Ilford's Kenneth More Theatre reopens on New Year's Eve with a 3pm gala, Curtain Up! Celebrate Act Two. Tickets are £29.50, or £26.50 for children and over-60s.
Ilford’s Kenneth More Theatre now has a reopening day. The auditorium reopens on New Year’s Eve, Thursday 31 December, with a gala afternoon, and tickets are on sale now.
The show is Curtain Up! Celebrate Act Two, from 3pm to 5pm. It is listed on the Vision box office at the “NEW Kenneth More Theatre”.
The listing puts it plainly: “After two years, the Kenneth More Theatre is finally reopening its doors on New Years Eve!”
The council had said only that the theatre would reopen some time in December. The gala had been named but was not on sale when we checked in September.
Ticket prices
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Full price | £29.50 |
| Child | £26.50 |
| Concession (students, over-60s, additional access requirements) | £26.50 |
Children under 12 months do not need a ticket. You can choose your seats from a seating plan, up to ten at a time.
Who is performing
Vision, which runs the theatre for the council, says the afternoon brings together “the people, groups and companies that have been part of the Kenneth More Theatre’s story”. It promises music, musical theatre, drama, dance and comedy.
The groups named so far are:
- Redbridge Creates Theatre Company
- Forest Musical Theatre Company
- IODS
- Black Ice Cheerleading and Gymnastics Academy
- The Academy Performing Arts School
- Finch Stage School
- Elixir Productions
- Wenn Stage School
More are “to be announced”.
Why it has been shut
The auditorium closed in 2024 after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found in the roof. Redbridge Council says it has spent more than £1m removing it and refurbishing the building, with new seating, redecoration and new carpets.
The council Leader, Cllr Kam Rai, said in September that the New Year’s Eve show marks 52 years since the theatre opened. Vision’s theatre page gives the opening year as 1975.
One thing that does not add up yet
The pop-up panto is still listed at the Kenneth More on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December. Its listing still says the show “takes place in our Foyer” and “is unaffected by the current auditorium closure”.
But Vision’s theatre page now says the “auditorium, bars, foyers and studio spaces are now closed while refurbishment work takes place”. Vision has not said whether the December foyer shows go ahead as listed. If you have tickets, check with the box office before you travel.
The council has said the full pantomime returns as “a special show” in spring 2027, not this Christmas. Our Ilford panto guide has every date and price.
What it means for you
- Book now if you want to be there on the first day. It is a single matinee on 31 December, 3pm to 5pm.
- There is no evening performance listed, so the gala does not clash with New Year’s Eve plans.
- Getting there: the theatre is on Oakfield Road, a few minutes’ walk from Ilford station. Our parking guide has the town centre car parks.
For other ideas, see things to do in Ilford.
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