The Lakeside Theatre is part of the University of Essex.
Our 200 capacity main house theatre was built in 1971 and opened in 1972, and in 2009, the Lakeside completed an ambitious refurbishment programme, enabled through generous support from the Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation and the Winsten Legacy. We opened our 35 capacity studio theatre as part of the refurbishment.
Essex is the UK’s most internationally diverse campus university, with over 100,000 students having graduated since 1964 from over 140 countries as of July 2024.
The Lakeside Theatre is part of the University’s Library and Cultural Services section, which sees us work closely with Essex’s Library Services teams, the Essex Collection of Art from Latin America (ESCALA), and University Art and Special Collections. This enables us to offer a joined up cultural offer for students, staff, alumni and the local community.
At the Lakeside Theatre we work in close collaboration with Essex’s Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies (LiFTS) to support the realisation of their academic plan. Our theatre enable students to learn, create and work in a professional venue through lectures and master-classes delivered by on site and visiting professionals, both as part of their course, and through the Lakeside Theatre’s Homegrown programme.
Student work is placed within the broader context of a professional programme of performances presented at Lakeside Theatre, providing on site access to a diverse range of professional theatrical works throughout the academic year. Through our Homegrown programme; students can gain employment, further training and work experience in many diverse roles in arts production and administration. We also employ many students as Front of House staff, offering casual work alongside their studies.
