Meet the quirky Nottingham theatre celebrating 10 years in business

Beginning in 2013 as a fringe theatre company set up by a group of graduate artists and theatre-makers, Nonsuch has since grown into a Nottingham landmark drawing huge audiences every year having grown considerably from its theatre company roots.

The studio places an emphasis on providing a platform for diverse voices including the global majority, LGBTQ+, female-led and disabled-led groups.

Edward Boott, artistic director and chief executive of Nonsuch Studios, said: “Our program has gone on to become one of the most diverse in the city. Pre-COVID over 60 per cent of shows were led by diverse groups, which is really amazing.”

In the last decade, Nonsuch Studios has created seven original productions which have toured the UK, worked with over 20,000 individuals through community projects and reached over 4.5 million individuals through online work and programmes.

Nonsuch moved into its current Hockley venue in 2019, at which point it was able to begin showing performances and hosting workshops.

When asked about the standout performances the studio has hosted in the last few years, Edward said: “When we first opened we had a show called Queens of Sheba, which is by a theatre company called Nouveau Riche. It’s the story of four black women who are not let into a nightclub for appearing too black.

“It’s won loads and loads and loads of awards, but it was our first proper sell out and we particularly worked with local community groups. We worked with lots of young, global majority pupils at various schools across the city, we gave them free tickets and it was such an amazing statement to make as our first proper sell out show.”

Throughout the year, the studio hosts events such as open mic nights, a play in a week session for children and live performances. The theatre will be showing a family friendly performance of The Jungle Book for free on August 8.

Nonsuch also recently completed a project looking into 100 years of Hockley, the area of the city where the studio is based, which is often referred to as Nottingham’s Creative Quarter.

The project, Lennox Street Unlocked, was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the exhibition took place on May 31. By looking into written records, photographs, maps and through oral history, the project aims to piece together the lived experience in the area, further cementing Nonsuch as a pillar in the community it is a part of.

In light of its successes, the venue is determined to keep going despite the cost of living crisis and COVID-19, both of which have had an impact since the Hockley venue opened.

More recently, rising gas and electricity bills have meant some prices, such as the cost of goods in the cafe, have had to go up, though the venue is mindful to not increase them too much.

Edward said: “We’re not a regularly funded organisation so we have to make the money stretch. We’ve been really keen to make sure that our ticket prices haven’t changed and for us it’s really important to make sure people can still have a really great night out for less than £15.

“We’re trying our best to increase our access rather than shrink it in these difficult times.”