Fifty Years of The Orange Tree Theatre

An Exhibition at the Museum of Richmond
(December 2021 - August 2022)
www.museumofrichmond.com

‘Gather round, I want to tell you a story...'‘
(Paul Miller, Artistic Director)

The Orange Tree Theatre has enticed audiences to Richmond since 1971. For over fifty years it has transported theatre-goers to a myriad of settings – epic and domestic, real and unreal, inside and outside – and told all manner of stories about all manner of situations.

This exhibition - online and in person - celebrates the Orange Tree’s 50th anniversary and will hear from the inspirational people who created and continue to shape it, ensuring the longevity of Richmond’s rich theatrical tradition.

‘It was for the community, for the playwrights, for the actors, for the writers’​

(Sam Walters, Founder and Former Artistic Director)

Image of cast of a man in the middle of a circle of men with their hands joined
The cast of ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’, 1979.​Image credit: © Unknown. Image supplied by the OT.


Founded in a room above the Orange Tree Pub by two extraordinary local residents, the theatre has grown into an award-winning powerhouse of drama recognised on an international scale. Often described as ‘a writer’s theatre’, the Orange Tree delivers a mixture of new plays and historic revivals, as well as a vibrant education and participation programme.

As London’s only permanent theatre in the round, it is uniquely intimate with a small stage but a great reach.


the exterior of the orange tree theatre
The Orange Tree Theatre, 2021.
Image credit: The Other Richard.
OT 50 logo designed by Annie Rushton, Rushton Design.