Theatres in Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham will be some of the first to try out a new scheme which aims to encourage young adults to experience live productions. By Jenny Stevens.

The Albany, Deptford, Greenwich Theatre and The Churchill, Bromley, are all taking part in the scheme to make theatre more accessible and attractive to under 26-year-olds.

The Free Theatre Initiative will offer complimentary tickets to under 26-year-olds and will be put into action by The Arts Council England in February and continue for the next two years.

The Albany will receive a £10,000 flexible award, as will nine other theatres in England. The Churchill stands to receive a £30,000 award, which works out at 2,000 free tickets per year for the next two years, and Greenwich Theatre is one of 12 London venues getting a share of a £300,000 fund.

Gavin Barlow, chief executive of The Albany said: “We are delighted to be part of the free theatre initiative, which will mean we can introduce even more young people to the excitement of live theatre at its best. The initiative complements the work we are already doing to involve young people in the arts, and we look forward to welcoming many more of them to the Albany in the future.”

Derek Nicholls, chief executive of The Churchill was equally as pleased. He said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for more local young people to experience the thrill of live theatre in the heart of Bromley High Street.”

It has been found attendance by 16 to 25-year-olds to art exhibitions and dramatic performances has dropped excessively, and the Free Theatre Initiative is aimed at reaching this audience and getting them back into theatres.

A dedicated website is also planned to go live in the new year, detailing which theatres are involved and what productions are included in the free-ticket scheme.

Although there are still plenty of details to be finalised before the scheme launches next year, The Albany did give Leisure a sneaky peek of its programme:

  • Song of Songs - a messy tale of modern love told with a mix of circus, dance, theatre and film.
  • 00:13:00 - a festival of brand new bite-size pieces from young directors.
  • Boo - a powerful play based on Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
  • Zena Edward’s one woman show Security, a hit at Battersea Arts Centre, fuses theatre, poetry and song to bring chaotic London life to the stage.