This year is a very special year as we turn140 years old!
We have been incredibly fortunate to receive funding fromThe National Lottery Heritage Fund which means we can host lots of exciting events and activities throughout the year for FREE.
In October we held an Open Day which was a special day packed full of completely free entertainment, workshops, talks, arts and crafts, face painting, theatre tours and many other exciting activities suitable for all ages. Our workshops included BSL IN THEATRE, IMPROVISATION GAMES AND SCENES, COMEDY FOR KIDS, STAGE COMBAT and LIGHTING DESIGN. We also held talks with Writer Jonathan Harvey, Nadia Fall our outgoing Artistic Director, and Stewart J. Charlesworth – the Designer of our 2024 Panto PINOCCHIO.
Our most recent Open Day was onSaturday 26th July 2025. It was another fantastic day and included lots of free events, activities and workshops for all ages. We had an AUDITION TECHNIQUE SESSION with our Artistic Director Lisa Spirling and Casting Director Polly Jerrold, whilst our Associate Artistic Director Jase Lewis led a CREATING NEW WORK FOR YOUNGER AUDIENCES workshop. Our SPOKEN WORD WORKSHOP was held by actor, poet and Stratford East stalwart Russenï Fisher, as our guests learnt stage combat and comedy, and performed in a STREET DANCE CLASS with Bismark Anobah.
There were sessions of BSL IN THEATRE with Caro Parker, DRAG QUEEN STORYTIME with That Girl, MARIONETTE-PUPPET MAKING, Heritage Tours, Newham Music instruments session and performances from the community choir and Stratford East Singers on our incredible stage, with the day wrapped up with free patties and ice cream for all! We loved seeing you all and sharing our beautiful theatre with our beloved community and hope to do it again.
Check out our highlights video below.
If you want to get a glimpse behind-the-scenes here at Stratford East, then you can book onto one of our free monthlyHeritage Tours giving you an exclusive insight into the theatre's heritage and 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. You will also 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. There are 20 spaces available per tour so we encourage you to book early.
We are also collecting and recording 100 stories from the local community, past and current staff, and past and current artists and young people recalling their memories and experiences of Stratford East. If you have a story to share then please get in touch with Emma - ejerrold@stratfordeast.com
Here is a video with some of our fans wishing us ahappy birthday!
Check out our previous open day back in October 2024 below
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
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