Four historic London theatres on at risk register

Four London theatres remain under threat from closure, redevelopment or long-term decline, according to the latest Theatres Trust At Risk Register.

This year marks 20 years of the list, which identifies theatres across the UK that require support to help secure their future. The 2026 list includes 39 venues.

The four London buildings on the register are Borough Hall, the Intimate Theatre, Tottenham Palace Theatre and Streatham Hill Theatre.

Joshua McTaggart, chief executive of Theatres Trust, said the venues were "just the tip of the iceberg" and that "theatres built in the 1970s [were] now facing a higher likelihood of challenges that could lead to long term or even permanent closure".

He added: "This is a future we want to confidently avoid, and so Theatres Trust urges theatre owners, operators and local authorities to reach out to us before concerns become crises."

These are the London theatres which the trust believes need urgent support:

Streatham Hill Theatre, the last one designed by prominent architect W G R Sprague, has been on Theatres Trust's Theatres At Risk Register since 2018.

The Grade II-listed building, which was hit by a V1 flying bomb during World War Two and rebuilt to its original design, has also appeared on Historic England's Heritage At Risk Register since 2021.

Its future has remained uncertain since 2017, when the bingo operator, which held a sub-lease on the building, ceased operation.

The building was sold to Hold Land South East, before being sold on again by Ruach City Church for a reported £4m. It continues to require substantial repairs.

The church said it had invested more than £700,000 in repairs, including work to tackle flooding and damp, and to make the auditorium usable again for performances.

Plans to convert the change of use of the building into a place of worship remain under consideration alongside another application which suggests a mixed-use alternative.

While Theatres Trust said it remained concerned about ensuring meaningful community access, it welcomed recent discussions with the church.

A spokesperson for Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre said they had "mixed feelings" about the theatre being listed as at-risk this year.

They added: "It is sad that the theatre remains at-risk when there is a funded commercial operator willing to take on the building, renovate it, and use it to create new productions, while also supporting community use.

"But it is good that the theatre's potential is recognised by Theatres Trust (and many others, including Lambeth and the Greater London Authority), which has supported, and continues to support, our campaign to reawaken this 'sleeping beauty' for the benefit of the community."

The Intimate Theatre in Enfield has been on the at risk register since 2019.

Originally built as a church hall before becoming a full-time repertory theatre in 1935, it is now facing redevelopment proposals from a church, according to Theatres Trust.

Planning permission for a new parish hall and housing was granted in 2023, despite objections from campaigners but as of June 2026, Theatres Trust claims that no redevelopment work has started.

Built in 1908, Tottenham Palace Theatre has been on the at risk register since 2019.

The Grade II-listed building has had several lives, operating as a theatre, cinema, bingo hall and now a church.

It is suffering from significant water ingress and requires extensive repairs, according to Theatres Trust.

The venue is also notable as London's only complete surviving theatre designed by architectural firm Wylson & Long.

The Grade II-listed Borough Hall in Greenwich was added to the at risk register in 2022.

Built in 1939 as part of the former Greenwich Town Hall complex, it remained a popular venue for music, theatre and dance performances until 2018.

Theatres Trust says significant investment is needed to modernise the building and address maintenance concerns.

In 2024, it was sold to developer Lita Homes, which has expressed a desire to redevelop the site as a hotel.

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