New Diorama Theatre announces new season – with no shows programmed

The award-winning New Diorama Theatre in central London has unveiled a new season – with no shows programming.

Titled “Intervention 01”, the venue will instead invest £250,000 towards developing a new slate of bold, risk-taking work. Companies are now able to submit their own applications as part of the vision, branded “Towards a New Movement in British Theatre”.

Artistic director David Byrne explained today: “Post-pandemic, we promised to listen more and do better. The sheer catalytic energy required to ‘bring theatre back’ has left artists on the brink of burn-out and exhaustion.

“So New Diorama is going to do the most radical thing we can imagine: stop. Marking a once-in-a-generation moment, we’ll work behind the scenes to return in 2023 with a renewed artistic vision, a re-energised artist family, and our boldest ever slate of work.”

Fifteen companies will take part in the scheme, dubbed “a moment of full artistic reset”, with plans for further interventions in the future.

The venue’s executive director Will Young said: “Having fought so hard to survive lockdowns, we need to go beyond recovery to a greater ambition: re-inspiring audiences and reminding them why theatre is essential to our lives.

“NDT has some of the best audiences in London, those most energised by new talent and bold ideas, so we know they’ll bear with us during this temporary closure, and be ready for us on the other side.”