HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY HAMPSTEAD

On 24 September 1959, the first production presented by the ‘The Hampstead Theatre Club’ was performed. 60 years on, Hampstead Theatre is continuing the proud tradition of nurturing and producing original, entertaining theatre.

First housed in Moreland Hall, Hampstead Theatre was founded by British theatre director James Roose-Evans. Harold Pinter was a permanent fixture in the early years, trying and testing many of his plays in front of a loyal Hampstead audience. The first season included Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter and The Room, Jacques by Eugene Ionesco and The Sport of My Mad Mother by Ann Jellicoe.

60 years on, and Hampstead Theatre has become one of London’s most vibrant theatres. Over the years, it has provided a stage for some of the greatest actors in the world including Jude Law, John Malkovich, Alan Rickman, John Hurt, Faye Dunaway, Adrian Lester, Alison Steadman, Juliet Stevenson, Zoe Wanamaker, Maxine Peake, Maisie Williams, Rupert Everett, Anna Maxwell Martin, Gina McKee, Mark Gatiss, Tamsin Greig and Clarke Peters.

The commitment has remained to nurture and produce new and emerging writers throughout the years, including Mike Leigh, Michael Frayn, Brian Friel, Terry Johnson, Hanif Kureishi, Howard Brenton, Beth Steel, David Hare, Nina Raine, Simon Stephens, Enda Walsh, Mike Bartlett, Nick Payne, Amelia Bullmore, Abi Morgan, Tamsin Oglesby, Debbie Tucker Green, Roy Williams and Dennis Kelly.

Happy 60th birthday Hampstead Theatre!

We will be celebrating all year – and we’d love to hear from you. Use the hashtag #HT60 to share your memories of the theatre.