The best pub theatres in London

Near Highbury & Islington station you'll see The Hen & Chickens Theatre Pub. It's a welcoming local venue with a cosy atmosphere and comfortable places to sit. Drinks include a selection of craft beers and cask ales. Above the pub there's an equally-vibrant theatre staging fringe productions, up-and-coming theatre groups, and stand-up comedy acts.

Islington's The Old Red Lion is one of the city's oldest pubs. As well as boasting a traditional bar area there's an upstairs theatre that seats 60 people. You can check out a range of innovative fringe productions here. The bar serves real ales, shows live sport, and has an outdoor space too.

Intimate Barons Court Theatre has a capacity of 52 and is set in a cosy space beneath a pub. This local theatre brings a global perspective to its audience, and stages a diverse range of shows including improv, comedy, and theatrical productions. It also aims to support new and local talent. This award-winning venue has a reputation for being friendly and welcoming.

You'll find picturesque pub The Gatehouse in the heart of Highgate. This elegant gastropub serves British and Spanish dishes and has a garden. Added to that, there's an acclaimed theatre on-site for dramas, musicals, and cabaret. Two or three productions are put on each year. You can enjoy a pre-theatre meal if you're seeing a show here.

Located in Penge, The Bridge House Theatre opened in 2014. This theatre has an intimate feel and is based at a cosy pub. A varied range of events and productions are on here including drag bingo, drama, and stand-up comedy. This theatre strives to provide a platform for underrepresented groups.

You'll find Etcetera Theatre above The Oxford Arms right in the heart of Camden Town. This award-winning pub theatre started in the 80s and specialises in theatrical productions and comedy shows. It also offers rehearsal space. There's a busy programme of shows including flamenco, performance art, and comedy acts.

Cosy pub The Latchmere is an attractive spot for a drink but is also a destination for award-winning theatre. The venue is full of character and includes a heated courtyard and a garden. The theatre puts on hundreds of shows each year and champions new writers. The intimate space has a capacity of just 63.

Based above The Landor pub, Landor Space is a 60-seater theatre. This black-box venue is also used for rehearsals, filming, and photography. A diverse range of professional and amateur productions are on here including dance shows, musical comedy, classic plays, and informative discussions.

The Lion & Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town is an innovative and creative venue for fringe theatre. The venue nurtures and welcomes performers and audiences, whilst the downstairs pub is a comfortable spot for drinks and food before a show. The programme here includes improv, new stagings of classic plays, new plays, and children's theatre.

The Hope Theatre is located above a pub in Upper Street and seats 50 people. The space might be small but the productions are full of big ideas. This award-winning venue stages a variety of contemporary productions including dramas, comedies, and stories to challenge you. The pub downstairs is traditional and down-to-earth.

Founded in 1989, White Bear Theatre is an award-winning venue that's worked with some of the country's top theatre-makers. A diverse collection of theatrical productions are on here from riotous comedies to one-woman shows. If you're here to see a performance you can also get discounted food in the pub.

Jack Studio Theatre is a hub for fringe theatre in South London. This bold theatre is compact but vibrant and gives a platform to new theatre companies. It also has an in-house production company. Shows and events you can expect to see here include scratch nights, film screenings, and theatrical workshops.

At The Rosemary Branch Theatre and Pub you can drop in for a drink in the colourful traditional bar or you can enjoy performances and workshops in the theatre. The bar boasts a large number of beer lines in addition to a hearty pub food menu. Performances including plays, music, and comedy take place in the theatre.

In picturesque Little Venice you can enjoy fringe theatre performances at Canal Café Theatre. This waterside pub theatre focuses on comedy in particular and has hosted big names since it began in the 1970s. The busy programme includes absurdist comedy, improv, satire, and stand-up comedy acts. The theatre is based above a charming pub.

Theatre at the Tabard brings together emerging and established talent to stage classic and new shows. This intimate theatre is based above a pub in West London and offers a diverse programme of performances. Expect cabaret, comedy, one-woman shows, mythological stories, and material that's still in development. The space is also available for hire.

Clapham is home to The Bread & Roses Theatre. This award-winning venue has an intimate feel and showcases inventive new productions, aiming to highlight diversity and promote new writing. Various types of show take place here including new versions of classic plays, physical theatre, comedy acts, and improv.

With a tiny capacity of only 55 people, Finborough Theatre is an intimate space for taking in a play. This Kensington theatre is set above a pub and has won multiple awards for its works. See a show here if you're interested in new and recently rediscovered British works.

Theatre fans in Walthamstow can check out Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre Pub. This friendly and welcoming venue has stained glass windows and a traditional bar area, as well as its own theatre for fringe productions. Food is available and there's often live music in the bar. The theatre stages a diverse and changing selection of shows.

The Drayton Arms Theatre sits above an elegant pub in West London. Theatre-goers benefit from discounts on food from the bar as well. This theatre has a resident production company but stages diverse shows by a varied range of theatre-makers. You can expect a mixture of classic plays, new writing, musicals, and stand-up comedy.

Ninth Life in Catford is a pub that's colourful, creative, and bustling. Visit just for drinks or food but there's much more going on besides that. There are events, an on-site art gallery, and immersive theatre experiences that combine an escape room with a comedic play. This large pub also has a spacious beer garden at the back.

Pentameters Theatre has been staging fringe theatre in Hampstead since 1968. Based above a pub, it's become one of London's most-respected fringe venues. New plays are produced in-house at this creative and welcoming theatre but it also stages various other events including open mic nights, music, and comedy.