A celebration of dark & twisted theatre in the bleeding heart of London – GrimFest returns for its fifth consecutive year at the decidedly haunted Old Red Lion Pub Theatre! This is our biggest festival so far and we have lots of exciting news coming your way…

Applications open for this years festival on the 13th April. Before they close at the end of the month we are showcasing the very best in upcoming horror theatre in a night of specially curated extracts from work-in-progress productions. Expect extracts from new scripts, snatches of cabaret, storytelling, comedy and more!

This Scratch Night is a chance to check out the latest creations from the best horror theatre companies in the UK, offer feedback and chat to the teams behind these new pieces. And learn more about GrimFest 2025!

GrimFest Producers Nina Atesh & Jack Robertson will also be hosting a live Q&A about all things grim – what shows we are looking for, how it all works, tips, tricks and tropes etcetera!

If you wish to be included in the event please email your submission to grimfestuk@gmail.com – entries must be no longer than 10 minutes with a cast size no larger than six. We are not accepting unsolicited scripts but rather companies, creatives or teams with their own show in development. We are not looking for short plays for this particular event. If you have any questions about taking part in the festival please email those to the address above and it will get answered on the 19th on stage and via livestream.

Follow grimfestuk on Instagram.

Ticket information:

Performance dates: Sunday 19th April 2026
Performance time:  6pm 
Run Time: 80 mins (including interval) 
Tickets: £6.50