Improvised comedy collective The Free Association, will officially open the doors to its first permanent home at a venue in Southwark, South London on Thursday 16th October 2025. This major expansion follows the company’s 10th anniversary celebrations in 2024, marking a significant new chapter for the organisation.
Programme details for the opening weekend are now live at www.thefreeassociation.co.uk.
Tickets are on sale with 48-hour early access exclusively for those who supported the crowdfunder campaign. General public sales begin this Friday 12th September at 10am.
Founded in 2015, The Free Association has spent the past decade establishing itself as the beating heart of UK improv, operating out of its original home above the De Beauvoir Arms and later expanding to the Lord Stanley in Camden, where it ran shows and classes. With sold-out performances, a thriving training programme, and thousands of students taught, The FA has been instrumental in launching the careers of many standout talents, whose alumni includes such names as Ambika Mod, Phil Wang, Olga Koch, and Ritu Arya. Even Hollywood star Bryce Dallas Howard attended a workshop while preparing to play an improv teacher in Deep Cover, one of Prime Video’s latest comedy film releases.
Now, with a 10-year lease secured on a brand-new venue for alternative comedy with improv at its core, The FA is stepping onto a bigger stage, just three minutes from Southwark tube and surrounded by some of London’s most iconic theatres - The National Theatre, The Globe, and the Young and Old Vic. The new theatre will place improvised comedy at the centre of the UK’s cultural landscape, whilst also offering an expanded programme of alternative comedy incorporating character, sketch and clown.
The venue itself promises to be a creative hub for performers, audiences, and the local community alike. It will feature a versatile performance space with a beautifully designed theatre, a purpose-built classroom for The FA’s renowned improv school, and a welcoming bar and café open to the public. Construction is currently underway, powered in part by the generous support of the FA community, who have raised £18,000 via Crowdfunder.
This moment marks a major milestone - not just for The FA, but for UK improv as a whole. No longer confined to upstairs rooms and pub basements, improvisers will now take centre stage in a space that reflects the ambition, energy, and brilliance of the art form itself.
On launching the new venue, the company’s founder Graham Dickson said: "This move has been such a long time in the making for us, so we're unbelievably thrilled to finally open our own theatre with our name on it. We hope to make it a home to be proud of - not just for improv, but for the whole comedy community."
Jonny Collis-Scurll who co-owns The Free Association added: "Our community of performers and students have long deserved a venue of this calibre, and I can't wait to showcase them in our new home!"
Ryan Dench co-owner of The Free Association also added: “This new home is about building on that spark of belonging and shared laughter. I’m so incredibly proud of everyone who’s been part of this adventure so far, and excited for what comes next.”
Comedian and actress Liz Kingsman said: "It has been a privilege to be a part of The Free Association since they opened their doors over ten years ago. It is incredibly exciting to finally have a destination for the ever-growing improv community, and to safeguard the general public from the dangers of having improvisers on the streets."
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