Key Details

Overview

Brixton House is the former Ovalhouse theatre building in Brixton, London SW9.

In early 2021, the iconic Ovalhouse was turned into a home to a new collective of artists, musicians and actors as property guardians with leading guardianship company LOWE.

Located at Kennington Oval in Lambeth, the former theatre operated for over 50 years pioneering talent, championing the LGBTQ community, supporting Black and Asian writing and launching the careers of famous faces including Salman Rushdie, Tamsin Greig and Piers Brosnan.

The theatre officially closed its premises in Kennington last year ahead of moving to purpose-built premises in Brixton in 2021. The theatre will ultimately be demolished as part of a redevelopment masterplan by Surrey Country Cricket Club.

The main theatre space was transformed into a dynamic living area for the guardians to enjoy including the original piano still in place, once played by South London jazz musician Bheki Mseleku, with the current guardians adding their own record collections and an electric keyboard.

Ovalhouse can trace its roots to the 1930s when it was opened by graduates of Christ Church College, Oxford. Providing sports, skills training and leisure activities for local disadvantaged youths, the club was a key hub for the community.

In the 1960s, new warden Peter Oliver transformed the club into a theatre which quickly became an integral part of London’s theatre culture championing immersive theatre and helping young actors and writers push the boundaries of performance on stage. Notable performances include Piers Brosnan’s first-ever production which featured a live donkey. Other productions included working with refugees and a room filled with eucalyptus, popular ‘Time Bomb’ theatre classes helping local schoolchildren to write their own pieces, and hosting regular live spoken word events. Ovalhouse also hosted meetings for the Black Panthers youth organisation and helped to resource the first Pride March.