Waterloo East Theatre has marked a remarkable milestone — 15 years beneath the railway arches on Brad Street, Waterloo, writes Becca Healy…
What began in 2010 as founder Gerald Armin’s bold idea — transforming an unused and derelict railway arch into a fully fledged theatre venue in under six months — has grown into one of the area’s most cherished and enduring independent cultural spaces.
From the outset, the venue turned its potential drawbacks into defining strengths. The absence of natural light, which might have discouraged others, became an advantage. When renovations began, there wasn’t even electricity installed.
Since opening its doors, Waterloo East has become a cornerstone for new writing and emerging talent. It’s a place where audiences can discover hidden gems that might otherwise never find a stage all within an intimate and welcoming environment.
To celebrate this 15-year journey, the theatre hosted a one-night Gala Concert on 14 September. The night brought together familiar faces and new friends, as special guests returned to share memories from the past decade and a half.
Gerald told me how children from an early production called the “Christmas story” returned to the event as fully-fledged 16 year olds, taking their first-steps in their careers.
“It was a great reflection. People really wanted to come back. It was a great event.”
Over the years, the theatre has staged more than 200 productions and welcomed over 150,000 audience members through its doors — an impressive achievement for an independent venue.
Gerald said: “There’s two shows that have been transferred to New York and one that is going to be made into a film.”
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But the road hasn’t always been smooth. Like many small theatres across the UK, Waterloo East faced existential challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Forced closures and uncertainty left the future hanging in the balance. A crucial grant eventually allowed the venue to reopen, but the shadow of that period still lingers.
“Audience habits have changed. People are booking a lot later than they would usually do. Pre-Covid, people were booking in advance.
“Because of where we are, Thursday is the new Friday. Our Friday audiences have declined but our weekends have gone slightly up.
“We have a bar in our theatre and the drinking-habits have changed. People are drinking non-alcohol or soft drinks. We have younger audiences who aren’t drinking as much.”
On top of pandemic aftershocks, the cost-of-living crisis has brought its own pressures. Audiences are more cautious, budgets are tighter, and planning ahead has become increasingly difficult.
“It’s harder because people are holding onto their money. I’m trying to plan ahead, but it’s really much more difficult now. It depends on the productions, it depends on the show — but I’d like to say we’re ticking along at the moment.”
So what does the next 15 years hold for Waterloo East Theatre?
“Well, that’s a big, big question. We want to continue, of course, but times are hard. The arts industry is having a really tough time with funding right now. We’re taking each day as it comes — if that makes any sense.
“I just want the government to do something to help us. It would be great to see more support for the arts industry. We bring so much to the community, but it’s getting harder to survive.”
As Waterloo East moves forward into its next chapter, the theatre remains a symbol of perseverance — a testament to what can be achieved with vision, grit, and a deep love of the arts.
Beneath the rumbling trains of Waterloo, creativity continues to thrive, one show at a time.
