

be the bar or a popular

name, but from there

we open up our whole

programme. The bar

is the cigarette to the

heroin of the new work.”

“Artists and audiences collide; they

share feedback in inspiration, and

with the creative lubricant flowing,

collaborate and invent ideas that

could fill our stages in the future.”

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PERFORMER

DOCTOR

BROWN

Saw him because we

liked the look of him at

the Edinburgh Festival

Fringe, and offered him

a London home

Presented his first show

at Soho Theatre

Developed and produced

his second and third

Won Melbourne

International Comedy

Festival’s Barry, Foster’s

Edinburgh Comedy and

Total Theatre awards

WRITER

ARINZE

KENERead an early play of his

that came to us, unsolicited

Invited to join the

inaugural Soho Six

Wrote God’s Property

Produced in Deptford,

on tour and at Soho Theatre

Continues to work with us

as a young people’s mentor

Under commission from a

number of theatres

THEATRE MAKER

BRYONY

KIMMINGS

Saw Bryony’s first show Sex Idiot at

the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on a tip

from an old friend

A sell-out run in Soho Theatre Upstairs

Commissioned 7 Day Drunk through

Soho Six and produced it at Edinburgh

and Soho Theatre Downstairs

Made Credible Likeable Superstar

Role Model together

Went on to win The Scotsman Fringe

First, Fringe Review Outstanding

Show, The Arches Brick and

ThreeWeeks Editors awards

Made Fake it ‘til you Make it,

previewed in Australia before a

smash hit, sell-out run at

Edinburgh 2015

IN 2013/14 WE HAD OVER 500 ARTISTS ON OUR STAGES. PAST AND CURRENT ARTISTS INCLUDE:

Adam Hills, Al Murray, Alan Carr, Alex Horne, Alexei Sayle, Andrea Riseborough, Andrew Garfield, Andrew Scott, Anthony Neilson, Arinze Kene, Ava Vidal, Aziz Ansari, Ben Whishaw, Bonnie Greer, Brendon Burns, Bridget Christie, Bryony Kimmings, Camille O’Sullivan, Cardinal Burns, Catherine Tate, Cybil Shepherd, Daniel Kitson, Daniel Sloss, Danny Bhoy, Dara O’Briain, David Baddiel, David Harewood, David Hoyle, David Morrissey, David O’Doherty, debbie tucker green, Demetri Martin, Diane Samuels, Doctor Brown, Doug Stanhope, Dylan Moran, Ed Byrne, Eddie Izzard, Ella Hickson, Francesca Annis, Frank Skinner, Frankie Boyle, Greg Davies, Isy Suttie, Jack Thorne, Jack Whitehall, James Rhodes, Jane Bussman, Javone Prince, Jerry Sadowitz, Jimmy Akingbola, Jimmy Carr, John Bishop, John Leguizamo, Jon Richardson, Jonathan Pryce, Josie Long, Julian Clary, Julie Aubrey, Kim Noble, Kristen Schaal, Kurt Braunohler, Laura Solon, Laura Wade, Liz Carr, Louis CK, Lucy Porter, Luke Treadaway, Marc Lottering, Marc Maron, Marcus Brigstocke, Mark Thomas, Mark Watson, Martin Freeman, Matt Charman, Matt Horne, Maxine Peake, Meow Meow, Sir Michael Boyd, Michael McIntyre, Micky Flanagan, Miranda Hart, Nick Payne, Nina Conti, Noel Fielding, Omid Djalili, Pajama Men, Pam Ann, Panti Bliss, Patterson Joseph, Patton Oswalt, Phil Porter, Philip Ridley, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Reginald D. Hunter, Reggie Watts, Rhod Gilbert, Rhona Cameron, Rich Hall, Richard Herring, Ricky Gervais, Rob Brydon, Rob Delaney, Robert Newman, Ross Noble, Roxana Silbert, Rufus Hound, Russell Brand, Russell Kane, Ruth Sheen, Sadie Frost, Sarah Millican, Scott Capurro, Sean Hughes, Sean Lock, Seann Walsh, Shappi Khorsandi, Shazia Mirza, Simon Amstell, Simon Evans, Simon Singh, Simon Stephens, Sophie Okonedo, Stephen Carlin, Stephen K Amos, Stewart Lee, Sue Perkins, Susan Calman, Tanyalee Davis, Taylor Mac, Tiger Lillies, Tim Key, Tim Minchin, Tim Price, Tim Vine, Toby Whithouse, Todd Barry, Tom Allen, Tom Wells, Tommy Tiernan, Trevor Noah, Vicky Jones, Will Eno, Zoe Lyons... and many more.

“Soho Theatre put me on when no one wanted to see me.” Bridget Christie

“Their willingness to take a chance on me, on work that is a bit different is very encouraging and has helped me a lot.” Doctor Brown

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WHERE6 SHOWS A NIGHT 3 STAGES 1 BUZZING BAR

21 DEAN STREET

SOHO THEATRE UPSTAIRS

100 seats Flexible studio space Daytime Rehearsal space Evening 2 performances per night

Intimate, surprising and adventurous. Our space committed to experimentation and challenging convention.

SOHO THEATRE DOWNSTAIRS

140 seats Cabaret theatre with bar Daytime Rehearsal space and events Evening 2 performances per night (3 at weekends)

The best new acts from across the globe. Our New-York-meets-Berlin comedy and cabaret basement.

SOHO THEATRE

162 seats End-on black box theatre Daytime Rehearsal space and events Evening 2 performances per night

Big ideas, ambitious and theatrical. Our stage for powerful new theatre, opera, musical, dance and comedy acts.

SOHO THEATRE BAR

Buzzing West End bar and creative hub Open 10am – 1am

By day a hive of writing, meetings and events. By night a throng of audiences and artists seeing work and having a good time.

“It’s like a little Florence in the middle of Soho, so many young people gathered there to use the bars, to see the shows. The variety is astounding. It’s like the best of Edinburgh in spirit, but 365 days a year.” Stephen Fry

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TRANSFERS AND TOURINGWe take our work around the country and the globe.

We transfer and present many of our shows and acts outside of Soho.

We work with our associate venues, who share the same ambitions for quality and new audiences.

We tour internationally; in the last five years we have taken work to Japan, India, South Korea, USA, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Croatia.

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGEEdinburgh is the largest coming together of the theatre and comedy industries in the world.

We are an institution there, with over 25 festivals under our belts.

We see over 400 shows and find many of our collaborators of the future there.

Across forms and venues it is a chance to share our newest ideas with the industry before they reach our stages.

In 2015 our 15 Edinburgh shows played to more than 27,000 people, bringing back the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Comedy Show, two Herald Angel Awards, one Scotsman Fringe First Award and numerous other nominations.

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GROWTHWe are a charity and a social enterprise that is as entrepreneurial as it is innovative.

These are our three major growth projects, all of which support the aims of the company, while having the potential to create extra resources for our core mission. TOURING VENUE DIGITAL

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Touring

AMBITIONS

To take the best work from our stages to the widest possible audiences around the UK.

To work internationally in India and the US, broadening opportunities for artists, creating new audiences and exploring new markets.

Actively seek out areas of low cultural provision and encourage people who don’t usually go to the theatre to experience our work.

PLANS

Produce at least one major UK theatre tour and three UK comedy events outside of London every year.

Present one show a year in India or New York.

To use our unique style of education, development, marketing and hospitality activities to draw in new audiences on tour.

ELSEWHERE

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Venue

AMBITIONS

To enable our artists, staff and audience to grow with the company.

To take our thriving Dean Street model to an area in need of it.

To offer a creative and administrative home to communities, companies, groups and artists.

PLANS

A new 1000 seat venue in London.

Fill it with a 21st century cine variety programme – big name comedy, pantomime, theatre and events.

The stages, offices, rehearsal spaces, bars and restaurants will combine to build a thriving creative hub at the heart of a culturally deprived community.

VENUE

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Digital

AMBITIONS

Capture our artists on film at an early stage in their careers.

Create new artistic and financial opportunities for our artists to work in digital form.

Share our work with the broadest audiences and get the Soho Theatre experience into their living rooms.

PLANS

Film and produce at least four shows per year under the Soho Theatre Live banner.

Collaborating with established TV and Film Partners, set up our own broadcast company – Soho Theatre Live.

Work with international distribution partners via online, broadcast, DVD and our own platform.

LIVE

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VALUES

Soho Theatre Bar, 2015

ACCESSIBILITY

Our doors are open to everyone and we encourage new people through them.

ENTREPRENEURIAL

We are always on the lookout for ways we can innovate as a social enterprise – earning more to spend on the art.

NEW

We like hearing and saying things that have not been said before, but not just for the sake of it.

INTEGRITY

We are open, honest and pragmatic, when it’s working and when it’s not.

PEOPLE

Soho Theatre is the people who work, perform, watch and drink here – we get the best from people and they from us.

PRIDE

We’re proud of our work and hope to inspire the same in those with whom we work.

QUALITY

It’s got to be as good as it can be. From shows to people, quality matters.

SUSTAINABILITY

We do environmental things wherever we can.

WORK AND PLAY

We work hard and enjoy our shows and bars.

EQUALITY

We represent and celebrate our diverse society; and we passionately believe in equality of opportunity.

“As we grow it is important we do it in

the right way. We are keen not to become

bureaucratic or corporate. These values

capture our ethos and apply to all areas of

our work - even when stressed.”

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SUMMARYThe next three years offer tremendous opportunity to build on the success of the past three.

Moving into the next stage of our development – a company of international standing.

We are making great new work with great new, developing and established artists.

We are reaching diverse new audiences with quality work they want to see.

We have the vision, the art, the experience and the opportunity to grow.

WE WANT TO MAKE MORE WORK

WE WANT TO MAKE BETTER WORK

WE WANT MORE PEOPLE TO SEE IT

Address Unknown, 2013 Soho Theatre in partnership with Institut francais and JW3, the Jewish Community Centre London, with performances in French and English

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PHOTOGRAPHY:

2–3 La Bohème, Simon Kane

4–5 Utopia, Simon Kane

6–7 Realism, Tristram Kenton

8–9 Pastoral, Simon Kane

10-–11 Bitch Boxer, Tasos Vrettos

12–13 Blink, Sheila Burnet

14–15 Fleabag, Richard Davenport

16–17 Audience members, Richard Davenport

18 Doctor Brown, Steve Ullathorne

19 Arinze Kene, Lime Pictures Bryony Kimmings, Richard Davenport

20–21 Soho Theatre Bar (in illustration), Jonny Birch

34–35 Address Unknown, Simon Kane

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020 7478 0100 SOHOTHEATRE.COM21 DEAN STREET, LONDON W1D 3NE

Soho Theatre is a charity registered in England and Wales No. 267234

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