The Albany

Established as a community theatre and music venue in 1982, the building replaced the 1899 Albany Institute which had been destroyed by fire in 1978 and was later demolished for road widening. Funding issues during the 1990s lead to closure for a time. In 2001 the National Theatre's education department took over the building for a four year project, during which time the theatre and digital facilities were refurbished. Since 2004 The Albany has again developed its own arts programme, and as Deptford's performing arts centre it is home to fourteen resident companies who provide a variety of community activities. The central performance space is a flexible in-the-round theatre with a 300-seat capacity (500 standing). There are two smaller performance spaces (50 and 60-seat), along with the cafe, rehearsal rooms, workshops and other ancillary spaces.