HISTORY OF THE ROUNDHOUSE
HISTORY OF THE ROUNDHOUSE
PHOTO CREDIT: John Williams
IF THESE WALLS COULD SING...
We've got a lot to celebrate. 50 years since the Roundhouse transformed from an old train shed to a performing arts centre. 10 years of transforming young lives through creativity. And just a few moments away from transforming your perspectives of Camden, the Roundhouse and our rich heritage through reading, watching and listening to all the incredible stories on this website. You're going to love it.
From train-enthusiast accounts of our humble beginnings to real-life high-wire love stories, from week-long raves in the 90s to politically-charged spoken word in the 00s, these are the stories which have emerged from the walls of this beautiful building. Come on in.
BEGINNINGS: 1960s
The era of freedom of expression and liberation had arrived in London. Skirts were shorter, clothes were brighter, hair was higher and rock ‘n’ roll sent thrilling vibrations throughout city. Arnold Wesker saw the huge potential of the Roundhouse and in 1966 it opened with a wild party, featuring a little known band called Pink Floyd. Also, discover more about The Dialectics of Liberation, the provocative International Times and view image galleries of a sultry 60s Camden.
REVOLUTIONARY THEATRE
Whether it’s tasteful pornography for the thinking voyeur or an acid-trip-evoking circus, revolutionary theatre has played a pivotal role in the Roundhouse’s history for decades. Here you’ll find some delightful (and occasionally NSFW) photos from productions past, including Andy Warhol’s only play, Pork; the legendary Oh! Calcutta!; Helen Mirren in The Duchess of Malfi and many more, including boundary-pushing spoken word and circus acts.
RED WINE AND LSD: 1970s
Hippies, glam rockers, punks: they were all at the Roundhouse in the 1970s. Legend has it that a communal trough of red wine was spiked with LSD at one of the Atomic Sunrise festival gigs. Recollections are hazy, but we do have some first-hand accounts here of the iconic Sunday afternoon gigs, Implosion, run by DJ Jeff Dexter, featuring Black Sabbath, Arthur Brown and David Bowie.
BIRTH OF PUNK
Named ‘the hottest, sleaziest garage ever’ by NME in a review of the Ramones 1976, the Roundhouse played a fundamental part in the formation of the UK Punk scene. Many of you were there and have sent us your magnificent stories, which we share here. We’ve got original photos from the Ramones gig itself, as well as the post-punk crowd Blondie, Elvis Costello and more. Listen to the diaries of a hardcore gig-goer and the confessions of an 80s punk.
1980s: WASTELAND
In 1983 after years of financial difficulty, the Roundhouse closed. The building stood pretty much empty until it was purchased by entrepreneurial toy-maker Torquil Norman in 1996, who saw it as a space that could be used to enhance the lives of young people through creativity. So what happened in and around the building for the 13 years it lay derelict? Read about the 80s horror film shot in the Roundhouse, see unseen photos of Bauhaus’ Ziggy Stardust video shoot and hear tales of what might have been.
ROUNDHOUSE REBORN
In the heady days of the mid-90s, the empty Roundhouse provided a huge, not-too-precious, blank canvas with endless possibilities that inspired artists, filmmakers and ravers to push the boundaries, even though they had to bring their own generators and fight off the odd rodent. We’ve got first-hand accounts of illegal 90s raves, blossoming love on set of the maverick Argentinian De La Guarda show and the incredible story of how the Roundhouse as we know it today was envisioned by Torquil Norman.
OUR HOME AND COMMUNITY
Here we explore the architectural history of this beautiful building and its surprising uses through the years. Rail experts and local historians shed light on the Roundhouse’s early history as an engine repair shed; tall tales have emerged of its days as a gin and wine store; our neighbours reveal the comings and goings over the generations. View archive photos of the early days of the Roundhouse, secret art and charcoal sketches, snapshots of 70s Camden and a giant bouncy castle.
