Orange Tree Theatre
Orange Tree Theatre is an independent charity operating a 180-seat in-the-round venue in Richmond, London, producing new plays, revitalised classics, and an extensive community and education programme for audiences and participants aged 0 to 100.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Orange Tree Theatre does
Orange Tree Theatre is an independent, registered charity (charity number 266128) operating a 180-seat in-the-round auditorium at 1 Clarence Street, Richmond, Surrey, with a 51-100 person team. Founded in 1971 as a lunchtime theatre above the Orange Tree pub and relocated to its current converted primary school building in 1991, the theatre produces live theatrical performances — new plays, contemporary drama, revitalised classics, and rediscovered works — alongside an extensive community and education programme spanning ages 0 to 100.
The theatre runs a multi-venue, multi-format product set: Main House Productions in the in-the-round space; OT on the Hill outdoor productions at Thomas's College gardens; OT in the Church at St John the Divine; OT On Screen, a streaming service offering professional recordings after closing night; youth theatres for ages 6-25; the Friday Company for older adults; Writing Lab and Directing Lab adult education courses; and the Richmond Myths community festival. Education programmes (Primary Shakespeare, Shakespeare Up Close) tour to schools. The technology stack is conventional: WordPress for the website, Spektrix for ticketing, Elementor for content, Google Analytics for measurement, and Vimeo/YouTube for video. There is no API, no proprietary platform, and no AI/ML capability.
Revenue is generated through ticket sales, memberships (starting at £60/year), donations (target of £650,000 annually), bar and concessions (including a canned wine partnership with The Uncommon), and merchandise. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via online (Spektrix), phone, and in-person box office, supplemented by satellite venues and school tours. Marketing runs through the website, social channels (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), an email newsletter, Saturday Seminars, community programmes as audience-development, and PR coverage. The organisation is undergoing a £4.5 million capital project, 'OT: Open to Everyone', with over 80% raised, supported by trusts/foundations (Garfield Weston, Backstage Trust, Hayburn Trust) and Arts Council England National Lottery funding. The theatre states it operates without Arts Council England revenue funding.
Orange Tree Theatre firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Orange Tree Theatre
- Legal name
- Orange Tree Theatre
- Website
- https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Orange Tree Theatre is an independent charity operating a 180-seat in-the-round venue in Richmond, London, producing new plays, revitalised classics, and an extensive community and education programme for audiences and participants aged 0 to 100.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Orange Tree Theatre industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Theatre (Performing Arts)
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)
Keywords
Where Orange Tree Theatre is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Orange Tree Theatre business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for theatrical productions at the main venue and satellite locations. No booking fees, prices vary by production with demand-based pricing.
- Memberships: Annual membership programme starting at £60, providing benefits including discounted tickets, access to exclusive events, and priority booking.
- Donations and Fundraising: Relies on public donations to raise £650,000 annually to support artistic programme and community work. Includes capital project fundraising for venue development.
- Bar and Concessions: On-site bar serving drinks including partnership with The Uncommon for canned wines. Food offerings including ice cream, snacks, and partnered restaurant recommendations.
- Merchandise and Shop: Sale of OT merchandise, playtexts, and gift vouchers through the online shop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Under 30 tickets - £15 for all seats |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Access tickets - £15 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Subsidised tickets - £1 |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - starting at £60 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Shakespeare Package - £70-£100 |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | OT On Screen - Pay what you can from £15 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Saturday Seminar - £15 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Friday Rush - discounted tickets released weekly |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Orange Tree Theatre product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Orange Tree Theatre is an independent, registered charity operating an intimate 180-seat in-the-round venue in Richmond that produces and presents a main house programme of new plays, contemporary drama and rediscovered classics, complemented by community and education programmes for ages 0 to 100 and a paid on-demand streaming service (OT On Screen) for at-home audiences. Revenue is generated from ticket sales, memberships, donations, grants and trusts, bar and merchandise sales, alongside dedicated secondary locations for outdoor productions (OT on the Hill) and church-based shows (OT in the Church).
Product overview
Orange Tree Theatre is an intimate 180-seat venue in Richmond, South West London, presenting a unified portfolio of live theatre productions staged in-the-round alongside extensive community and education programs. Core offerings include main house productions featuring new plays and revitalized classics, plus the OT On Screen streaming service for remote viewing. The theatre's community division encompasses youth theatre programs across multiple age groups (6-11, 12-14, 15-18, 18-25), the Friday Company for older adults, Writing Lab and Directing Lab adult education courses, and large-scale community events like the Richmond Myths festival. Education initiatives include Primary Shakespeare for primary schools and Shakespeare Up Close for secondary schools. Special programs include OT Under 30 membership with discounted tickets and post-show events, plus venue expansions such as OT on the Hill (outdoor productions) and OT in the Church.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Main House Productions Live theatre performances staged in the 180-seat in-the-round auditorium featuring new plays, contemporary drama, revitalised classics and rediscovered works by established and emerging playwrights, sold by individual ticket and through packages such as the Shakespeare Package.
- OT On Screen Streaming service offering professional recordings of Orange Tree productions for at-home viewing for up to one week after closing performance, with pay-what-you-can pricing from £15 and accessibility features including captions and audio descriptions.
- Primary Shakespeare Flagship education programme bringing Shakespeare productions and workshops to primary school children, running for over 40 years, with touring performances and in-school workshops.
- Shakespeare Up Close Touring Shakespeare education programme for secondary schools covering KS3 and KS4, featuring 80-minute abridgements using original text delivered directly to schools.
- Youth Theatre 6-11 Weekly Saturday sessions for children aged 6-11 exploring theatre-making and performance skills.
- Youth Theatre 12-14 Weekly Tuesday evening sessions for 12-14 year olds developing theatre skills through games and exercises.
- 15-18 Young Company Performance group for teenagers interested in theatre-making, developing skills and collaborating on productions.
- 18-25 Young Company Ensemble for young performers aged 18-25 to develop theatre skills through collaborative projects and performances, supported by the Noel Coward Foundation and the Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust.
- Friday Company Creative group for older adults developing performance skills in a supportive weekly environment.
- Writing Lab Five-week introductory course to playwriting covering character creation, world building and structure.
- Directing Lab Five-week hands-on introduction to directing focusing on working with text and actors in a rehearsal room setting.
- Richmond Myths Festival Free multi-arts community festival featuring performances inspired by Greek mythology across Richmond town centre, produced in partnership with Richmond Council, Hemingway Design and community organisations.
- OT Under 30 Ticket scheme offering £15 seats for under 30s with a free drink and post-show Q&A included.
- Membership Programme Annual theatre membership starting at £60 providing priority booking, ticket discounts, access to exclusive events and support for the OT's artistic and community work.
- OT on the Hill Outdoor productions staged in the gardens of Thomas's College on Richmond Hill, currently featuring the Shakespeare comedies Love's Labour's Lost and Much Ado About Nothing co-produced with Guildford Shakespeare Company.
- OT in the Church Productions presented at external church venues, including T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral at St John the Divine church opposite the main theatre.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of teachers agreed Primary Shakespeare was an excellent theatre experience
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Orange Tree Theatre
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Orange Tree Theatre technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Orange Tree Theatre partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Chichester Festival TheatremajorCo-production partnership for 'a small and quiet light', a new play by Stephanie Street about Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan. Production premieres at Chichester's Minerva Theatre before opening at Orange Tree.
- Guildford Shakespeare CompanymajorCo-production partnership for Shakespeare comedies 'Love's Labour's Lost' and 'Much Ado About Nothing' performed at Thomas's College gardens as part of OT on the Hill.
- Hemingway DesigncoreCo-production partnership for Richmond Myths community festival, a multi-arts event transforming Richmond town centre with performances across multiple venues.
- Richmond CouncilcorePartner in Richmond Myths festival, providing support through London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Civic Pride Fund and Arts Council England National Lottery funding.
- Be RichmondminorSupporting organisation for Richmond Myths festival, contributing to community arts programming.
- Multicultural RichmondminorCommunity partner in Richmond Myths festival, celebrating cultural diversity in Richmond upon Thames.
- Otakar Kraus Music TrustminorCommunity partner providing music therapy participants for Richmond Myths 'The Long Walk Home' performance.
- BridgeLink CentreminorCommunity centre partner contributing youth club members to Richmond Myths performances.
- Richmond CarersminorSupport organisation for unpaid carers, partner in Richmond Myths with young carers performing.
- Combination DanceminorDance company enriching lives through dance, involved in Richmond Myths Opening Ceremony.
- The UncommonminorPartnership for canned English wine served at the theatre bar. The Uncommon is a B Corp Certified English winemaker providing premium wines in sustainable packaging.
- Ottolenghi RichmondminorRestaurant partner offering dining options for theatre-goers in Richmond.
- Bacco RestaurantminorIndependent Italian restaurant near the theatre offering pre-theatre menus and special drink-and-bites offer for OT patrons.
- Scott's RichmondminorRestaurant donating £5 for every reservation made via their link in support of the theatre.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Orange Tree Theatre competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Orange Tree Theatre social profiles
Digital presenceOrange Tree Theatre financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Orange Tree Theatre leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Orange Tree Theatre funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Orange Tree Theatre M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Orange Tree Theatre
What does Orange Tree Theatre do?
Orange Tree Theatre is an independent, registered charity operating an intimate 180-seat in-the-round venue in Richmond that produces and presents a main house programme of new plays, contemporary drama and rediscovered classics, complemented by community and education programmes for ages 0 to 100 and a paid on-demand streaming service (OT On Screen) for at-home audiences. Revenue is generated from ticket sales, memberships, donations, grants and trusts, bar and merchandise sales, alongside dedicated secondary locations for outdoor productions (OT on the Hill) and church-based shows (OT in the Church).
Is Orange Tree Theatre a public or private company?
Orange Tree Theatre is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Orange Tree Theatre founded?
Orange Tree Theatre was founded in 1971. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Orange Tree Theatre based?
Orange Tree Theatre is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Orange Tree Theatre make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are memberships, donations and Fundraising, bar and Concessions and merchandise and Shop.
Does Orange Tree Theatre have an API?
No public API is recorded for Orange Tree Theatre.
What industry is Orange Tree Theatre in?
Orange Tree Theatre's product category is Live Theatre (Performing Arts). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAD, Community & Amateur Theatre, with a secondary code of MPAGAEAI, Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals. Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 7990.