You can attend free mystery cinema nights onboard a historic London ship
All aboard
London is semi famous for the amount of quirky venues it has sequestered under its historic wings. From secret cinemas that transform into wooded wonderlands, to hidden music gigs rocking out on stunning viewpoints, the big city has some pretty impressive artsy spots. One lesser-known addition to the big smoke’s artistic goings-on is Theatreship, a non-profit performing arts space onboard a historic ship in Canary Wharf’s old docks, which hosts free mystery cinema nights.
The space –or should we say boat – hosts a roster of events, from Q&As with directors and writers, to film screenings, and live performances. It’s the world’s largest floating arts centre and it’s actually made from an old cargo ship. Perhaps the best part is the free cinema screenings it hosts every Wednesday. The only catch – or gimmick, depending on your preference – is that you don’t know what you’re seeing, a bit like watching a dirty movie for the first time. And whilst it’s free to attend, you will need to grab a ticket in advance – and as you can imagine they get snapped up pretty quickly.
The free cinema evenings are mystery nights, where the film is only revealed as you’re seated and about to press play. Although if you know your films, you may be able to work it out from the cryptic clues posted on Theatreship’s Instagram during the week. If you guess right, you can get a free round of drinks – although only the first person to guess correctly gets the prize, so you might want to get your guess in pretty sharpish.
As well as the movie nights, there are plenty of live music gigs and art sessions. Recently they’ve hosted a golden hour session of modern trad music, folk nights, modern pop, and even their flagship (literally) Songs on the Water night which is a live folk singalong where everyone is invited to share songs and tunes. There are plenty of talks too, from book launches with local authors, as well as live podcast evenings.
Like any good cinema, it has a well stocked bar with open seating areas on the boat’s deck, so you'll be surrounded by some stunning scenes you as you sip. It also means that if you were perhaps dragged against your will to see some live music which doesn't really float your boat, you can grab some liquid entertainment to keep you company, and make the night slip past quickly. Sort of like the dads-and-a-gift-shop in historical buildings equivalent.
Theatreship isn't the only local artsy berth either; as well as its sister ship Artship (which is currently undergoing restoration), they are moored on the new Arts and Heritage Berth which brings together ships of public or historic interest.
It's a proper community spot, designed for locals to celebrate the wonderful creatives, whilst also giving the creatives a space to showcase their art. It's proof that you don't have to have an expensive annual art pass or drop serious dough on a museum ticket to get a front row seat to cultural events. Sure, it's a small scale operation, but that's the charm of it.
If you want to see what's on each week, head to their Instagram, or you can snap up tickets to their upcoming events here.
You can find Theatreship at Millwall Cutting, London.
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