Orange Tree Theatre

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“	A pocket-sized National Theatre.^[1]	”
	— Michael Billington drama critic of The Guardian

The Orange Tree Theatre is a 172-seat theatre in Richmond, south-west London. Billing itself "London's only permanent theatre in the round",.^[2] the theatre was founded by Sam Walters in a room above the Orange Tree pub on 31 December, 1971.

Initially productions were staged by daylight at lunchtime. In 1991 the theatre moved across the road into its current premises, a converted primary school, and significantly expanded its operation. In 2003 the former Bank of Scotland building next door to the new theatre was re-opened as a dedicated space for rehearsals, set-building and costume storage. The Orange Tree specialises in staging new plays and neglected classics. It also operates a programme called Shakespeare for Schools in which productions tour school halls around south west London and Surrey.