Lyric life

At the moment, the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is empty, and dark. This is very strange, and difficult. We are a big, beautiful Matcham-designed theatre where bold stories are told, at our best when the seats and spaces are full of people from every walk of life. I am proud we are at the heart of Hammersmith, part of the life of our vibrant community. This is our reason for being here.

I am committed to inclusivity, to our role as a civic resource for Hammersmith and Fulham. We make sure access to creativity is available to everyone; including some of our most vulnerable young people, whose lives have been changed by their time within this building. It is heart-breaking to have to pause, to break the connection we have with those we joyfully serve.

None of us knows what to do, how we will survive this. This pandemic is unprecedented. At the Lyric, we are thinking strategically; restructuring our programme, working together to find new ways to reach our young people, making plans to work differently and stretch our resources as far as we possibly can. It’s difficult; no question about that. However, the Lyric is and has always been a theatre which embraces risk and grasps opportunities. We have a long history of survival. We are part of the Hammersmith and Fulham story- we have deep roots here, and strong branches.

With your help, we can not only survive this; we can find ways to thrive, to come through this challenging time even stronger. We will work to be better, to make an even bigger impact on those young people who deserve the chance to learn, to be creative and to broaden their horizons. We will make more great, award-winning theatre that entrances and entertains our local audience. We will survive; we have no option. We owe it to you.

Rachel O’Riordan
Artistic Director and Joint Chief Exceutive

If you are able to support the Lyric at this time we are asking for donations to our Lyric Recovery Fund, you can do that here.