Fringe Focus: Drayton Arms Theatre

A hidden gem a short walk from Gloucester Road tube, the Drayton Arms is a tiny but fascinating pub theatre.

For this latest Fringe Focus, I asked Artistic Director Audrey Thayer to tell me more about this smashing little fringe space.

The Drayton Arms Theatre opened as a permanent venue in 2011 but has a long and interesting history as a rehearsal room and the Drayton Studio. What makes it so special?

I believe the Drayton is such a versatile space, she can kind of hold however much you give to her.

Whether a show has a full, built out set with floors and doors or is just a single chair, whether there is a cast of 15 or a cast of 1, it feels like she expands or contracts to carry each production.

There is always enough space up there to breathe while still remaining intimate, and there are so many unique touches (gigantic window wells, a fireplace, odd corners) that, if embraced, can only make productions more interesting.

The shows you have are always interesting and often quirky. What do you look for when programming a season?

I first and foremost am most interested in working with companies and creatives that are passionate, hard-working and kind. I often find that good shows are made by good people.

Secondly, I like offering a wide, varied programme. I think we can often get stuck on what we consider “theatre” to be. I like works that push that boundary, that explore something new, that might be different or a little bit mad.

Creatives should be able to test things out without being confined to a theatre’s specific definition of what a play is, because that’s how we move the discipline forward and stay relevant to audiences.

So hopefully, if you look at my programme for the next two months or so, there should be at least one thing that makes you curious.

The pub theatre and fringe scene is so diverse and vibrant across London, and is rightly celebrated by the Offies. What’s been the Drayton Arms Theatre’s greatest achievement?

I consider my greatest achievement to be my returning companies. I have number of companies that have been working with me and bringing their shows to the Drayton almost since I began eight years ago.

The fact they keep coming back, growing and experimenting in the space, each time getting more confident and comfortable proves to me I’m cultivating a space that creatives trust and want to work at again and again.

Equally it is always so gratifying when creatives finally “outgrow” the Drayton so to speak, and move up to a larger, more established space.

They’ve used the Drayton to figure out who they are and become ready for the next challenge, and I get to watch them fly.

You are located in a building that is Grade II listed – and gorgeous – does that cause any problems when planning and presenting shows?

It absolutely can be a blessing and a curse. The blessing is you have just the loveliest looking building, the curse is if anything goes wrong involving the building that requires a larger fix, it’s likely not going to be quickly done.

It also means making the space fully accessible is just short of impossible, which is something that really hurts my heart. But I will never stop enquiring and trying to find a solution.

What would you say to a theatregoer who hasn’t been yet to tempt them through your doors?

The odds are that if they do attend, they will see something that has never been seen before.

I have so many creatives trying out something brand new, works in progress, shows that are still growing and changing, and finding themselves.

And that it will be such a joy to witness.