The Factory Theatre Company UK

What The Factory Theatre Company UK does

The Factory Theatre Company UK is a London-based private theatre ensemble founded in 2006 by Tim Evans and Alex Hassell. It produces experimental, improvisational performances of classical plays (including Hamlet, The Seagull, Julius Caesar, Cymbeline, The Odyssey) and occasional original works, using a proprietary methodology developed over many years with director Tim Carroll and the late Louis Scheeder. Productions feature no scripts (or no pre-learned scripts), no costumes, no blocking, rotating actors, and audience participation in prop provision and character casting decisions. The ensemble operates as a 'skills trading system' in which members participate without financial remuneration in exchange for a platform to train and develop artistically.

The company operates exclusively in London, performing at a mix of guerrilla/pop-up locations (e.g., City Hall, riverside underpasses), established theatres (Shakespeare's Globe, Hampstead Theatre, Southwark Playhouse), and community venues (Longfield Hall in Camberwell, King's Hall Community Centre in Willesden, CLF Arts Café in Peckham). Its core technology is a human performance methodology rather than software; key architectural components include the 'Units of Action' training approach, a Shakespeare performance framework, and audience-driven production elements. The current squad for productions numbers 32-34 named ensemble members, supported by a 5-person paid core team including Artistic Director Alex Hassell and Associate Directors Scott Brooksbank, Federay Holmes, and Reuben Grove.

The business model is intentionally non-commercial. The company charges a fixed £10 ticket price held flat since inception and explicitly accepts no official funding from any public or private bodies. It survives on individual donations and low-cost ticket sales, positions itself outside the mainstream theatre industry, and states it is 'ambitious to grow ever more brave, honest, and engaging in its work, rather than bigger, wealthier, or more powerful.' Go-to-market is event-driven: guerrilla-style pop-ups, word-of-mouth, online buzz, and a mailing list rather than paid marketing.

Name

The Factory Theatre Company UK

Legal name

The Factory Theatre Company

Website

https://factorytheatre.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Factory Theatre Company UK is a London-based private theatre ensemble that produces improvisational, audience-participatory performances of classical and original plays, operating on a non-remunerated skills-trading model funded solely by £10 ticket sales and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre and Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Shakespeare performance
• Improvised ensemble theatre
• Fringe theatre London
• Devised new writing

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: The Factory sells tickets at a fixed low price of £10, which has remained constant since the company's inception over 10 years ago. The company is dedicated to keeping prices inclusively low.
2. Individual Donations: The Factory survives on the generosity of individuals who believe in its aims and work. No official funding from any funding bodies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Factory Theatre Company produces and performs live theatre productions for London audiences, staging devised interpretations of Shakespeare (Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Cymbeline, The Seagull) and original new writing (The Odyssey, Boiling Frogs) developed through an improvisational ensemble process. Performances are sold to the public at a fixed £10 ticket price and staged at established theatres, community centres, and unconventional pop-up locations across London.

Product overview

The Factory is a single, unified theatre ensemble product offering experimental and improvisational theatre productions. The core product consists of classic play reinterpretations including Hamlet, The Seagull, The Odyssey, Cymbeline, Julius Caesar, and original works such as Boiling Frogs and Round 2. All productions share The Factory's distinctive methodology: no traditional scripts, no costumes, no blocking, randomised casting, and heavy audience participation where spectators provide props, choose character assignments, and move freely through performance spaces. This creates radically different experiences at each performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hamlet (Factory Theatre Company production) A live staged performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet developed through the company's improvisational, games-based ensemble process and performed for London theatre audiences.
• The Seagull (Factory Theatre Company production) A live staged performance of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull produced by the company's ensemble in 2009.
• Boiling Frogs An original devised theatrical production staged by the company in 2010.
• Round 2 A theatrical production staged by the company in 2010.
• The Odyssey An original devised theatrical production inspired by Homer's Odyssey, staged by the company's ensemble in 2014.
• Julius Caesar (Factory Theatre Company production) A live staged performance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar produced by the company's ensemble for London audiences.
• Cymbeline (Factory Theatre Company production) A live staged performance of Shakespeare's Cymbeline produced by the company's ensemble for London audiences.
• Pop-up / guerrilla performances Surprise theatrical performances staged by the company at unexpected public locations across London, serving as a distribution format for both established repertoire pieces and short devised works.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grew from 15 audience members to 1,500 at Shakespeare's Globe within approximately one year

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Creation TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture between The Factory and Creation Theatre for The Odyssey production. Under direction of Tim Carroll, a small group of actors performed Homer's The Odyssey in such a way that no performance could ever be the same. This partnership combined The Factory's improvisational approach with Creation Theatre's resources and expertise.
• Tim CarrollcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Factory's approach to playing Shakespeare has been developed over many years in conjunction with Tim Carroll (known for his work at Shakespeare's Globe and RSC). Carroll directed The Seagull and The Odyssey, developing the unique improvisational methodology. Best known for his candle-lit all-male Twelfth Night which made it to Broadway.
• Louis Scheeder (deceased)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Factory's approach to playing Shakespeare was developed in conjunction with the late Louis Scheeder, alongside Tim Carroll. Scheeder contributed to the development of The Factory's unique theatre-making methodology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Frantic Assembly: UK physical theatre ensemble producing devised work with text-light, movement-led performances. Comparable ensemble structure, training ethos, and touring model.
• Filter Theatre: UK ensemble known for devised, highly improvised live theatre built around audience interaction and actor rotation. Closest structural and methodological analogue to The Factory's scriptless, no-blocking approach.
• Kneehigh Theatre: Cornwall-based touring ensemble with a similarly large rotating company of actors making devised, text-light, highly physical work. Comparable ensemble economics and ethos of operating outside the mainstream.
• Told by an Idiot: London ensemble making highly physical, improvised, commedia-influenced theatre. Comparable methodology of actor-driven work without traditional scripts, and similar ensemble-based operating model.
• Shared Experience: UK touring ensemble producing devised, ensemble-driven adaptations of classic texts. Comparable focus on reinterpreting canonical works (Shakespeare, Chekhov) through unconventional staging.

Regional players

• Slung Low: Leeds-based ensemble producing bold, affordable theatre in non-traditional spaces with strong community ethos. Comparable DIY, low-budget, non-mainstream operating model to The Factory.

Broad incumbents

• Complicité: Pioneering UK experimental theatre company producing devised, ensemble-driven work at scale. Comparable creative ambition and ensemble-led methodology, though substantially larger and better funded.
• Punchdrunk: London-based immersive theatre company that pioneered audience-as-participant formats. Comparable focus on breaking the fourth wall and audience-driven storytelling, though at a larger commercial scale.

Emerging players

• 1927 (theatre company): London-based experimental company blending live performance with animation and film. Compares as a small London ensemble producing unconventional, technique-driven work outside the mainstream.
• Graeae Theatre Company: London-based ensemble producing innovative work with a defined artistic mission. Comparable as a small, mission-driven London ensemble producing unconventional theatre.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-factory-theatre-company-uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 The Factory Theatre Company UK