This year Stratford East is turning 140 and as part of our celebrations, we would love to invite you to our Open Day here at the theatre on Saturday 26th October 11am-5.30pm. We are flinging our doors open to the public and hosting a special day packed full of completely FREE entertainment, workshops, talks, arts and crafts, facepainting, theatre tours and many other exciting activities suitable for all ages. Everyone is welcome!

Below is a list of all that is on offer and there is an opportunity to sign up early to some of these fantastic events. We advise you to book in advance for some free activities as capacity is limited, but you are welcome to just turn up on the day as there will be an allocation available for walk-ups. There will also be an opportunity to book tickets for our exciting line up of shows in our 140th birthday season, including our legendary Panto, and we will have an exclusive discount available for the duration of the open day.

Come and help us celebrate Stratford East's 140th year - the more the merrier!

Have a look at the line-up for the day and you’ll see an opportunity to book your place on activities where numbers are limited.

WORKSHOPS

BSL IN THEATRE
Suitable for all ages. Time: 3pm-4pm.

Deaf actress Caroline Parker has signed her way across stage and screen and is here to help us communicate more with deaf people and be aware that sign language is not just words but feelings, and humour too. In this workshop she will be encouraging people to learn some BSL signs that deaf creatives use within the theatre on a usual working day. Everyone is welcome!

Places are limited, so please book your space here.

IMPROVISATION GAMES AND SCENES
Suitable for ages 16+. Time: 2pm-3.30pm.

Leave your inhibitions at the door and dive headfirst into the wonderful world of improvisation with the fantastic Lizzie Winkler. The RADA graduate and actor will be bringing a playful and supportive workshop to Stratford East and having trained with both Showstoppers and the Free Association, this workshop will help you unleash your creativity and build your confidence skills through imaginative games and improvised scenes.

Places are limited, so please book your space here.

COMEDY FOR KIDS
Suitable for ages 9-12 years. Time: 12pm-1.30pm.

Run by professional comedians, Hilarity Academy are here to share their love for comedy and laughter. Between them they’ve worked with young people in a range of educational and arts environments and are bringing their passion and knowledge of comedy to our theatre. This session has a variety of options to get involved with and focusses on different aspects of comedy performance including sketch, stand-up, clowning and improvisation. Kids deserve to have FUN and they are here to provide just that!

Places are limited, so please book your space here.

STAGE COMBAT
Suitable for ages 9 years and up. Time: 2pm-3.30pm.

Ever wondered how filmmakers make their fights look so realistic? With a big emphasis on fun (and always incredibly safe), in this Fight It Out workshop you will be taught creative and gory techniques ending in a staged fight to music. Dive into the action-packed world of stage combat with Actor, Director and Fight Performer Riad Richie and let battle commence! All welcome. (Children versus adults encouraged). We will film the final fight so you will be able to show off your new skills to your family and friends.

Places are limited, so please book your space here.

LIGHTING DESIGN
Suitable for ages 16+. Time: 2pm-3pm

In this technical introduction, you will explore the creative process of a lighting designer and experiment with lighting a scene. Working with our Head of Lighting, Rob Pell-Walpole, you will have the chance to bring your artistic ideas to our stage.

Places are limited, so please book your space here.

Q&A TALKS

JONATHAN HARVEY – WRITER
Suitable for ages 18+. Time: 2pm-3pm.

Stratford East is delighted to welcome back the hugely talented and multi award-winning screenwriter, author and playwright, Jonathan Harvey who recently graced our stage with his hit play BEAUTIFUL THING. Jonathan will be here to discuss his process and journey as a writer, share advice on navigating the theatre and television industries and answer any questions you have.

Places are limited, so please book your space here.

NADIA FALL – ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Suitable for ages 18+. Time: 1.45pm-2.45pm.

Stratford East’s Artistic Director Nadia Fall, Director of hit show ABIGAIL'S PARTY (book here if you haven't seen the show yet) will be teaming up with a Casting Director to deliver this workshop for you. Together they will give you tips and techniques to work on confidence, audition preparation and tackling a script and as a group you will work together to explore how to tackle the audition room. You are welcome no matter where you are on your acting journey.

Places are limited, so please book your space here.

STEWART J. CHARLESWORTH – DESIGNER
Suitable for ages 18+. Time: 12pm-1pm.

Stewart J. Charlesworth is a UK based, multi award-nominated set and costume designer, whose work spans plays, musicals, opera and dance, as well as immersive and site-specific productions. He will be here to talk about his process and share his experience of designing, what inspires him and how he chooses his work plus there will be an opportunity to ask questions and hear his advice. You will also see his beautiful designs adorning our stage this Christmas in our Panto PINOCCHIO.

Places are limited, so please book your space here.

HERITAGE TOURS

Suitable for all ages.
Interested in the theatre and how it all began? Want to experience what it feels like to stand on stage or ever wondered where the actors hang out between scenes? There will be three tours throughout the day which will take you on a journey behind the scenes so you can get a glimpse into how we create our outstanding shows and discover the rich history of our much-treasured theatre. In addition, you will be able to experience the newly unveiled and refreshed images on our theatre walls, showcasing the rich history of Stratford East productions providing visitors with a visual journey through our most memorable moments.

Tours leaving from main foyer at 11.15am, 1pm and 3pm.

ACTIVITIES

FACEPAINTING
Suitable for all ages. Time 11am-4pm.

There will be a face painter in the theatre ALL DAY ready and poised to decorate your face with a range of creative designs.

Everyone welcome - just turn up on the day!

DISCO LOCO
Suitable for all primary school ages. Time: 12pm-1.30pm.

Come and join Disco Loco's wild and wonderful family party transported to our theatre. Since 2006 they’ve been engaging families across East London in a programme of arts, culture and a spirit of togetherness. Their incredible DJs bring quality and magic to everything they do and they celebrate family diversity. We are very much looking forward to having them.

Everyone welcome - just turn up on the day!

ARTS AND CRAFTS
Suitable for all ages. Time 11am-4pm.

Delyth Taylor is a freelance artist who will be with us for a whole day of Arts and Crafts! Delyth works across a lot of different mediums, specialises in interactive art projects for early years and uses playful creativity to engage with young people. She will be bringing lots of fun activities to keep you all busy for the day including puppet and mask making with an opportunity to bring them to life and show your new creations off.

No need to book – just turn up and join in!

SHORT FILMS
All ages welcome. Time 11am-5pm.

We are creating a series of short celebratory films as part of our 140th birthday and want to hear from as many of you as possible about what you enjoyed here at Stratford East. If you've been to our theatre and experienced one of our shows, whether it's our legendary pantomime or an exciting new piece of work, we would love to hear what you have to say and will be filming in the auditorium all day.

No need to book – just turn up and you will be directed to our filming area.

LIVE MUSIC
Time: 4.30pm.

Max Runham is a singer-songwriter from London. With influences from the great soul, blues and rock & roll music of the 50s & 60s, Max has crafted a unique, modern indie-pop sound with thoughtful lyrics and an infectious rhythm. Max spent his 20s touring in theatre productions, some coming to Stratford East and has since committed to music full-time and has a 3-track EP coming out in November.

FOOD AND DRINK

Patties are on us! We will shout you a patty* from our delicious Island Vibez Kitchen and the bar will be open serving drinks from midday. The kitchen is also serving other menu options to purchase on the day. Feel free to bring additional snacks for your little ones.

*Subject to availability.

Artistic Director Nadia Fall says:

“We’re beyond thrilled to open the doors of our cherished Stratford East as we celebrate 140 years of history, creativity, and community. This open day is a chance to take a look behind the scenes of a theatre that has stood proudly in the heart of East London for over a century. We are a theatre for everyone, and this day is all about welcoming both new and familiar faces to experience the magic of how theatre is made. From talks and workshops to food and entertainment, there’s something for everyone—and the best part is, it’s all free!”

Any questions about anything that’s on offer, please contact us on openday@stratfordeast.com

We are delighted to say that this day has been made possible thanks to the generosity of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.