Medium sized but massively respected North London theatre that helped put Islington on the cultural map of London and cemented North London's reputation as a hotbed of cosmopolitan liberal thought. No, seriously. When this place was bought and refurbished by Pierre Audi in 1980 nobody had even heard of Islington. Now it's the cultural heart of Europe.

A lovely theatre with a very diverse programme from Shakespeare to the most challenging new British writers, the Almeida has helped to expand the theatrical repertoire of the West End, Europe and the world. 15 productions first staged here have gone on to dominate box offices around the world.