A theater which helped launch the careers of actors Ncuti Gatwa and Emma D’arcy is to be demolished and replaced after 13 years. The Yard will be demolished this summer when the curtain falls on the final production of The Glass Menagerie in April.
Currently housed in a converted warehouse in Hackney Wick, the venue will be redeveloped with state-of-the-art facilities and double the number of seats after securing £6.4 million in funding. The theater took to Instagram to outline its ambitious redevelopment plans after the news was announced earlier this week.
Here’s what we know so far:
Dedicated space for young creatives
The theater is known for springboarding many of the UK’s best young talents and continues to prioritize children and teenagers in the future. They will build a dedicated space for their Yard Young Artists ahead of the 2026 reopening.
This means 9-21 year olds will be able to attend weekly workshops, create shows and scripts, gain work experience and learn from industry professionals. Last year they introduced 250 young people to theatre-making, most of them from low-income backgrounds.
Staff are now raising a further £15,000 to ensure this program can continue amid council and arts funding cuts. An online appeal reads: “As Hackney Wick transforms, we’re ensuring its young people don’t just watch theater – they create it, lead it and shape their future through it.”
Over 200 seats and more space
The upgraded theater will also have 220 seats – up from 110 – to allow more people than ever to take in productions. They are also building new changing rooms, toilets and a workshop for technicians.
There will also be a bar attached that will be “tailored for extraordinary new performance.”
East London landmark
The theater will be visible from some distance thanks to a six-story chimney. This is also a practical choice as it allows for natural ventilation and uses natural materials.
The design elements are led by Takero Shimazaki Architects, the brains behind the Royal Academy of Dance and the Curzon cinema in Camden. The team will also take public suggestions on what to include in the building in the coming weeks.
Chairman of The Yard’s board Simon Tate said: “We are currently crossing boundaries in a converted warehouse, and we are about to transform our physical space to match our artistic ambition. This redevelopment is not just about fixing the roof, it is about to build east London’s first purpose-built theater in a generation.
“As a charity, The Yard exists to serve our community; with this project we’re doubling our capacity, creating new spaces for local young artists and pioneering sustainable design. The Yard has always dreamed big – now we’re building big too.”
The theater has grown to be not only a staple of Hackney’s arts scene but an asset to the community since first opening in 2011. In recent years it has also lived a second life as a nightclub, complete with themed nights and events.
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