Menier Chocolate Factory


The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat Off-West End theatre, which comprises a bar and theatre offices.
It is located at the rear of a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in the London Borough of Southwark, central south London, England, some 2.5 km from the theatrical West End. The theatre stages plays and musicals, live music and stand-up comedy. According to the Evening Standard, it is "one of the most dynamic fringe venues in London".
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History and awards

The French company Menier Chocolate Company expanded overseas and built a five-storey factory and warehouse of brick with stone dressings in London between 1865 and 1874. It was listed Grade II in 1996.
The Menier Chocolate Factory was opened in 2004 in its current incarnation, it is within a purpose built space at the rear of the factory, connecting through the adjoining buildings. It is run by artistic director David Babani. In 2005, the theatre received the Peter Brook/Empty Space Up and Coming Venue Award. In the same year, he and co-founder Danielle Tarento jointly won the Evening Standard Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer. Tarento left in 2006 to pursue a solo producing career, and was replaced by General Manager Thomas Siracusa.
In 2007 the Chocolate Factory production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Sunday in the Park with George won five Olivier Awards, including Best Actor in a Musical for Daniel Evans and Best Actress in a Musical for Jenna Russell. The pair went on to perform the lead roles when the production transferred to Studio 54 on Broadway in February 2008.
In the 2009 Olivier Awards, Douglas Hodge won the trophy for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Albin in La Cage aux Folles. The production also won the Best Musical Revival category.
In 2010, the Chocolate Factory productions of A Little Night Music and La Cage aux Folles opened on Broadway, the former starring Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Lansbury and the latter starring Douglas Hodge and Kelsey Grammer. At the Tony Awards 2010 the shows won in the following categories: Best Leading Actress in a Musical – Catherine Zeta Jones for A Little Night Music; Best Leading Actor in a Musical – Douglas Hodge for La Cage aux Folles; Best Director of a Musical – Terry Johnson for La Cage aux Folles; Best Musical Revival – La Cage aux Folles.
The theatre continues to produce a mixture of musical and play revivals, new writing and comedy.

Productions

2005
2006Sunday in the Park with George, which won the 2005 Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Design. It transferred to the Wyndham's Theatre in May 2006, where it won five Olivier Awards. The production then transferred to Broadway in February 2008.
2007
2008La Cage aux Folles A London revival, starring Philip Quast as Georges and Douglas Hodge as Albin/Zaza, opened on 8 January 2008 and played until 8 March, subsequently transferring to the West End from 20 October 2008, at the Playhouse Theatre.
2009A Little Night Music starring Hannah Waddingham, Alexander Hanson and Maureen Lipman, 20 November 2008 – 8 March 2009, subsequently transferring to the West End from 28 March 2009, at the Garrick Theatre.Rookery Nook by Ben Travers.Forbidden Broadway by Gerard Alessandrini – 25 June to 13 September 2009.Talent by Victoria Wood – 17 September to 14 November 2009.
2010
2011The Invisible Man by Ken Hill 13 November 2010 – 13 February 2011
2012
2013Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth 22 Nov – 9 March 2013. Subsequent transfer to Harold Pinter Theatre 23 April – 27 JulyProof by David Auburn starring Mariah Gale from March 2013 to April 2013.Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene during May and June 2013.The Color Purple by Alice Walker from 5 July to 14 September 2013.The Lyons by Nicky Silver from 19 September to 16 November 2013.
2014Candide by Leonard Bernstein from 23 November 2013 to March 2014.Two Into One by Ray Cooney from 8 March 2014 to 26 April.Fame: Not The Musical by David Baddiel from 29 April 2014 to 23 May 2014Life of the Party by Andrew Lippa from 27 May 2014 to 14 June 2014.Forbidden Broadway by Gerard Alessandrini from 18 June 2014 to 30 August 2014.Fully Committed by Becky Mode from 3 September 2014 to 15 November 2014.Assassins by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman from 21 November 2014 to 7 March 2015.
2015
2016The Truth by Florian Zeller from 10 March to 7 May. Subsequent transfer to the Wyndham's Theatre 27 June – 3 September
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021Indecent from 3 September