A theatre with tiered bench seating, exposed brick archway, and stage lighting at The Free Association.
A rehearsal studio with arched wooden ceiling, large frosted windows, and tables with chairs at The Free Association.
A theatre with tiered bench seating, exposed brick archway, and wooden stage at The Free Association.
A theatre with tiered bench seating, exposed brick arch, and stage lighting at The Free Association.

The Free Association

Theatre

#6 of 85 Rehearsal Studio venues in Southwark Borough
#15 of 225 Theatre venues in Central London
  1 review  – 
Arch 26, Old Union Yard Arches, union street, London, SE1 0lr –
Southwark Station (0.2 mi)
From £35
hire fee
Up to 100
seats
Up to 220
standing
Venue offers catering
Parking available
Manager's avatar
Jonathan Collis-Scurll
Your Personal Event Manager from FA Improv Limited
Response rate: 95%
Response time: Within 3 hours
Message host
Newly partnered with Tagvenue
This manager has quickly become a trusted partner of Tagvenue, recognised by customers for their reliability and helpfulness.
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Spaces for hire at The Free Association

The Theatre at The Free Association
The Theatre
Theatre
·
Private space
100 seats
150 standing
Book 3 hr. minimum
The theatre area at The Free Association is equipped with a hundred seats (in addition to two removable wheelchair spaces), a separate green room, and an accessible stage and restroom. The location is on the ground floor which makes it easy to enter, and the layout of the room is good for either audience or collaboration setups. The space provides ...
Wi-Fi available
Air conditioner
Projector
Flipchart
PA system / music speakers
Conference call facilities
Storage space
Play your own music
from £50 hire fee
Pricing updated by venue 10 months ago
Enquire now
The Workshop Space at The Free Association
The Workshop Space
Meeting Room
·
Private space
30 seats
50 standing
Book 1 hr. minimum
The upstairs room at The Free Association is our workshop space and has double glazed reed glass doors for privacy to the bar area. This place has floor to ceiling windows, 20 stools and tables if required. A perfect spot for workshops, rehearsals, or meetings.
Wi-Fi available
Natural light
Air conditioner
Flatscreen TV
Flipchart
PA system / music speakers
Play your own music
from £35 hire fee
Pricing updated by venue 10 months ago
Enquire now
Whole Building at The Free Association
Whole Building
Theatre
·
Whole venue
100 seats
220 standing
Book 8 hr. minimum
The whole building takeover includes use of our 100 seat theatre, stage, greenroom, reception / foyer (with bottle bar) and fully stocked upstairs bar, toilets and workshop space. This hire includes venue staff for safety, however bar staff and technical staff will be an additional cost. We have a full lighting rig, 3 phase power, sound system a...
Wi-Fi available
Natural light
Air conditioner
Projector
Flatscreen TV
Flipchart
PA system / music speakers
Play your own music
from £1000 hire fee
Pricing updated by venue 10 months ago
Enquire now

Reviews and ratings

5.0
1 new review from verified user within the last 6 months
1 recent guest highly rated amenities, cleanliness, location and service quality
Amenities
5.0
Cleanliness
5.0
Location
5.0
Service quality
5.0
Value for money
5.0
Verified reviews come from Tagvenue users. All reviews are checked by our team to uphold our trust and safety standards.
RC
Richard C.
Verified review
Classroom · 100 guests · June 2026 · The Theatre
A great multipurpose creative space. We used it for student workshops and talks. Affordable and central.
5.0

Prices and opening hours

Monday
9:00 – 18:00
from £35–£50 hire fee per hour
The Theatre
9:00 – 18:00
from £50 hire fee per hour
The Workshop Space
9:00 – 18:00
from £35 hire fee per hour
Whole Building
9:00 – 18:00
from £1000 hire fee per day
Tuesday
9:00 – 18:00
from £35–£50 hire fee per hour
The Theatre
9:00 – 18:00
from £50 hire fee per hour
The Workshop Space
9:00 – 18:00
from £35 hire fee per hour
Whole Building
9:00 – 18:00
from £1000 hire fee per day
Wednesday
9:00 – 18:00
from £35–£50 hire fee per hour
The Theatre
9:00 – 18:00
from £50 hire fee per hour
The Workshop Space
9:00 – 18:00
from £35 hire fee per hour
Whole Building
9:00 – 18:00
from £1000 hire fee per day
Thursday
9:00 – 18:00
from £35–£50 hire fee per hour
The Theatre
9:00 – 18:00
from £50 hire fee per hour
The Workshop Space
9:00 – 18:00
from £35 hire fee per hour
Whole Building
9:00 – 18:00
from £1000 hire fee per day
Friday
9:00 – 18:00
from £35–£50 hire fee per hour
The Theatre
9:00 – 18:00
from £50 hire fee per hour
The Workshop Space
9:00 – 18:00
from £35 hire fee per hour
Whole Building
9:00 – 18:00
from £1000 hire fee per day
Saturday
9:00 – 18:00
from £40–£60 hire fee per hour
The Theatre
9:00 – 17:30
from £60 hire fee per hour
The Workshop Space
9:00 – 18:00
from £40 hire fee per hour
Whole Building
9:00 – 18:00
from £1500 hire fee per day
Sunday
9:00 – 18:00
from £40–£60 hire fee per hour
The Theatre
9:00 – 17:30
from £60 hire fee per hour
The Workshop Space
9:00 – 18:00
from £40 hire fee per hour
Whole Building
9:00 – 18:00
from £1500 hire fee per day
Pricing updated by venue 10 months ago

Best Price guarantee: you will always pay the same price as booking directly with the venue, and we never add hidden or processing fees.

Facilities and catering options

Up to 220
standing
Up to 100
seats
External catering allowed
Parking available
Alcohol provided
Unavailable: In-house catering
Unavailable: Accommodation available
Unavailable: Promoted / ticketed events
Unavailable: BYO alcohol

About The Free Association

The Free Association is a Trusted Tagvenue Partner, validated by the Tagvenue team with a record of successful bookings on the platform.

The Free Association is a theatre focusing on long-form improv, combining a performance theatre and a teaching centre that runs courses and workshops.

Venue highlights: The venue provides a black-box performance area with a basic lighting rig, PA and adaptable seating that can be arranged for workshops, rehearsals or audience formats. The layout supports run-throughs and multi-day courses, allowing hosts to run training sessions and staged performances within the same booking.

Best for: Improv workshops and training, corporate team-building using improv techniques, small-scale comedy and improv performances.

Location: Old Union Yard Arches sits on Union Street and places the venue among a cluster of independent performance and late-night spots, giving hosts nearby options to continue the evening.

What guests say: The teaching team delivers structured, practical instruction across staged courses and intensives. The venue programmes regular improv nights such as Harold Night, providing dependable performance opportunities for visiting groups.

FAQ

Yes, external catering is welcome.

No, we do not offer catering. We do have a bar serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and snacks, but this incurs an additional staffing cost.

No, we do not offer catering. We do have a bar serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and snacks, but this incurs an additional staffing cost.

Yes, the theatre is on the ground floor and is accessible. The workshop space is on an upper floor and requires access via stairs; the venue is also a four-minute walk from Southwark Underground station and a twelve-minute walk from Waterloo Station.

No, out-of-hours hire is not possible because there are shows in the evening.

Cancellations 30 days in advance will receive a full refund.

Cancellations 30 days to 7 days in advance will receive a 50% refund.

Cancellations for events starting within 7 days are non-refundable.

At The Free Association, the following catering options are available:

  • The venue works with an approved list of external caterers

  • Paid parking facilities are available nearby

Here are some event spends from guests who recently held events at The Free Association:

  • The Theatre hosting 100 guests: £374.40

For detailed pricing tailored to your event, please contact the venue.

The Free Association is located at Arch 26, Old Union Yard Arches, in Newington, London. The nearest metro station is Southwark Station.

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Explore other spaces in the area

Arch 26, Old Union Yard Arches, union street, London, SE1 0lr
Southwark Station (0.2 mi)

The Free Association is popular for

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