Curious Directive

What Curious Directive does

Curious Directive is a Norwich-based theatre company and registered charity founded in 2008 by Jack Lowe, operating under the legal entity curious directive Limited (Company Number 07287464, Charity Number 1144025). The company specializes in "theatre through the lens of science," producing science-led devised theatrical productions that have toured to over 100 venues across 30+ countries and reached 270,000+ audience members since inception, with 12 major productions in its catalog and eight plays published with Bloomsbury/Methuen. Its technical platform integrates live theatrical performance with immersive technologies including synchronized VR headsets (60-person capacity in Frogman), 360-degree video capture, motion capture, live orchestral performance, multi-sensory staging, and dining-theatre hybrids, with the company pioneering hybrid VR-theatre formats internationally.

The company operates from a 577-year-old Grade I listed deconsecrated church at 49 Elm Hill, Norwich, which houses its Main House theatre, Botanical Garden Bar & Kitchen, The Potting Shed, studio/rehearsal space, and digital lab. Revenue is generated through a diversified portfolio spanning ticket sales, a three-tier annual membership program (£90–£179/year), venue hire, food and beverage operations, free Tech Library equipment lending to UK theatre charities, funded Hypothesis Retreats for theatre ensembles, the Curious Cultures care-home program, retail script sales, and Science Club public events. Funding comes substantially from Arts Council England, Wellcome Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Royal Society of Chemistry, and local councils, alongside co-commissions and co-productions with partners including City of London Sinfonia, NHS Blood and Transplant, and New Earth Theatre.

The customer base is broad: science-curious general audiences, care-home residents and schools via community programs, hospitality diners, private event hirers, peer theatre companies (Tech Library, Hypothesis), and resident scientists. Strategic emphasis is on expanding program scale (Black Sheep 2025 national tour, The Exoplanets 2025 orchestral premiere, Heartwood 2026 NHS co-commission) while diversifying revenue beyond ticket sales through community engagement, B2B services, and grant-funded programming. The company is private, charity-governed by a Board of Trustees, and operates without disclosed parent company or private equity backing.

Name

Curious Directive

Legal name

curious directive Limited

Website

https://curiousdirective.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Curious Directive is a Norwich-based theatre charity and company limited by guarantee that creates and tours science-led theatrical productions blending live performance with VR, 360 video, orchestral, and dining experiences, serving general audiences, care-home communities, schools, and peer theatre companies across the UK and 30+ international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre & Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Science-led theatre
• Immersive theatre productions
• Theatre venue hire
• Equipment lending library
• Artist residency programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Theatre Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from selling tickets to live theatre productions at their Norwich venue and touring shows across UK and international venues
2. Food & Beverage Operations: Botanical Garden Bar & Kitchen and The Potting Shed operating Thursday-Saturday evenings, generating revenue from food service, drinks, and events
3. Venue Hire: Hiring out spaces including Botanical Garden Bar, The Potting Shed, and Messy Event Space to external parties for private events
4. Annual Memberships: Three-tier membership program (Meteorite £90, Asteroid £134, Comet £179) providing annual benefits including tickets, merchandise, and exclusive access
5. Retail/Publications: Sale of published play scripts (£9.99 each), theatre books, and merchandise including tote bags and shopper bags (£10)
6. Commissioned Productions: Co-commissions and co-productions with partner organizations including New Diorama Theatre, Norwich Theatre, and Arts Council England funding
7. Tech Library Lending: Lending of theatre technology equipment (VR headsets, cameras, projectors) to registered charities and not-for-profit theatre companies in the UK
8. Grants & Charitable Funding: Support from Arts Council England, Royal Society of Chemistry, Norwich City Council, Wellcome Trust, and other institutional funders

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Curious Directive is a Norwich-based science-led theatre company that creates, produces, and tours original theatrical productions exploring scientific themes, performed at its own permanent venue and at partner venues across the UK and internationally. It supplements ticket-based revenue with a three-tier Curious Membership program, venue hire (Botanical Garden Bar, The Potting Shed, Studio Theatre), a Tech Library lending VR/theatre equipment to UK charities, funded Hypothesis Retreats, Curious Cultures care home workshops, Science Club public events, hospitality at the Botanical Garden Bar & Kitchen, and an online shop selling playscripts and theatre books.

Product overview

curious directive is a Norwich-based theatre company operating a diversified portfolio of offerings centered on science-led theatre. Core activities include 12 major theatre productions since 2008 exploring diverse scientific themes, performed at their Grade I listed 577-year-old church venue at 49 Elm Hill and toured internationally. Supporting revenue streams include: three-tier Curious Membership program (Meteorite/Asteroid/Comet), venue hire through Curious Hires (Botanical Garden Bar, The Potting Shed, Studio Theatre/Digital Lab), Science Club public events, Hypothesis Retreats artist residencies, Curious Cultures care home workshops, Technology Library equipment lending, Scientist in Residence program, and retail script/publication sales. The company operates hospitality venues including the Botanical Garden Bar & Kitchen and The Potting Shed restaurant.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theatre Productions Science-led devised theatrical productions exploring scientific themes such as neuroscience, quantum biology, astrophysics, coral reef science, paleo-archaeology, cryogenics, myrmecology, perfumery, organ transplantation, and farming succession. Performed at the company's Norwich Main House venue and toured to UK and international venues for general audiences, science-curious adults, and partner-venue programmers.
• Curious Membership Three-tier annual subscription membership: METEORITE (£90/year), ASTEROID (£134/year) and COMET (£179/year). Benefits include membership card, show tickets, Botanical Garden Bar discount (10-15%), play scripts, tote bag, meet-and-greets, and named theatre seat at top tier. Sold direct to consumers supporting the theatre and gaining annual perks.
• Science Club Public evening events for adults (18+) featuring leading scientists and specialists delivering talks on cutting-edge research topics, with added theatre preview elements. Tickets (£7-£15 depending on tier) include a drink. Supported by Norwich City Council, Garfield Weston Foundation and Norwich Freeman's Charity.
• The Technology Library Free equipment lending service for UK registered charities, CICs and not-for-profit theatre companies creating theatre. Inventory includes 60 Oculus Go VR headsets, 2 Samsung Gear VR, Samsung 360 and GoPro Hero 5 cameras, Sanyo projectors, MOTU Sound Card and Gigaport HD+ audio equipment, and 60 Phillips headphones. Borrowers pay postage, packing, insurance and must return equipment within 7 days.
• Curious Hires (Venue Rental) Three hireable event spaces at 49 Elm Hill, Norwich: Botanical Garden Bar (outdoor, up to 57 people, May-September), The Potting Shed (indoor heated, September-May), and Messy Event Space/Main House theatre (15m x 9m, year-round). Contract-based bookings for private events, weddings, corporate hire, and celebrations.
• Botanical Garden Bar & Kitchen Hospitality venue serving locally-sourced food and drinks at 49 Elm Hill, Norwich, with indoor (The Potting Shed) and outdoor (Botanical Garden Bar) seating. Open Thursday-Saturday 17:30-22:45, card payment only, vegetarian and vegan options available. Rated 4.93 stars on OpenTable. Entrance via Wensum Street, opposite Maid's Head Hotel.
• Studio Theatre / Digital Lab In-house 15m x 9m rehearsal and performance space at 49 Elm Hill, Norwich, equipped with natural light, PA and handheld microphones, video projector, flipcharts and kitchen facilities. Available for external hire for rehearsals, meetings, and gatherings.
• Hypothesis Retreats Funded week-long creative residencies for UK theatre companies in Norwich, with a package valued at £1,000 including funding, UK travel, Airbnb accommodation for up to 3 people, 8m x 5m rehearsal space, Tech Library access and three surgeries with industry figures. Includes a digital theatre surgery with Royal Shakespeare Company's James Turnbull. Applications via video, audio, or written form.
• Curious Cultures Free hands-on multi-sensory science sessions for care and residential home residents at all stages of dementia. Sessions run 45 minutes to 1 hour for 4-16 residents, exploring terrariums, pH indicators, microscopes, and other activities. Delivered in association with the Royal Society of Chemistry with Small Grants support, and gifts are provided to residents.
• Scientist in Residence Rolling open call residency program for scientists (PhD students, MSc researchers, freelance scientists, and professionals) to expand their science communication in a creative professional environment. Currently seeking Climate Science, AI, and Oceanography specialists in particular.
• Shop (Playscripts and Theatre Books) Online shop selling published playscripts (£9.99 each) including Frogman, Spindrift, Pioneer, The Kindness of Strangers, Gastronomic, and anthologies, alongside theatre theory books including Beyond Immersive Theatre (£50) and Theatre in the Dark (£55). Also offers tote bags and shopper bags at £10.
• Black Sheep (Theatre Production) 2025 production examining farming succession dilemmas in Norfolk. Premiered as part of a national UK tour with stops at Norwich, The Lowry Salford Quays, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Shoreditch Town Hall and New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich. Duration 2hrs 15mins with 15-minute interval; supported by Arts Council England Touring grant, National Theatre Generate Programme, Cockayne Grants for the Arts and Norfolk and Norwich Festival.
• The Exoplanets (Theatre Production) 2025 production combining theatre with live orchestral performance by City of London Sinfonia and planetarium visuals, inspired by NASA's Conceptual Image Laboratory and Gustav Holst. Premiered September 6-7, 2025 as a co-production with Norwich Theatre and Norfolk and Suffolk Music Hub. 95 minutes, no interval, not suitable for children under 14.
• Gastronomic (Theatre Production) 2023 Norwich revival of the company's seven-course dining theatre experience, set on board an Airbus A380 heading for London. 47 sold-out shows, 2,068 audience members and 14,476 courses served during the run. Norwich Theatre and Shoreditch Town Hall co-commission with development from National Theatre Immersive Storytelling Studio. Early Bird tickets £35/person (20% off), including the seven-course tasting menu and one drink.
• Deciphering (Theatre Production) 2021 production about geometric symbols and 37,500-year-old cave paintings on Sulawesi, Indonesia. Co-commissioned by New Diorama Theatre with Indonesian artist collective Bombo, who were granted world-first access to the cave network. Premiered at New Diorama Theatre London (September 11 - October 2, 2021) and at the company's Norwich Studio (October 7-9, 2021); nominated for Best Set Design and Best Sound Design at OffWest End Awards 2021.
• Frogman (Theatre Production) 2017 ground-breaking VR-hybrid theatre experience combining live performance with synchronized VR headsets about the Great Barrier Reef and a 1995 missing child case. Audience capacity 60 in synchronized VR; co-production with Absolutely Cultured, The Deep aquarium, The Old Market, Brisbane Powerhouse and Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Reached its 300th show at The Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College, USA and was selected for British Council Showcase 2017.
• Spindrift (Theatre Production) 2016 multiple award-winning production about the Steiner family exploring quantum biology, developed in collaboration with Quantum Biologist Prof. Johnjoe McFadden and Prof. Jim Al-Khalili (BBC Radio 4's The Life Scientific). 2022 revival included Dr. Sapphire Lally (University of Surrey) and premiered at The Studio, 49 Elm Hill (May 19 - June 4, 2022); won Norfolk Arts Award in 2022.
• Heartwood (Theatre Production) 2026 production premiering at Norfolk & Norwich Festival, exploring human endurance through the intersection of an ultramarathon runner, arboriculturist, and transplant surgeon. A collaboration with NHS Blood and Transplant and New Earth Theatre. Previews May 8-9, 2026 (all tickets £10), with 11 further shows May 13-23, 2026; limited Early Bird tickets at £14 including a free drink.

Quantifiable outcome

• 270,000+ audience members reached since 2008
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, minor and major.

• National Theatre Generate ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership through NT Generate Programme supporting generation and development of new theatre work. Black Sheep supported by National Theatre Generate Programme.
• Theatre Royal PlymouthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor touring partner and co-producer. Presented The Kindness of Strangers and hosted Frogman in 2017. Regular touring venue for productions.
• The LowrycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey touring partner presenting Black Sheep and other productions. One of major UK mid-scale venues on touring circuit.
• New Diorama TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioned Deciphering with world premiere at their London venue. Ongoing creative relationship supporting development of new work.
• City of London SinfoniaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for The Exoplanets - extraordinary blend of theatre, live orchestral performance, and planetarium experience. Super-group of international composers created orchestral suite.
• Norwich TheatrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey regional partner. Home venue for productions including Heartwood. Partner for The Exoplanets Norwich performances.
• IOP (Institute of Physics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience partnership supporting physics-related theatrical work. Regular collaboration with world-leading science institutes.
• Royal Society of ChemistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Curious Cultures programme through Small Grants programme. Partnership delivering hands-on science sessions in care homes.
• New Earth TheatreflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioning partner for Heartwood production about organ transplant and endurance. Association with NHS Blood and Transplant.
• NHS Blood and TransplantflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner for Heartwood production exploring themes of organ donation, transplant surgery, and human endurance.
• Norfolk and Norwich FestivalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-produced The Kindness of Strangers and Pioneer. Heartwood marks return to festival for first time in a decade in 2026.
• Brisbane Powerhouse (Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational co-production partner for Frogman VR theatre hybrid. Co-produced with Great Barrier Reef Foundation in 2017.
• British CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSelected for British Council Showcase 2017. International promotion partner for touring productions including Frogman to South Africa, Indonesia.
• National TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple workshops delivered at National Theatre. NT Generate Programme partner for Black Sheep.
• Great Barrier Reef FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational co-production partner for Frogman exploring coral reef science themes.
• Shoreditch Town HallcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosted Gastronomic (2019) and Black Sheep (2024) London presentations. Regular touring partner.
• The Deep AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Frogman VR theatre exploring marine and ocean themes.
• Absolutely CulturedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Frogman VR theatre hybrid.
• Royal Shakespeare CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Hypothesis retreats digital theatre surgery with James Turnbull.
• The Old Market (Brighton)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTouring partner for Frogman 2017.
• Hull 2017 City of CulturemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor venue partner for Frogman as part of Hull UK City of Culture 2017.
• Bombo (Indonesia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndonesian artist collective from Makassar, South Sulawesi. Collaborators on Deciphering granted world-first access to cave network. Rais Rice and Reza Enem contributed video and sound.
• National Centre for Performing Arts (Mumbai)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational workshop delivery partner.
• University of SurreycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Spindrift. Collaborations with Quantum Biologist Prof. Johnjoe McFadden and Dr. Sapphire Lally.
• LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPresented Frogman and Gastronomic. Major London international theatre festival.
• Warwick Arts CentrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOriginal home for Return to the Silence. Presented Frogman 2017. Long-term venue partner.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gecko Theatre: UK devised-theatre company producing internationally touring, multi-sensory performances. Comparable in production style, audience size, and international touring footprint with similar mid-scale theatre operations.
• 1927: London-based theatre company known for integrating animation, film, and live performance. Comparable to Curious Directive's hybrid theatre-technology model (VR, 360 video, motion capture) and international touring circuit.
• Improbable: UK devised-theatre company with science/research-influenced productions and academic institutional partnerships. Comparable in applying research and science collaboration to theatrical creation, with similar grant-dependent funding model.
• New Diorama Theatre: Small-scale London theatre and co-commissioning partner for Curious Directive's Deciphering. Comparable as an emerging UK theatre producer supporting experimental devised work and science-led programming.
• Frantic Assembly: Award-winning UK devised-physical-theatre company with significant education-outreach programming (akin to Curious Cultures). Comparable in scale, devised-theatre methodology, and youth/community engagement focus.
• Headlong: Major UK new-writing and devised-theatre company with national touring and co-production partnerships. Comparable scale and structure as a UK touring producing theatre with strong institutional relationships.
• Complicité: Long-established UK devised physical-theatre company with strong international touring, science/literary themes, and innovative staging. Comparable as a high-prestige UK devised-theatre troupe with institutional partnerships.
• Punchdrunk: UK pioneer of immersive theatre (Sleep No More) with similar sensory/theatrical hybrid formats and VR-adjacent immersive design. Closest UK comparator in immersive devised theatre with comparable scale and international touring profile.

Broad incumbents

• National Theatre: UK's flagship publicly funded producing theatre and partner via the NT Generate Programme (supporting Black Sheep). Broad incumbent providing co-development funding and infrastructure that Curious Directive's productions plug into.
• Royal Shakespeare Company: Major UK producing theatre with Hypothesis retreats partnership via James Turnbull surgery sessions. Broad incumbent comparable as a heritage UK theatre with science-adjacent programming ambitions and significant institutional weight.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/curious_local
• Xx.com/c_directive
• Facebookfacebook.com/curiousdirective

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Curious Directive