Camden People’s Theatre Reveals Autumn 2025 Season With Shift To Guaranteed Artist Pay

Camden People’s Theatre (CPT) has announced its Autumn 2025 season, presenting a politically charged programme of new work alongside a major change to how artists are paid.

For this season, the theatre will move away from the door-split model. Every artist or company in CPT’s main programme will receive an upfront fee, regardless of ticket sales.

CPT describes the shift as both political and practical, aiming to reduce financial precarity for marginalised artists and rebalance risk and responsibility.

The model will be supported by box office income, increased marketing and audience development, fundraising, and strategic partnerships. Additional income streams may also be developed, provided they align with the theatre’s values of justice, equity and artist-led work.

The theatre intends to continue the model long-term if financially viable. As part of a broader strategy, CPT will reduce the number of shows it programmes while extending their runs. Scratch nights, work-in-progress performances and weekend programming will remain central to its offer.

Autumn 2025 programme

The season includes Living with Drones (16–18 October), exploring drone warfare in Gaza; City for Incurable Women (22–25 October), retelling the history of 19th-century hysteria diagnoses; Countess Dracula (29 October–1 November), a clowning-led reimagining of the vampire myth through menopause; The Foodbank Show (4–8 November), about austerity Britain; A Court of Paper (4–7 November), addressing family histories of Nazi collaboration in the Netherlands; and Barrier(s) (12–29 November), a bilingual love story presented with Deafinitely Theatre, Birmingham Rep and Leeds Playhouse.

Camden People’s Theatre, 58–60 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PY. The Autumn 2025 season runs from 16 October to 29 November. Full details at https://cptheatre.co.uk/festivals/Autumn2025