KNOT HEART - Almeida Theatre

33Places in the PlayPlaces in The Knot of the HeartIslingtonIslington is an inner-city borough inNorth London. Often used as a bywordfor the latte drinking liberal arriviste,Islington is known for its thriving fringecultural scene and wealth of restaurantsand bars. Spiritual home to NewLabour, and with a vibrant history ofavant-garde liberal politics, the boroughis seen to attract the cream of London’sliberal, journalists, writers and artists.More recently, wealthy City workershave been drawn to the area, lured byits fine Georgian and Victorian terracesand upmarket luxury developments ofapartments and houses. However it isan area of extremes, with roughly a50/50 split in privately owned andpublic housing; and was once one ofthe most densely populated areas in allof London.Until the 18th Century, Islington was a major farming area and home to the Royal Agricultural Hall. Anumber of pubs and shops existed along the street to serve farmers and visitors to the hall – thesehave now mostly been transformed into bars and restaurants, serving Islington’s bustling eating anddrinking culture. Development of housing increased at the end of the eighteenth century, when terraceswere built in large numbers, and from the 19th Century, a number of music halls dominated UpperStreet and the area drew many for its lively entertainment. However the advent of the railways sawmany of he aristocracy move out of Islington, and many big houses fell into disrepair or weresubdivided. Since World War II, wherein 3200 houses were destroyed, there has been significantregeneration and gentrification. From the 1960s, the Georgian terraces were rediscovered by middleclass families, and many of the houses were rehabilitated, with the area becoming newly fashionable,taking housing back up to some of the most expensive in London. Among these new residents were anumber of the central figures in the New Labour movement, including Tony Blair before his victory inthe 1997 general election. TheGuardian has said of Islingtonthat it is ‘widely regarded asthe spiritual home of Britain'sleft-wing intelligentsia.’ TheGranita Pact, between GordonBrown and Tony Blair, is said tohave been made at a restauranton Upper Street.Houses in Gibson Square, IslingtonResource Pack: The Knot of the HeartThe completion of the Victorialine and redevelopment ofAngel tube station has createdthe conditions for developersto build blocks of small flats,popular with youngprofessionals.