| White Bear Theatre | 138
Kennington Park Road |
| Phone:
020 7793 9193 |
Tube/Rail Stop(s): Kennington |
| Performance Schedule: | Evening performances primarily. |
| Ticket Info: | Tickets generally cost from £6 to £12. |
What's Playing:
"Plastic Zion", by Chris Ward, March 28th to April 16th, A comedy set in the era of the death of punk rock.
Description:
The White Bear has been around for about 25 years and is managed/owned by Michael Kingsbury a writer and director. The theatre was started by Michael's father. In 2000 the White Bear received two TimeOut Critics Choice Awards, and in 2001, it also received two awards including the TimeOut Best Fringe Venue Award.
The White Bear is dedicated to the development of writers, actors, directors and designers. The programming is mostly drama, sometimes foreign drama adapted/translated for the English language, as well as new writing. For example, the Brit-Pol Theatre Company which produces the work of Polish writers in England has produced several shows at the White Bear including the recent Card Index which received a TimeOut Critics Choice selection. The quality of the shows ranges from absolutely outstanding, to your average Fringe piece with no set, no costumes etc.
The theatre is a black box studio with audience on two sides (L shape) located at the back of the pub. It seats about 45 on cushioned benches with space for 1/2 wheelchairs. The seats were put in in 2001 and came from the Barbican's Pit. The theatre is on the ground floor so disabled access is not a problem, although it can sometimes be a bit of a struggle getting through the pub if it's crowded. The theatre even has it's own small lobby where the box office is located. This space is curtained on both sides to try and keep the sound from the pub out of the theatre (it mostly works). Don't miss the painting on the ceiling of the theatre lobby.
During the day the pub is your traditional South London local pub, and then in the evening it fills up with all these people going to the theatre or watching a football match - quite incongruous sometimes. On the night of a major football match the place will be packed. The pub is quite large with an almost circular bar and some picnic tables out front for nice nights.
There is no resident company - but some companies come back on a regulaar basis, and you'll see some of the same names in a number of the shows. Names to look out for are writer Torben Betts, directors Peter Craze and Amanda Cooper, and writer/director Michael Kingsbury who owns the theatre. Torben Betts is probably the most successful of the current White Bear stalwarts. His plays are published by Oberon Books in the UK, and include Incarcerator and Five Visions of the Faithfull.
The White Bear had a lot of good press in 2001 saying that the only thing that holds it back is chronic underfunding. From time to time you'll see faces you recognize from television among the actors. Most people working there are your regular jobbing actors and you'll see them pop up all sorts of places. Performances run Tuesday to Sunday.