South Street is an arts centre in the heart of Reading presenting a diverse range of performing arts from both the professional and community sectors, programmed by Arts Co-ordinator John Luther (who can be contacted on john.luther@reading.gov.uk). The professional programme attracts the very best new and established names in fringe theatre, comedy, music and live literature.
South Street is home to award winning theatre company RedCape Theatre (Fringe First & Total Award winners for ‘The Idiot Colony’), as well as associate artists Unfinished Business who made the acclaimed shows ‘It’s Like He’s Knocking’ & ‘Only Wolves & Lions’ with our support. We are also proud to run Reading Youth Theatre and host resident poet AF Harrold’s monthly Poet’s Cafe.
Over recent years we have worked with many of the best young theatre companies, supporting them in developing new shows for national touring – including Inspector Sands, Cartoon de Salvo, Shams, Periplum, The Plasticine Men, Stillpoint Theatre, Wonder, Limbik Theatre, Beady Eye, Laura Mugridge, Dante or Die & FanSHEN. South Street is also a founding member and on the streering group for the Arts Council funded touring consortium HOUSE (www.housetheatre.org)
Our music programme has seen us work alongside many of the countries finest venues in the consortiums rootsroundabout and Making Tracks, and present several acclaimed tours from the Twisted Folk touring scheme. We are proud to present an annual one-day festival, DOUBLEDOTBASH!, which has grown to be a much loved part of the Reading music calendar. Artists playing have included Mumford & Sons, King Creosote, James Yorkston, Lau, Spiers & Boden, Emmy the Great, Alasdair Roberts, Julian Cope, Tunng, Nils Frahm, The Handsome Family, Yat-Kha, and many more.