What an amazing exhibition! My son and I had popped over to London for a long weekend and were told about the graffiti tunnel and were pleasantly surprised to find this amazing art exhibition. Some wonderful works of art were displayed about the intriguing world of the occult. Certainly a must see when you head to London read more

See all

The vaults lends itself well to interactive and intimate theatre. I saw a production of Plied and Prejudice with a five person cast that had the crowd laughing all night long. The venue is easy to access from public transportation and close to many dining options. Overall it was a lovely evening of theatre and I will definitely be back! read more

See all

An Act of God or the re telling of the Ten Commandments by Zoey Lyons as a Lesbian version of God. The Vaults is known for its quircky entertainment and this play is no exception! The humour is on point from beginning to end with a lot of current news references which makes it even easier to relate. Overall a good night of theatre! A must watch if you like quircky stories. read more

See all

I recently went to see the Act of God at the Vaults. It is a really cool theatre underneath Waterloo station. It has a casual vibe and the shows they perform here are out of the box. Act of God is headed up my female lead Zoe Lyons, assisted by her two angels. As the name suggests, Zoe stars as God, who is answering all those questions that man has had since the worlds creation and gives a funny spin on the 10 Commandments. It is a comedy and had my smiling and laughing throughout. The show was originally on Broadway, so has been adapted for a British audience. There are funny jokes and references to satisfy the Brits throughout and Zoe Lyons gave a brilliant performance. It is a modern day spin on the tradition viewpoint. I would recommend going to see it during its limited festive run. It is also cool to experience the theatre below ground! read more

The Vaults is a multi-purpose space, and this time we were there to have our Valentine's Day lunch (on the day before!) at Suffolk Punch. They had warned us it was hard to find but it wasn't a problem. The space is, of course, industrial and rustic at the same time. It was a very cold day but it was really warm up there - they had fans going constantly, and we were comfortable. Suffolk Punch is part of a cooperative of food producers, and pretty much everything is made by them/local to them. Our food was fine, tasty but not amazing. We were never given a drinks menu but as we just had a can of Coke each, we didn't mind (they were cheap at £1.50 each). For V-Day, they had a set menu - £40 per person, 3 courses, 2 choices for each course. We both had the same - beetroot soup, lamb chops, and a chocolate tart. The menu shows a cocktail and hot chocolate, but that wasn't offered (I wonder if it's meant to be instead of pudding). We also had bread and prosecco on arrival. We were there in the middle of the day so we were one of only 2 tables, but service still wasn't very attentive - but it was friendly. The pudding was the best thing, with a tayberry ice cream that cut through the rich tart. The soup was safe but nice. The lamb chops were good - but no steak knife. Trying to saw through lamb chops with a butter knife isn't the most romantic of things! All in all, the meal was fine, but not £40 fine. But Valentine's Day is its own beast, so I'll forgive them for that. They do pizza and bar food downstairs that sounds more my speed, and we plan to come back and give it a go! read more

See all

The Vaults is under the arches of Waterloo Station. To reach it walk the opposite direction to the river to Lower Marsh Street. An arts space in the tunnels of Waterloo Station, it houses a theatre, a cinema, theatre, art gallery and even crazy golf, as well as a bar and nightclub. My marks are for the Birdies Crazy Golf which is only available at weekends between noon and 2pm and the waffles brunch, with Mimosas to drink. Quite a fun way to while a couple of hours on a Sunday. read more

The Vaults Theatre - Welcome to The Vaults! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - London, XGL

See all

I had a wonderful time seeing Miss Nightingale at The Vaults. The venue is quirky and hidden away, but a perfect fit for this material. In terms of the actual musical, I thought the songs were really powerful and fun too - my favourite being about where to get your sausage ;) Though another tune, 'Stand Up and Be Counted' is still in my head... Surprisingly catchy! The acting was also stellar - I found myself being completely captivated by the sweet/angry/loving performance by Sir Frank (Nicholas Coutu-Langmead). I was genuinely moved by his unexpected love story and thought that along with Yureg (Conor O'Kane) they made a couple worth shipping. I thoroughly recommend this show, the production values are top-notch and the cast are fantastic! read more

#soundsandsorcery Can you believe Micky Mouse is 90 years old this year and to celebrate this magical event, SoundsandSorcery have produced an immersive sound and visual journey within the deep underground London's The Vault venue. The journey takes each visitor through the music of Disney Fantasia while offering them a chance to explore and enjoy both live theatrical performances and light and computer generated displays. The producers of this event is looking to entice both the visual and musical senses, as each visitor upon entering will be given their own headset which they can control their own Fantasia journey. I have always enjoyed the immersive experience previously put on by The Vaults and I was very much looking forward to the evening ahead of me. I must say that upon entrance, there was a little confusion with regards to where you register and where you went to pick up your headset, however, headset ready, the anticipation of what was behind those big white doors definitely builds the excitements. The venue itself is free roaming so each visitor can spend as little or as long as they wanted in each of the three rooms (which I later discover!) after which you should enter the theatre where live actors dance and parade on stage using visual lighting to change moods and the music on the headphones to communicate with us. The first room which we entered was like a magical forest, with hills of mushrooms and flowers that glow in the dark guide us deeper into the forest, the floors were filled with bark, which gave off the smell of the forest. Next we moved to the what looked like the live stage, we was told that the live performance was available every 15 minutes, so we thought we would grab a drink and wait for it. After 20 minutes, we asked someone when the show would start, unfortunately, they couldn't tell us, so we waited.. To be honest after what felt like an eternity, the lights changed and the actors arrived, by this time, we all felt a little underwhelmed and honestly I was not wowed by the show. I think it didn't help that we had waited that long.. To make matters worse, when the show finished, we tried to go to the other two rooms, only to be told that the Sorcery room had now closed? I guess one of the downfalls of a free roaming is that you don't know where you should be going and what order you should plan your visit. We had raised this to one of the assistances with the white bow tie, but unfortunately as there were live actors involved, they couldn't let us in. I must say, that did dampen our experience as well as waiting a very long time. Not to let it get to us, we went to what was the volcanic room, the room was designed as if you was walking along erupted volcanoes, and by using clever lighting, it really looked liked it was erupting! After this we moved along to what was the final room, the first part of a video display of a man on fire? I felt it was a tad graphic and to be honest a little odd, not something I would say I enjoyed, I did look around a little and I can see a few people also looking around not sure of what they are seeing in front of them. Once this concluded, the screen lifted to lead us into a tree filled woodland. I truly can't say I understood  the last room and left a little confused. I guess, as each person is provided with their own headphones, and was free to wander as they wish, everyone experience would be different, as when I spoke to some of my friends who had also visited, and their experienced was totally different from mine, so I guess, you have to go and visit to see what experiences you come out with. One recommendations I would suggest would be to make it clearer to people that they should visit the three rooms first before they move on to the live show, as I found out that the live show is timed with the end show, which would make sense. Also a time guide of when the live show starts to avoid unnecessary waiting time. I was invited to attend this event by Love Pop Up London however all the reviews are my own. read more

The Vaults is a great venue. I love coming here!! What a great Escape Room concept we enjoyed at the Vaults Festival. There were five of us locked up in the back of the dormobile van. We were handcuffed together and had 30 minutes to get a key from one end of the van to the other to enable us to open the door and escape . The whole theme is based around the magic and escapes of Houdini. The van is fitted out in Victorian style with every object key to solving the clue to escape. I won't say any more about the puzzles or how to solve them as this would spoil the event for any future escapees. All five of us had a great time, and enjoyed it very much. For £9 it is great value! If you like escape rooms you will not be disappointed! Also the venue of the Vault has great bars and chill out areas you can enjoy either before, after or both. This has got to be one of the most fun escape experiences I've had. I would highly recommend it. Book soon though as it is only here until March!! read more

Can't really rate as depends what you go and see there but it's a great place for any event person to hire out as full of rooms leading off each other. The vaults is also supposely haunted. I have seen alice adventure underground which I give 5 out of 5. See my separate review for that. Most recently went and saw master of the macabre which was ok give 3 out of 5. He done some magic followed by a seance type show. I found some of his tricks interesting especially when I played the Russian roulette game with him that involved a tarantula spider which was so cute but then some of his tricks lame. The seance show was ok he tried to make people believe it was real which it did in a way especially the levitating table but I know when someone is an actress. I was quote surprised when she collapsed against hard concrete floor I thought was quite dangerous for her. read more

See all

Famous art-hub just next to Waterloo station. Massive several vaults spaces that are hosting art excibitions, immersive theatres, screenings, as well as short term fringe plays. During February-March, there is the Vaults Festival taking place here with several fringe plays every day along the festival. Just outside of the Vaults space, you will catch the so-many-times instagrammed full-of-graffitis "Leake Street". read more

The Vaults Theatre - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Having previously commuted through Waterloo for well over 4 years, I was intrigued and to be honest a little hesitant when we my friend from LovePopUpsLondon lead me down a graffitied archway leading down The Vaults Theatre. I needn't have been worried, what a treat I was in for! The eclectic entrance only adds to the experience of leading you into a different world, you can see why Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has been such a success here. As we walk into the Theatre we are taken past war time posts and memorabilia leading to the stage where a lone gentleman is playing the piano under the arches of the train station setting the stage and excitement for the show. I have to admit, during one of the first songs, you can blow on my whistle, I felt a little prudish at the tongue in cheek references and Miss Nightingale's pearly queen outfit- complete with strategically placed buttons framing her lady garden. However, as the show quickly emerged as a complex love story and portrayal of life during the war, it became apparent that this was going to be much more than a cheesy theatrical show. Although, I did love the full on musical dance numbers! Set in the 1940's, Miss Nightingale tells the story of Frank, the upper class war hero turned club owner, and his latest act - Maggie, her chorographer George and her controlling boyfriend come manager Tom. Maggie and the Polish/Jewish George have recently fled their beloved city Berlin to the relative safety of London and are trying to make it on the London club scene. As Maggie auditions for the club, it is revealed that that Frank and George have meet before in the back streets before George was dragged away by the police and beaten to save Frank from being arrested. Maggie is rebranded as Miss Nightingale and quickly become a star, whilst Frank and George grow closer. As Frank falls in love with George and they try to work out how their relationship will unfold, the show gives a real and honest insight into what it was like to be gay in the 1940's. The double entendres and upbeat cheesy songs are a great interlude between the more serious stories of the characters lives, including the true life reminder of the 12 homosexual men who were arrested for indecency in Wales with two of them committing suicide (one just 19) during the trial. You have to remember why this type of cabaret show was so popular during the war, to distract from the horrific events happening outside of the Theatre walls. Indeed during one of the numbers you can hear a bombing taking place- I'll say no more however as I wouldn't want to give away any of the many twist and turns of the show. It is interesting to see Maggie (Miss Nightingale) balancing her career as a nurse and her emerging showgirl fame, standing firmly against Frank as he tries to convince her to give up her day job, that 'all she does is empty bed pans anyway'. The cast are incredibly talented with the ability to switch between beautiful harmonies, playing a variety of musical instruments, dancing energetically to upbeat catchy numbers and before switching back to poignant acting. The 6 cast members effortless change between their characters and playing the roles of band members. Some of my favourite songs including their amazing ability to be all singing together at the same time, but each telling their own personal story, creating an atmospheric tune resonating throughout the whole theatre. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and haven't been able to stop singing many of the tunes all weekend, surely a sign of a great musical! The show is on until 20th May - get down there whilst you can! read more

I LOVE the Vaults as a venue. I've seen some fringe shows and bigger, immersive shows here. I just love the dark, dank atmosphere! The Vaults are located in tunnels below Waterloo station, old brickwork and low lighting set the mood really well. You access the venue via a graffiti'd tunnel from Leake Street. It looks a bit creepy, but that just helps with the mood! From individual shows to the Vaults festival, it's always worth a visit. read more

The Vaults is the venue itself, and at the moment the 'VAULT Festival' is on within it. The festival is 6 weeks of shows, comedy, music, bars and food - think of it as the Edinburgh Fringe festival all packed into a few tunnels. It is BRILLIANT. It's only on this year until the 6th March, so catch it soon. The festival has been running for a few years now, from before the tunnels were an established venue in their own right, so it seems that it is what kicked off all the other events that are now put on there throughout the rest of the year. It's becoming more popular every year, and 2016 is their best yet. The Suffolk Punch is the festival restaurant, and is of unbelievably excellent quality. Every time I've been in there for dinner it's been packed, but the service has always been friendly and the food has always been delicious. Definitely one to catch before it disappears. The three bars are all excellent and very reasonably priced - watch out, you could end up losing quite a few hours by mistake in here! The shows vary week to week, and are on in a variety of venues, starting at any time between 6 and 10ish on weekdays, and there are some matinees on the weekend. They're all £16 or less (usually less) for a ticket. There is also Mini Vault, which is a selection of activities and plays that are put on specifically for children on the weekend daytimes - which looks like a ridiculous amount of fun! I can't recommend the festival highly enough. Go! read more

This is one of my favourite spots in London. First reason has to be the location, which is somewhat hidden under Waterloo train station, but accessed from outside. The second reason that this place is so great is the actual venue. It's a series of tunnels and arches made into separate rooms and bars. The third reason has to be the shows and events they put on here. I have see a Halloween magic show, been haunted by the presentation of Goosebumps, and returned for multiple shows during the fringe festival. The space can accommodate a stage for performances, has 2 bars, and even fits in a small second level area. If you are hungry, grab some food like their grilled cheeses, or whatever is on offer at the moment depending on the show. Must visit! read more

A quirky, grungy; hipster venue; difficult to find but that is part of the fun! A hidden gem!

A great venue near Waterloo. I have been here twice now in the past year. Once for Alice Underground which was fantastic and more recently for a spooky magic show. I can't recommend the magic show I am afraid (was a little too amateur for the price they were charging) but a fantastic venue for it - they have a small old theatre in there. They are also showing films there and pop up restaurants as well. Keep your eyes peeled for what they have going on there in the future as it is a great venue. read more

We had our company Christmas party here in the Vaults underneath the Waterloo station. The claim was a theme of 'Underground Nutcracker', but at no point did that seem to be the case, so maybe some more work on their theme decor would help. There are multiple rooms, or vaults I guess, that had a mix of bars, vodka ice luge, dance areas, seating and general hanging out areas. The bars weren't too slow, but making six custom cocktails for one order slows things down. Besides the fact that this place was an absolute pain to find and get to, it was enjoyable. To be honest, we've had better locations for our past parties, but this did well to accommodate mass binging for a big group! read more

The Vaults is an interesting space. They host the Vaults Festival each year, which is great fun - this past year, it had free live jazz twice a week, cheap beers, donut cocktails (!!) and shows for under £10. Aside from that, there are a variety of art shows and seasonal events that go on here. They were showing the World Cup, but I didn't get a chance to stop in for that. I went recently for a Planet of the Apes-themed art installation that was legitimately really freaky -- they filled the rooms with fog and colored lights. Always interesting to swing by and check out what's going on. If nothing else, you can look at the graffiti art! read more

I've seen several really interesting theatre pieces here, and really enjoy how they use the unique venue as part of the event. From a dance exhibit that made use of the darkness and shadows, to the currently running Alice's Adventures Underground which creates a maze of rooms including one where it was raining, the old train tunnels are being put to good use. The selection of shows is eclectic and fun, I'm always excited to see what they have next. And there's always a funky bar with decent priced drinks or fun street food to enjoy before / after a show. (Bonus: the main entrance is in the Banksy tunnel so you'll see amazing graffiti art, and there's frequently someone working on a new piece.) read more

I loved the vaults! Such a diverse and amazing venue below the railroad tracks! You see it on google maps and can't really believe it's there and tada there it is ready to impress. Can absolutely recommend this venue not only for GoosebumpsAlive but also for gigs or movie! It's the perfect venue! read more

The Vaults Theatre - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - London, XGL

See all

I just watched the musical Miss Nightingale here and it was absolutely brilliant! Basically, it's a cabaret set in World War 2 and it was very entertaining. The songs were full of great sexual innuendo, and the homosexual storyline added a nice humour. The set was quite basic and did the job but the cast was multitalented! They can all sing, dance to a degree and play an instrument. It was just a shame that the mics were off at sometime as there were a few songs at the start and at the end where I couldn't really hear them despite being in the 2nd row. The brutal honesty of the show adds to the entertainment. A must see for me! Only reason for 4 stars is the sound system which probably caused the harmony to not be as nice in one or two songs. read more

The venue has hosted some cool events. My favorite was Alice in Wonderland, interactive play, and secondly Goosebumps live.