Ealing could be about to gain one of west London's largest new cultural venues under ambitious proposals for a temporary theatre in Walpole Park.

Troubadour Theatres is proposing a state-of-the-art venue capable of seating more than 1,200 people and staging more than eight performances each week.

The proposed Troubadour Ealing Broadway Theatre would operate for three years and could host the kind of large-scale productions normally associated with central London's West End.

The company already operates Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre and the 1,200-seat Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre, which currently hosts The Hunger Games: On Stage. Its venues have also been associated with productions including Starlight Express and War Horse.

What would the Walpole Park theatre include?

The plans go considerably beyond putting up a conventional festival marquee.

The temporary venue would be fully heated, air-conditioned and accessible, with a box office, foyer and bar alongside food outlets and merchandise facilities.

Plans also include backstage and production areas, offices, toilets, catering facilities and the infrastructure needed to support a major professional theatre operation.

If the necessary approvals are secured, construction could begin in January 2027, with the first performances potentially taking place from April 2027.

The theatre would then operate until March 2030. The proposed lease is approximately three-and-a-half years because additional time would be required to construct and subsequently dismantle the venue.

After the theatre closes, the structure would be removed and the affected section of Walpole Park restored to public parkland.

What happens to the Ealing Summer Festivals?

This is likely to be one of the most closely watched aspects of the proposal.

The section of Walpole Park proposed for the theatre is currently associated with the Ealing Summer Festivals programme.

Under the proposals, those festival events would no longer take place at their traditional Walpole Park location. Instead, they would be relocated to other locations across the borough, potentially spreading events across Ealing's seven towns.

That represents a significant change for a programme that has become closely associated with Walpole Park.

Could it boost Ealing Broadway and West Ealing?

The economic argument behind the proposal could also prove important.

Troubadour would fund, develop and operate the theatre rather than the project being funded through Ealing Council's capital or revenue budgets. The operator would pay the council a fixed lease fee, with the council saying income would support parks and open spaces across the borough.

The project is expected to create more than 40 full-time-equivalent jobs, covering areas such as management, front-of-house and theatre operations.

Supporters also see an opportunity to bring significantly more visitors into Ealing Broadway and West Ealing, benefiting restaurants, pubs, cafés, shops and other local businesses.

Troubadour's former King's Cross venue attracted more than one million visitors and was credited in the proposal with contributing £17.5 million to the surrounding economy.

What about The Questors Theatre?

Ealing, of course, already has a major theatrical institution.

The Questors Theatre sits on Mattock Lane, immediately beside Walpole Park, and has been producing theatre in Ealing for decades.

The proposed Troubadour venue would be very different in scale and operating model, with its 1,200-plus capacity designed to accommodate major commercial productions.

Nevertheless, the arrival of such a substantial new venue next to an established local theatre is likely to become part of the wider discussion as the proposal progresses. The presence of The Questors is also specifically acknowledged in reporting on the plans.

A test for a permanent Ealing theatre

Perhaps the most interesting longer-term aspect is that the Walpole Park theatre is being considered as more than simply a three-year attraction.

The temporary venue could act as a proof of concept, testing whether Ealing can sustain a professional theatre of this scale.

If successful, the experiment could help make the case for a permanent major theatre elsewhere in the borough in the future.

That means the consequences of the proposal could extend well beyond the three years during which the temporary theatre would occupy Walpole Park.

The theatre isn't approved yet

Importantly, the proposal should not be treated as a done deal.

Ealing Council's cabinet is due to consider the proposal in principle on Wednesday 9 September 2026.

If it progresses, further stages would include a formal consultation over the proposed lease and the planning process, during which residents and businesses would have opportunities to comment.

Troubadour and the council are also expected to hold engagement events during the autumn.

For Ealing, the decision presents an intriguing choice: the possibility of bringing major professional theatre much closer to home while also considering what a three-year venue would mean for one of the borough's best-known parks and the festivals traditionally held there.

At a Glance

• Proposal: Temporary professional theatre in Walpole Park
• Capacity: More than 1,200 seats
• Operator: Troubadour Theatres
• Performances: More than eight per week
• Possible construction: January 2027
• Possible opening: April 2027
• Operating period: Three years, until March 2030
• Jobs: More than 40 full-time-equivalent roles
• Council capital/revenue cost: Proposal says none
• Summer Festivals: Would move to other locations around the borough
• Afterwards: Theatre removed and parkland restored
• Long-term possibility: Trial could support the case for a permanent theatre elsewhere in Ealing
• Next major step: Ealing Council cabinet consideration on 9 September, followed by consultation and planning processes if the proposal proceeds.