StoneCrabs Theatre

What StoneCrabs Theatre does

StoneCrabs Theatre (legally StoneCrabs Productions Ltd, registered charity No. 1115881, company limited by guarantee) is a UK contemporary-theatre organisation founded around 2002 by Co-Artistic Directors Franko Figueiredo and Kwong Loke. Originally based in South East London, the company relocated its main operations to the Isle of Wight in 2016 while retaining London and international touring activity. It produces bold, form-breaking, socially engaged theatre that centres under-represented voices and hidden histories, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ heritage. Its product portfolio falls into four areas: (i) mainstage theatre productions staged in the UK and internationally, (ii) the 'Stories Underfoot' series of immersive promenade walks on the Isle of Wight delivered via a Whisper radio-audio guide system (Woolf in Freshwater, Wilde in Ryde, Swinburne in Bonchurch, Mew in Newport), (iii) LGBTQ+ heritage projects including Out On An Island, Celebrating LGBTQ+ Working Class Histories and the Faces + Places heritage trail, and (iv) training programmes led by the Young Directors Training Programme (continuous since 2006) and the new paid Associate Artist/Producer Training Programme (AAPTP), plus the Off Book teen drama club with the National Saturday Club.

The business model is that of a UK arts charity rather than a commercial enterprise. Income is drawn from three streams: ticket sales via Eventbrite and partner venues (e.g., £10 per Stories Underfoot walk); restricted and unrestricted grants from UK public bodies (DCMS Culture Recovery Fund, Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Wessex Cancer Alliance); and donations from supporters. Customer segments are split across general arts audiences attending ticketed performances, Isle of Wight schools receiving LGBTQ+ awareness workshops, and the local LGBTQ+ community reached through heritage, oral-history, and meet-up programming. Distribution relies on a hybrid of venue partnerships (Quay Arts, Department Ryde, Carisbrooke Castle Museum, Classic Boat Museum, The Albany London, Brockley Jack Studio Theatre), direct community engagement, the company's own website and social channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram), and earned media coverage from outlets such as Metro, Time Out, and The Stage. Operating scale is small: a 1-10 employee core supplemented by freelance theatre-makers, project-managed from 26 Albert Road, Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

Name

StoneCrabs Theatre

Legal name

StoneCrabs Productions Ltd

Website

https://stonecrabs.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

StoneCrabs Theatre is a UK registered charity and company limited by guarantee producing contemporary theatre, immersive walking performances, and LGBTQ+ heritage projects on the Isle of Wight, plus young-director training programmes, funded through ticket sales, public grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theatre and Performing Arts

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Performing Arts & Music Lessons (Dance, Drumming, Instrument Lessons, Theater) (THAJAKAC)

Keywords

• Contemporary theatre productions
• Immersive promenade performances
• LGBTQ+ heritage projects
• Young directors training
• Community theatre programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from theatre performances, performed walks, and events sold through Eventbrite and at venues
2. Government Grants: Culture Recovery Fund support from DCMS and Arts Council England; Heritage Fund grants for LGBTQ+ heritage projects
3. Donations and Support: Charitable donations from supporters; company limited by guarantee registered as charity

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

StoneCrabs Theatre produces bold, socially engaged contemporary theatre productions and immersive promenade walking performances (Stories Underfoot) using a Whisper audio headset system. The company also delivers flagship training programmes for aspiring young directors, an associate artist/producer paid training pathway, youth drama clubs, and funded LGBTQ+ heritage projects preserving hidden histories on the Isle of Wight.

Product overview

StoneCrabs Theatre is a registered charity producing bold, socially engaged theatre that places under-represented voices and untold stories centre stage. The company operates a portfolio of theatre productions and community programmes, including the Stories Underfoot immersive walking theatre series, the Young Directors Training Programme (since 2006), and the Associate Artist/Producer Training Programme. Their community engagement work centres on LGBTQ+ heritage projects including Out On An Island, Celebrating LGBTQ+ Working Class Histories, and the Faces + Places heritage trail. The company also runs youth development activities (Off Book Drama Group for Teens) and community health initiatives (Communities Against Cancer). Since 2016, the company has been based on the Isle of Wight while maintaining connections with London and international partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young Directors Training Programme: Flagship training programme for young theatre directors, running since 2006
• Out On An Island
• Stories Underfoot
• Associate Artist/Producer Training Programme (AAPTP)

Products and services

• Stories Underfoot Immersive promenade theatre walks featuring LGBTQ+ historical figures (Virginia Woolf, Oscar Wilde, Charlotte Mew, Algernon Swinburne) at Isle of Wight locations, using a Whisper audio headset system so audiences can follow performances through historical sites; priced at £10 per ticket via Eventbrite.
• Young Directors Training Programme Flagship professional training and mentorship programme running since 2006 for young people interested in theatre directing and performance, aimed at launching creative careers of young artists from diverse backgrounds.
• Associate Artist/Producer Training Programme (AAPTP) Paid 160-hour hands-on training opportunity for Isle of Wight LGBTQ+ young leaders developing skills across performing arts and the community sector, running June 2026 to March 2027.
• Off Book Drama Group for Teens Weekly drama club for 13-16 year olds at Quay Arts, supported by the National Saturday Club, focusing on acting, voice work, and storytelling skills with access to national masterclasses and a Summer Show in London.
• Theatre Productions Bold, socially engaged contemporary theatre productions featuring under-represented voices and hidden stories, touring UK and internationally, including works by playwrights such as Yukio Mishima, Nelson Rodrigues, and Guillem Clua.

Quantifiable outcome

• Young Directors Programme has launched successful creative careers of many young artists from diverse backgrounds
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Quay ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Venue partner for teen drama Saturday club and various performances; located in Newport, Isle of Wight
• Carisbrooke Castle MuseummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner venue for Pride In Self, Pride In Place project exhibition displaying research findings on LGBTQ+ history
• National Saturday ClubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Off Book drama group for teens aged 13-16, with access to national masterclasses and Summer Show in London
• Department (Ryde)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner in Ryde for community events, exhibitions, short film nights, and LGBTQ+ meet-ups
• Wessex Cancer AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding Communities Against Cancer project with StoneCrabs Project Manager Caroline Diamond trained as Health Champion for LGBTQ+ community
• Creative IslandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud partner of CAN YOU HEAR US? project, a programme of creativity and culture across every part of the Isle of Wight
• Classic Boat MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Pride In Self, Pride In Place project, collaborating on events and LGBTQ+ heritage preservation
• Rainbow IslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Pride In Self, Pride In Place project focused on LGBTQ+ heritage on the Isle of Wight
• PrettyrminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsle of Wight based marketing agency partnered for Out On An Island project to create short film on LGBTQ+ historical figures
• Listen QueerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform for audio tours documenting LGBTQ+ heritage, hosting oral history recordings from Celebrating LGBTQ+ Working Class Histories project
• NHS LGBTQ+ Staff NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Pride In Self, Pride In Place project exploring NHS role in LGBTQ+ community history

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Headlong Theatre: UK touring theatre company producing bold, socially engaged new work and classics. Comparable artistic positioning to StoneCrabs' form-breaking contemporary repertoire, and a fellow Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation competing for similar funding pools.
• Bush Theatre: West London new-writing theatre producing bold contemporary work. Comparable in mission to nurture emerging directors and underrepresented voices, with overlapping Young Directors / new talent development function.
• Punchdrunk: Pioneering UK immersive and promenade theatre company known for site-specific, audience-led performances. Directly comparable to StoneCrabs' Stories Underfoot model, which uses Whisper headsets for immersive walking theatre, though Punchdrunk operates at significantly larger scale.
• Gate Theatre (London): Small London venue championing new writing and international voices with a focus on under-represented perspectives. Comparable to StoneCrabs' curatorial philosophy of centring hidden stories and diverse playwrights.
• Quay Arts (Newport, Isle of Wight): StoneCrabs' primary Isle of Wight venue partner; an arts centre producing theatre, exhibitions, and community programmes. Closely comparable in regional theatre-and-heritage remit, though Quay Arts is a venue rather than a producing company.
• The Albany (London): Listed venue partner of StoneCrabs for community and theatre programming in Deptford. Comparable as a community-engaged arts organisation with youth, heritage, and under-represented voices programming.

Regional players

• Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival: Major regional arts organisation with programming in LGBTQ+ heritage, heritage projects, and youth talent development. Comparable as a regional cultural hub competing for similar Arts Council / Heritage Fund streams, but at materially larger scale and broader remit.
• Lighthouse (Poole Arts Centre): Large regional arts venue on the south coast running youth programmes, heritage projects, and touring work. Comparable as a regional partner ecosystem for StoneCrabs-style outreach, but operating at significantly larger scale.

Others

• Historic England (heritage-project funder ecosystem peers): While a funder rather than a peer, Historic England's broader portfolio of LGBTQ+ heritage grantees (Pride of Place, Rainbow Heritage, etc.) constitutes StoneCrabs' most relevant peer set for grant-funded heritage theatre work.

Emerging players

• Mishima Productions / Yukio Mishima UK staging peers: StoneCrabs has produced multiple Yukio Mishima adaptations (Hanjo, Hell Screen, Sotoba Komachi, Damask Drum). Small UK independent companies with similar Japanese-modernist repertoire interest would be adjacent comparables for touring and co-production economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/StoneCrabsTC
• Facebookfacebook.com/StoneCrabsTheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/stonecrabs_theatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stonecrabs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 StoneCrabs Theatre