Studio Ira
An attractive studio with a high-slanted ceiling and sweeping views over leafy west London. Studio Ira is ideal for rehearsals, dance and movement workshops, auditions and more.
Scroll further down this page for key information on studio size, pricing, accessibility, facilities and more.
Studio Ira (photo credit: SCRUM Studios)
Studio Ira (photo credit: SCRUM Studios)
Studio Ira, with wall featuring mural of Ira Aldridge, by William Dawkins (photo credit: SCRUM Studios)
Studio Ira (photo credit: SCRUM Studios)
Information
Dimensions
70m² studio, with shared access to kitchen and our communal facilities.
Rate (Standard / Reduced)
Per day £280.00 / £224.00
Per hour* £42.00 / £33.50
*Minimum booking time is 4 hours
Features
Shared access to kitchen and Quiet Room
Access to our communal areas, including the Nick Hern Books Resource Library
WiFi
Dance flooring, not sprung
Plenty of natural light and views over west London
There are additional charges for overnight storage. On-site parking may be arranged in advance, but please note spaces are limited.
Ideal for
Small-to-large sized company rehearsals and readings
Classes, workshops, schools groups, staff training groups
Musical and band rehearsals
Rehearsals with large props or set (with permission granted by SCRUM)
Filming
Dance and movement workshops*
*Please note: the floor is unsprung; we do not currently provide floor-to-ceiling mirrors
Access Information
Step-free access
Please note: We regret that there is currently no step-free access to our First Floor spaces due to extensive issues with the building’s lift.
For step-free accessible spaces, please see the Studio Sarah suite and The Warehouse.
Neurodiversity and sensory overload
Our building has a Quiet Room on each floor, with blinds to adjust lighting.
D/deaf or Hard of Hearing
Please get in touch with us at studios@scrumtheatre.co.uk for information about the acoustics of our spaces.
Meeting other access needs
If you wish to discuss something else that could be a barrier to your visit to SCRUM Studios, currently the best ways to get in touch are by email or over the phone.
Email: studios@scrumtheatre.co.uk
Phone: +44 7782 765995
We are keen to find solutions where possible, and we will always aim to get back to you quickly and transparently if we find we do not yet have the resources to meet an access requirement.
Studio Hero
Our rehearsal studios are named in honour of people we consider heroes from theatre history. Each studio features a mural of the hero its named after, painted by Will Dawkins.
Studio Ira is named after trailblazing actor, playwright & activist, Ira Aldridge (1807-1867).
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(1807-1867)
The African Grove Theatre (1821-23) was a Black-founded theatre company operating in downtown Manhattan. It was there that Ira Aldridge learnt both his craft, and that if he wanted to achieve the level of success he yearned for, he would have to leave the pre-Civil War United States. So Aldridge worked his passage as a steward on a ship sailing to Britain, where slavery had been abolished since 1807.
In 1833, at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, Aldridge became the first Black man to play Othello at a first-rate London theatre. He also excelled playing Macbeth, King Lear, Shylock, Titus Andronicus, and Richard III, and is credited with introducing a more naturalistic acting style to Europe. He was celebrated for addressing audiences at the end of his performances with powerful speeches on the abolition of slavery.
When the British press orchestrated an attack on him for marrying Margaret Gill, a white woman, Aldridge left Britain to tour Continental Europe and Russia. There he performed to packed houses and was showered with accolades including the Gold Medal for Arts and Sciences, conferred on him by the King of Prussia, the title of Chevalier Aldridge, Knight of Saxony, as well as the greatest reviews of his career.
When he died aged 60 whilst on tour in the Polish city of Łódź, he was given a state funeral.