In 2005 a group of actors and directors began to meet to read plays, aiming simply to rediscover and enjoy great works of dramatic literature. By 2007 Presence Theatre was formed. The company has since presented a number of performances and staged readings and continues to hold workshops approaching different genres of drama from the actor's and director's perspective. In 2009, the company acquired charitable status.
Presence Theatre believes that the theatre is an art form whose primary strength lies in the power of the actor and the word. We think this must remain the case even, and perhaps especially, when the form of a production is innovative or difficult. We embrace the classical and modern repertoire as well as new plays, with a particular interest in the avant-garde, and furthermore we seek to address the problem of the ever-shrinking repertoire in our mainstream theatres. We broadly seek to heal the divisions which have been imposed between the various forms of theatre in the last decades and to help to advance the medium in every sphere: art, production, education and community.