Bush Theatre

A great quiet place with Random furniture and shelves lined with old plays. The coffee is good and £2 for a latte. Try the brie and chutney toastie as well. Avoid the coffee chains and come here instead.

Everyone in the world needs to go to this delightful little theatre! Its got some banging new writing on, I’ve been 3 times and every play has been excellent! Last night I got a £5 ticket due to their new BUSHCONNECT scheme which is for anyone under 26, or a student! I am both! woo! I also got a free glass of wine to celebrate the launch!

I should state upfront on this review … I am slightly biased! … having been seeing clients at The Happiness Centre across the road for over 8 years, finally, I mean F-​I-​N-​A-​L-​L-​Y Shepherds Bush and the Uxbridge Road has a decent coffee. Actually, it’s better than decent, it is FANTASTIC.
Thank you, thank you, thank you (!!!) Bush Theatre for introducting not only a cool fringe theatre conversion of our old Library, but a whoppingly fab meeting space, lunch space and overall funky coffee hangout. ‘They’ have been saying Shepherds Bush is up and coming for years !!! but frankly it takes a dream team to bring cool places into a community and the Bush Theatre team have done exaclty that.
Okay you probably get the point. I am a huge fan. Take a detour and check this place out one lazy afternoon or if you work locally. Better still go check out their action-​packed fringe theatre performances to expand your mind, cultural map and pop a new west london hangout on your fave list.

Let me make this clear — I’m not a theatre person. Hmm, let me restate: I’m ambivalent toward it. I don’t love it and I don’t avoid it. I enjoy it on the rare occasions someone invites me along or expresses interest in going to something, whether that «something» is a musical or the ballet or a play.
That being said, Bush Theatre provided me a good time for my limited experience with this sort of thing, but with some nice upgrades/​surprises:
— The converted library venue that is true to its origins. Enjoy your beverage before or after the show in the library full of arm chairs and shelves of leather-​bound scripts.
— It feels like pub (complete with beer garden), not like a theatre venue. You can walk in and order a drink and feel like you’re allowed — and invited warmly to — settle in and enjoy it. Like picture houses, it is designed to provide a place to converse about what you just saw on site.
–You can take your beverage into the theatre space. Is that normally allowed? I have no idea, but I’m glad I didn’t have to chug my Peroni in order to get a good seat.
— A modern stage set up with space for 160ish. I’ve never been to an intimate venue like this, and was quite caught up in the action literally happening mere inches from me — not up on a traditional stage, either.
— Fresh outlook. I was told Bush is one of the only London playhouses that accepts new, outside work. Anyone can send them a play, and they receive something like 400 a week. This sounded impressive to me, but what do I know about these things.
All in all, this was a solid modern theatre experience with a traditional London pub vibe

A lovely Fringe theatre with a deservedly good reputation, this west London wonder recently moved to a fantastic new venue just opposite Shepherds Bush Market tube station. The small studio has a low stage and flexible seating which allow for a variety of set-​ups (in the round, promenade, thrust etc). The basic padded benches mean that if it’s a sell-​out, you’re going to get pretty cosy with your neighbours.
Like any good fringe location, they specialise in new writing or new adaptations, but I’m under the impression that they’re pretty spot-​on with their offerings and indeed the two plays I’ve seen here so far have both been excellent.
What marks it out is the juxtaposition of the contemporary studio with the old architecture of the foyer. It actually used to be a library, which is evident in the building’s structure, and they’ve been incredibly sympathetic in the renovation. My sources tell me that part of the deal was that it had to retain elements of its former life, and therefore the bar actually doubles up as a script library. I’m a sucker for the written word, so I was ferreting through the titles before we’d even sat down for a drink.
In fact funnily enough, it’s the bar which brings this place up from a good theatre to a great place to visit. As a drama graduate (you knew that staging geekery had to come from somewhere), I know that a great theatrical experience isn’t just about the play itself, but the atmosphere, build-​up, and opportunity to unwind and discuss after the curtain-​call. The Bush knows this too, and with a good selection of bevvies, including some imaginative non-​alcoholic ones, at average (rather than theatre) prices, and a really welcoming atmosphere, they encourage people to hang around. I’d even go so far as to pay the Bush a visit without intending to take in a play.
One point has to come off for the ticket prices. As a local I get 10% off, but even so it’s still pretty extortionate. I know full well that the industry is struggling, and I appreciate that the Bush has plenty of affluent neighbours, but that doesn’t really excuse £25 flat-​rate ticket prices. Not all of us live in stuccoed Notting Hill townhouses. If I could afford to come here more, I would, but as it is I’ll probably have to stick it out in the foyer with an elderflower cordial and The Complete Works of Samuel Beckett.