PLEASE NOTE: Before making a booking please fill in our health and safety form which can be found here. Your booking is not confirmed unless the form has been completed!
- How to hire a space
- Studio availability calendar
- Auditorium
- Studio 1
- Studio 2
- Studio 3
- Booking T&Cs
- Health & Safety Form (please fill in, must be completed to confirm booking)
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Studio information
Whether it's a show, rehearsal, photo or film shoot, auditions, writing session, seminar... we have a space for you!
All of our spaces are available to hire from 10am until 10pm. When hiring our spaces you’ll have access to our free WIFI; as well as chairs and tables. Some other items are available to hire at an additional charge (more info)
Please note that our studios are on the first floor and can only be accessed via a spiral stairway.
Please note also that studios are used at the users risk. We do our best to make sure the studios are maintained in the best condition possible but not all spaces are suitable for all activities. Lighting, furniture, flooring and equipment available may vary.
Please conduct your own risk assesment before you undertake your activities.
Please note we cannot confirm any bookings until a health & saftey form has been completed (here)
Please note also the conditions of use at the foot of this page.
Film shoots are not permitted in the studios, if it takes two hands to carry equipment up the stairs it can’t be used in the studios. For film shoot enquiries email Deb: shoots [at] thecockpit.org.uk. We reserve the right to cancel your booking if we deem that you are using the studios for unsuitable activities so please be forthcoming when asked what you are using the space for.
- To bring a show to The Cockpit, email dave [at] thecockpit.org.uk .
- For more information about bringing a show to be part of our broadcast strand, see our Broadcasts page.
- For Film Shoots, see our Shoots At The Cockpit page.
- Before we can confirm your studio booking, you must fill in our health and safety form.
- For studio hires less than a month away, call 020 7258 2925 (lines open between 10.30am - 6pm Monday to Friday & 12-6pm on Saturday’s) - we take payment at the time of booking so please have your card ready.
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For studio hires more than a month away please email your enquiry to studios [at] thecockpit.org.uk
- When emailing, please be sure to include a contact phone number, tell us what the activity is you're hiring for, and roughly how many people it will involve.
- Make sure you know the email address you booked with when you call so we can find you on our system.
All members of our Theatre Maker community can get a 20% discount on their studio hire cost.
- Taken part in a Theatre Maker course or workshop
- Taken part in Theatre In The Pound
- Taken part in New Stuff
Availability calendar: This gives you a guide to which spaces are free up one month in advance, but does not give the complete picture - do get in touch to check. Opening times vary on Sundays.
White space means there may be slots available, but you'll need to contact us to check as we may have pencilled long-term hires. Coloured blocks indicate which spaces have already been booked and for how long.
Studio 1 = Purple
Studio 2 = Green
Studio 3 = Yellow
The Auditorium is a large, versatile space seating up to 220 in-the-round, or 170 in thrust configuration.
Size: Approximately 8.6m x 6.6m (28ft x 22ft) playing space in thrust. In the round its about a 6.6 m playing space with the seats in or 11m x 11m with the seats out. Total headroom is 8.5 m.
Guideline costs: Public events
Longer solo shows: For full evening or two act shows (anything over 80 mins running time), longer runs of a few days to a few weeks are really what we are about but we consider one day events too. For a show in a day, think in terms of around £975 with a get-in from 10:00am. Prices are inclusive and there are no extras or contras to pay. The basic performance price includes box office, bar, front of house facilities and staffing, etc. but you need to factor in get-in time during the day for technical work, rehearsal etc. This means longer runs of more than one day, with later get-in times on days once the show is up and running, are more economical. Price negotiable according to length of run, complexity and anticipated attendance of drinkers. Additional get-in and rehearsal time is flexible and negotiable and the fee includes technical support during your get-in to get you started. Additional technical support of every kind available.
Shorter shows as double bills: For one-act shows (one hour approx), its sometimes possible to share an evening with another one-act show, lowering the cost. Got a one-act show? Know another company with one too.....?
If you want to hire the auditorium for a show of any kind email Dave Wybrow; dave [at] thecockpit.org.uk - If you have questions about how the hiring process works check out this page first: Bringing a Show to The Cockpit
Guideline costs: Dry hire
£30 per hour for non-public, dry-hire events such as rehearsals, and approximately £55 an hour for tech rehearsals and film and photographic shoots dependant on exact requirements, contact deb [at] thecockpit.org.uk for further info.
Rehearsal Capacity in-line with Covid-19 guidelines: Maximum 30 (with seats out.) 10 (with seats in.)
Click here for the nuts and bolts technical details
Click here for more on the next steps for bringing a show to The Cockpit
Studio 1 - Ideal for dance and large group activities
- A large bright room with heaps of natural daylight (floor to ceiling windows, with curtains for blackout)
- Thick Harlequin rehearsal dance floor (may not be suitable for some dance activities: pointe, tap etc or dance requiring a sprung floor)
- Mirrored wall (with curtains)
- Sound system with CD player and input for iPods/laptops.
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Small lighting rig with 30A power supply and 6-channel dimmer.
(This can only be used when booked in advance with an in-house technician present.) - There is also a small room available for changing in (available upon request).
Size: Approximately 8m x 7m (26ft x 23ft)
Capacity: Usual maximum 20
Maximum headroom: 2.8m (approx. 9ft)
Health and safety Form: Fill in here (must be completed before booking is confirmed)
Please note that our studios are on the first floor and can only be accessed via a spiral stairway.
Studio 2 - our smallest space and is used for small group rehearsals, auditions and readings. Not recommended for dance/movement rehearsals or large companies.
- Good flat acoustic response (As an ex-recording studio, the space is acoustically treated, but is not soundproofed).
- There is no natural daylight in this room (as there are no windows) but still plenty of light.
- Extractor fan which removes the warm air from the room. No air conditioning.
Size: Approximately 5m x 5m (16ft x16ft).
Capacity: Usual maximum 15
Maximum headroom: 2.2m (approx. 7ft)
Hourly rate: £12 per hour
Health and safety Form: Fill in here (must be completed before booking is confirmed)
Please note that our studios are on the first floor and can only be accessed via a spiral stairway.
Studio 3 - ideal for meetings, writing sessions, table readings.
- A bright, tall room with four large skylights
- Tables and chairs, available.
- Whiteboards are available
- Phone and internet connections available.
Size: Approximately 5m x 6m (16ft x 20ft)
Capacity: Usual maximum 20
Maximum headroom: 2.3m (approx. 7ft)
Hourly rate: £16 per hour
Health and safety Form: Fill in here (must be completed before booking is confirmed)
Please note that our studios are on the first floor and can only be accessed via a spiral stairway.
Additional Equipment (Available with £20 deposit)
Five octave (61 keys) full-size keyboard with touch response
Connectivity - 1 x Headphone Out
Please note: although this electric piano can be used with a compatible sustain pedal, we do not have one on site. You are welcome to bring your own.
Please note: We only hire to people over the age of 18. If you may have anyone under 18 in attendance, you will need to conduct a Risk Assessment for your hire. You are welcome to book a time with reception to visit the space to do this.
Health and Safety - Your booking is not confirmed unless the healh and safety form has been completed, only then can we proceed to take payment and confrim your booking.
Bookings and cancellations policy - We accept cancellations subject to two weeks notice, in advance, and will refund fee paid minus a 15% admin charge (minimum of £10). Cancellations with less than two weeks notice are charged at full rate. We will reschedule your booking at your request, subject to availability. Transfers are made at our discretion, are subject to a 15% admin charge (minimum of £10) and can be denied at any time. Unfortunately we cannot leave less than two hours between daytime bookings (10am - 6pm) in the same studio when being hired by the same person or company
Conditions of use:
Health & Safety
- You are responsible for risk assessing your activity and ensuring you carry adequate insurance to cover you, your activites and your participants.
- Certain changes in your activity or changes to the number or ages of people involved may result in the cancellation of your booking on the day so it is always best to advise us of any changes prior to your arrival.
- Multi Camera Film shoots are not permitted in the studios, if it takes two people to carry equipment up the stairs it can’t be used in the studios. We reserve the right to cancel your booking on the day if we deem that you are using the studios for unsuitable activities so please be forthcoming when asked what you are using the space for.
- Please familiarise yourself with safety notices, do not prop open fire doors or move fire extinguishers.
- No objects that require two people to carry permitted to be taken upstairs by hirers.
- Food and drink, apart from bottled water, is prohibited in all spaces except the foyer. There are no exceptions to this rule. You are welcome to use the foyer as a breakout/refreshment space
Please see also www.thecockpit.org.uk/house_rules which form part of our agreement with all users and visitors.
Please read and comply with the following risk assessments for studios and front of house spaces:
Studio Stairwell Risk Assessment
Studio 1 Risk Assessment
Studio 2 Risk Assessment
Studio 3 Risk Assessment
Foyer Risk Assessment
Health and Safety - Your booking is not confirmed unless the healh and safety form has been completed, only then can we proceed to take payment and confrim your booking.
Payment - Your booking is not confirmed unless it has been paid for. We accept payment using a debit or credit card over the phone.
Arriving - Please make sure you have all the information, equipment and materiels you need before you arrive. Unfortunately, we are not able to assist with photocopying or any other admin work, or offer reception services for you or anyone working with you.
Facilities - There are soap dispensers in the toilets and various sanitiser pumps located on site, please use them at regular intervals.
When its extra cold, we have portable, oil filled radiators in each space. Do not plug them into extension cables, please only plug these in to wall sockets. Please do not touch the settings and leave them as you found them.
Studio availability - Studios are usually available for hire during the following times;
Studio 1 - 10:00am-10:00pm Monday - Sunday
Studio 2 - 10:00am-10:00pm Monday - Sunday
Studio 3 - 10:00am-10:00pm Monday - Sunday
Auditions & castings - If you’re holding auditions or castings please note that we will direct people to wait in the foyer, as there is no waiting area outside of the studios, and so you will need someone in the foyer at all times to receive your auditionees.
Auditorium bookings - When hiring the Auditorium as a dry-hire we can provide a domestic power supply and fluorescent lighting but no theatre lighting, PA system, aircon, or access to gantry, dressing rooms or workshop.
Please be aware that there may be items of set or set dressings in place, although usable floor area will usually be equivalent to Studio 1.
Classes - You are responsible for your own students and will need to conduct a risk assessment. Let us know if you want to pop in and do this.
If you’re running a class with young people, we will need to see a current DBS for the person running the class. Anyone under eighteen should be suitably supervised at all times while on site.
Setting up & packing down - The times you agree when you book are bookend times - this means you will not be able to gain access to the studio before the agreed time and must allow time for clearing up during your allotted time to be out of the space promptly. See below for cleaning instructions.
Any extra time taken without prior arrangement is charged by the hour (minimum of £10). Repeat offenders will be fed to the lions… or just put on our blacklist.
Cleaning - Please leave all spaces as you’d hope to find them. On rare occasions that studio users leave a mess or cause damage, we do charge for cleaning and repairs.
Special care should be taken on the dance floor in Studio 1.
Bookings and cancellations policy - We accept cancellations subject to two weeks notice, in advance, and will refund the fee paid minus a 15% admin charge (minimum of £10). Cancellations with less than two weeks notice are charged at full rate.
We will reschedule your booking at your request if given at least 24 hours notice, subject to availability. Transfers are made at our discretion only and are subject to a 15% admin charge (minimum of £10).
Unfortunately we cannot leave less than two hours between daytime bookings (10am - 6pm) in the same studio when being hired by the same person or company.
Saying goodbye - When the space is cleared of people, things, and litter, please stop by reception to sign out and let us know that you have finished. Apart from anything, we like to say goodbye but it’s also a chance to get feedback about the space, as well as an opportunity to hear about your project or class and how it’s going.
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