How to Build the City - London

How to Build the City is a three-hour live performance experience about how cities are built, broken, inherited and remade.

Inspired by The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the world’s oldest surviving stories, the work begins with an ancient king, a powerful city and questions that still feel urgent today: Who gets to shape the places we live in? Who is protected by the city? Who is pushed out? And what are we willing to do for one another?

Across multiple scenes, theatre, dance, storytelling, live tasks, games, sound and audience interaction come together.

You may watch two performers push themselves to their physical limits, follow a story unfolding on a crowded Tube, see events taking place outside the venue through a live stream, or find yourself working alongside strangers to complete a task before time runs out.

At different moments, you may be invited to move, make choices, join a team, offer help or respond to what is happening around you. You will not be expected to perform, and you can decide how actively you want to take part.

This is not a traditional seated play. It is a live event in which the relationship between performers and audience keeps changing, and every room creates a different version of the city.

The city is the game. Play your part.

Important information
This is an 18+ event. The Steel Yard requires valid photographic ID for entry. No ID, no entry.

Tickets
London tickets are £15–£20. All ticket types give the same access to the full performance experience.

Dates
Monday 14 September 2026
Tuesday 15 September 2026

Doors open
6:00pm

Performance begins
6:30pm

Expected finish
Monday 14 September: 9:45pm / venue closes 10:00pm
Tuesday 15 September: the performance will be followed by a closing party. The venue will remain open until 2:00am.

Please arrive in good time. The performance starts before you arrive.

Venue
The Steel Yard
13–16 Allhallows Lane
London
EC4R 3UL

For access requirements or questions before booking, please contact admin@stateassuch.com.