Founded by Sir Peter Hall, the Rose Theatre, Kingston is a venue on Kingston High Street. Officially opening in 2008, the theatre is designed like the original Elizabethan Rose Theatre on London’s Bankside. It is also considered to be one of the largest producing theatres in South West London.

The theatre’s layout is based upon the Elizabethan-style of the original Rose Theatre and has a shallow thrust stage. The venue does, however, have comfortable seating and a roof – unlike its Elizabethan predecessor.

The Rose was a project supported by the famous theatre director Sir Peter Hall and famous broadcaster David Jacobs, who served as chairman of the Kingston Theatre Trust. It has financial assistance from the Borough of Kingston authorities and the Kingston University which makes the venue a major part of the local community. This integration with the Kingston public saw it win a Commitment to Community award at the Kingston Business Awards.

The Rose Theatre has staged numerous successful in-house productions. Some notable performances include Love’s Labours Lost, directed by Sir Peter Hall (who also directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Judi Dench); The Winslow Boy featuring Timothy West’ and Noël Coward’s Hay Fever with Celia Imrie. The venue still presents a year-long programme of varied theatrical works.