East London Theatre Company (ELTC) was founded by Jonathan Fentiman, a theatre director and producer who grew up in Wanstead, attending Alderbrook Primary and Wanstead High School during the 1970s. With a background in education and a passion for live performance, Jonathan began contributing to the local cultural scene while working as a primary school teacher.

In 2009, he created the Wanstead Comedy Night, which quickly became a fixture in the community. This initiative expanded to include opera, improv, and family-friendly shows and has featured in every Wanstead Fringe Festival since its launch in 2012. These early ventures laid the groundwork for a broader vision: to bring high-quality, accessible theatre to local audiences.

In 2022, that vision took a major step forward with the formal creation of East London Theatre Company. The company's first production, DNA by Dennis Kelly, was developed in partnership with East 15 Acting School, Wanstead High School, and Sydney Russell School in Dagenham. Programmed as part of the Wanstead Fringe, the production was aimed at GCSE English and Drama students, helping them experience their set text as a live, professionally produced performance.

In 2024 , ELTC staged a fresh and emotionally resonant production of Miss Julie by Strindberg. It premiered at The Wanstead Curtain as part of the Wanstead Fringe and later transferred to The Courtyard Theatre in Shoreditch, where it received audience acclaim and glowing press reviews. These reviews praised the production for its clarity, emotional depth, intimate staging, and the performances of the cast. Every ELTC production features professional actors trained at the UK's top drama schools, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to excellence in performance.

In summer 2024, ELTC led the renovation of the disused Wanstead Methodist Church Hall on Hermon Hill, in collaboration with the Wanstead Fringe Committee. The space was transformed into a functional performance venue in time for the 2024 Fringe, creating a valuable cultural resource for the local community, and a flexible new home for theatre and live events in Wanstead.

In 2025, ELTC became a registered Community Interest Company, reinforcing its mission to use theatre as a force for social good - including tackling social isolation, improving accessibility for audiences with mobility challenges, and engaging people who might otherwise be excluded from cultural life.

Led by Jonathan Fentiman, who holds an MFA in Theatre Directing (University of Essex), ELTC continues to grow as a company rooted in its community and defined by its work with professionally trained actors. Its work combines social purpose with a belief in theatre's power to entertain, provoke, and inspire.

This autumn, ELTC will present two major productions: 

Constellations by Nick Payne 

The Wanstead Curtain  (24-27 September) 

and a revival of

Miss Julie by August Strindberg

Redbridge Drama Centre (8-11 October) 

including a special matinee for elderly and mobility-impaired audiences