Three Ghosts of Silvertown

Three Ghosts of Silvertown
written by James Kenworth
directed by Jade Ward McFarlane

24–30 August 2026 | Tate Institute, Silvertown, Newham

Three Ghosts of Silvertown is the seventh Newham Play and the boldest production in the series to date. Three working-class ghosts, resurrected from the poverty and hardship of early twentieth-century Silvertown, return to confront the inequalities of both the past and present. Determined to rewrite history, they re-stage the famous 1889 Silvertown Strike led by Eleanor Marx-but this time, the ending is their own.

Blending spoken word, movement and a pulsating techno and house soundtrack, the production fuses history with contemporary theatre in a powerful site-responsive performance. Created with a professional creative team alongside young people from Newham, it continues the Newham Plays' commitment to telling local stories through ambitious, community-led theatre.

Inspired by the remarkable restoration of the Tate Institute by ReSpace Projects, the production draws powerful parallels between the revival of a historic community building and the reclaiming of forgotten histories. Staged just yards from where the Silvertown Strike took place, the play brings Newham's industrial past vividly into the present.

Created by playwright James Kenworth, the Newham Plays celebrate the borough's rich heritage through site-responsive productions that combine professional artists with local communities. Since 2012, the series has explored the lives of figures including Charlie Chaplin, Mahatma Gandhi, Keir Hardie, Alice in Wonderland, Elizabeth Fry and Madge Gill, earning praise for its imaginative storytelling, locally led new writing and innovative use of historic spaces.
The quickest way to reach the Tate Institute (1 Wythes Rd, London E16 2DN) is usually by Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
Fastest public transport route:

- Take the DLR to London City Airport station.
- Leave via the Drew Road exit.
- Turn right and Wythes Road is second on the left

Age guidance: 14+ contains strong language, scenes of violence and mature themes.

Revolution Farm Inspired by George Orwell’s Animal Farm (2014).

Staged on Newham City Farm, this contemporary adaptation of Animal Farm, specially authorised by the George Orwell Estate, reimagined the classic political satire for twenty-first-century East London, using urban language and culture to explore power, inequality and revolution.

🎟 Newham & Royal Docks Resident Tickets

We're delighted to offer special resident tickets for people living in Newham and the Royal Docks.

To access these tickets, simply enter the booking code NEWHAM when prompted during the booking process to unlock the resident ticket option.

The Newham Plays

Locally made new writing

Performed in site-sympathetic/responsive locations in East London’s Newham, featuring a dynamic hybrid of professional actors/creative team and local young talent, the Newham Plays range from radical and localized ‘remixes’ of classic literature to dramatizing the borough’s rich political and cultural heritage. Created and written by academic/playwright/creative writing tutor Dr James Kenworth, the critically acclaimed series has originated and pioneered a decentralized, public space-fronted approach to cultural engagement, defined as ‘Pro-Localism’, in which the plays are partnered and supported by a nexus of professional and local funders, partners and stakeholders. The plays and accompanying drama workshops provide opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds to engage in the arts and enhanced cultural provision in the area, playing a role in addressing historically low levels of cultural engagement in the borough; help foster cultural and civic pride as resident attendees learn about important events and figures in the borough; benefit local organisations, raising awareness of key sites/ venues in Newham and the work of local charities; provide valuable training opportunities to Middlesex University Arts and Creative Industry students and graduates in arts management, production and publicity/marketing roles.

The Newham Plays (2012–current)

When Chaplin Met Gandhi (2012)
Performed at Kingsley Hall, Bow, this site-responsive play told the remarkable true story of Mahatma Gandhi's meeting with Charlie Chaplin during Gandhi's 1931 visit to Canning Town, exploring poverty, social justice and the meeting of two global icons committed to the lives of ordinary people.

Revolution Farm Inspired by George Orwell’s Animal Farm (2014).Staged on Newham City Farm, this contemporary adaptation of Animal Farm, specially authorised by the George Orwell Estate, reimagined the classic political satire for twenty-first-century East London, using urban language and culture to explore power, inequality and revolution.

A Splotch of Red: Keir Hardie in West Ham (2016)
Performed at Newham Libraries and Community Links' historic Neighbours Hall, the play celebrated Keir Hardie's 1892 election campaign in West Ham, which led to him becoming Britain's first socialist MP, while highlighting Newham's rich tradition of political activism.

Alice in Canning Town an exclusively East-End reimagining of a fantasy classic (2019)
Performed at Canning Town’s Arc in the Park, this multicultural East End adaptation of Alice in Wonderland blended cockney humour, grime, rave culture and local history into a lively, family-friendly celebration of contemporary Newham.

Elizabeth Fry: ‘The Angel of Prisons’ The story of prison reformer Elizabeth Fry as told by those incarcerated in Newgate Prison (2022)
Performed at the Elizabeth Fry Room in Custom House and Canning Town Community Neighbourhood Centre and Library, the play explored Fry's pioneering prison reform work and her humanitarian initiatives in Newham and asked what the purpose of prison should be today.

Myrninerest: The Outside/Inside Life of Madge Gill (2024)
Performed at Art in the Docks, this acclaimed production brought the extraordinary world of outsider artist and Newham resident Madge Gill to life through movement, contemporary music and visually imaginative staging. Exploring creativity, spirituality and the power of artistic imagination, the play celebrated one of Britain's most remarkable self-taught artists.

Three Ghosts of Silvertown (2026)
Inspired by the 1889 Silvertown Strike and the restoration of the historic Tate Institute, this seventh Newham Play follows three ghosts as they journey through Newham's industrial past and present. It blends historical storytelling with contemporary movement and a techno and house soundtrack to explore themes of inequality, resilience and community.

www.jameskenworth.co.uk