Artistic director and co-CEO Matthew Jameson looks ahead to a programme packed with variety and intended as a warm welcome
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As I’m interviewing Matthew Jameson, artistic director and co-CEO at The Space, a new machine is being installed and filled on the venue’s bar top.
Emblazoned with the logo of a stag lit from behind by a glowing cross and the word “Jäegermeister”, this technological asset is primed to deliver shots of the herbal liqueur at an optimal -18ºC – rendering the flavour of its 56 botanicals, supposedly, tastier.
The sharp, Germanic lines of the brand name – picked out in a rich gothic, Textura font – echo the Westferry Road arts centre’s forthcoming 2026 Spring Season and are also a reminder that the place is in every possible sense a broad church – something those running it are eager to catalyse.
That might be for people keen to appreciate the chilled, refined blend of a 1934 digestif, once nicknamed Göring-Schnaps, or others who prefer it dropped like a bomb into a Red Bull.
the pleasure of curation
“The joy of putting together collected works for a season is sometimes realising that there’s so much in common between the pieces,” said Matt.
“Without especially intending to, we’re embracing a lot of Gothic and dark material, which also has whimsy and lightness in it.
“That might feel naturally more at home in October, but the response we’ve had is that this is exactly what people want to see.
“There’s an appreciation of the building itself too.
“We’re a converted church and we’re seeing subcultures congregating here as a special place for them.
“This season we’re continuing to run a series of Goth nights called Enter The Shadows, based around symphonic metal.
“The next one takes place on February 20, which will feature an art exhibition as well as a club night.
“While I’m not part of that community myself, I do like the idea of people looking back to the older stories, the older history, and celebrating a place where they can make the architecture here a part of the story.
“In the coming season, we’re particularly excited by Carmilla (March 26-28) – an adaptation of the original vampire story, which pre-dates and inspired Dracula.
“It’s an interesting story, because it tells of a lesbian love affair between a female vampire and her prey that seems to be more consensual and more romantic than Bram Stoker’s novel.
“One rose to prominence and the other has been somewhat left behind, so we’re very glad to be bringing that to the stage and I think it will really resonate with audiences.
“Also on that gothic theme, we also have a story by a Ukrainian writer – Ivantiy Novak – called The Werewolf Show (February 18-19), which tells the tale of a town under siege by humans transformed into ravenous beasts.
“We feel it may well offer some commentary on the current geopolitcal situation as it unpacks power and fear.
“Recently, we’ve seen a lot of companies who have been leaning into older methods of storytelling such as adaptations of fairytales.
“Hänsel Und Gretel (February 14-15) is a bold and ambitious take on Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera sung in German, while In Five Years Time (February 24-28) is a new opera based on an experimental play by Spanish poet Federico García Lorca.”
music and a bit of the Bard
Music has always played a big part in The Space’s programmes and its regular classical recitals run right through the season into July.
From March 22, there will also be a series of bi-monthly concerts celebrating contemporary piano pieces and composers.
Matthew said, with all the turmoil in the world, there was a real appetite among audiences for ways to take the sting out of reality.
“It does feel as though a lot of the stories people want to see are retreating towards the fantastical and the escapist,” he said.
“So a long run of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (May 27-June 6) feels just the ticket – an antidote to some of the bad things in the world.
“The desire for entertainment – the idea of something that’s magical and wonderful – can be used by writers, actors and directors to tell a wider story without having to hammer a message down people’s throats.
“As a response to one publishing company that put a call out for ‘non-woke plays with no political leaning or message’, we’re proud to champion stories in our programme that touch on controversial issues.
“We have a show – Kayfabe (May 12-16) – which features transgender and cisgender women wrestlers, set for a contest on the eve of a new law that will ban trans women from the sport.
“It’s important that we support work that’s not afraid to tackle these issues from both sides.
“We’re attracting a lot of different subcultures across the programme, which feels exciting and interesting – a way to welcome different and marginalised communities while retaining the core audience we’ve got.
“We had a huge success last year with Twelfth Night, introduced by our patron, Sir Ian McKellen and performed by trans and non-binary actors – with thousands of people watching round the world to celebrate that community.
“It really was fantastic.
“What’s important to us is that this is a space for everyone on the Island to come and see work that they like and that nobody is excluded by the cost of a ticket.
“Another of the things I’m most excited about for the coming season is Chekhov’s Comedy Shorts (May 7-9), a show made by SpaceWorks, our participatory drama group, which meets here on Monday nights.
“It’s the first time I’m leading a participatory group in a production, and we’ve got many of the team stepping up to direct.
“That’s going to be a really fun meeting of modern comedy and classic canon material, with a collection of seven, side-splitting shorts for everyone to enjoy.”
key details: The Space’s spring season
Full details of all shows, timings and ticket prices can be found on The Space’s website here.
The venue is located on the Isle Of Dogs in Westferry Road with the closest station being Mudchute DLR.
It’s also well served by buses direct from Canary Wharf.
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