Drama Parlour

Based a few minutes up the road from Bethnal Green station and opposite the V&A Museum of Childhood is Drama Parlour, a new and cool salon tucked away upstairs in The Dundee Arms on Cambridge Heath Road. When you enter the pub, you walk to the back and up the stairs and just like in Alice in Wonderland you go from the dark to a bright light leading you to the Drama Parlour salon, in this case the bright light was a funky neon sign. I was greeted by the salon owner Victoria Saunders, who has been doing hair for over 20 years and has a pretty impressive client list to boot.

The salon inside is a great space with bright white walls, large windows overlooking Bethnal Green and you can’t help but notice the large neon cross on the back wall. Opposite were three salon chairs with large mirrors and large bulbs around the mirror, it has a real creative vibe and is inspired by traditional Paris salons. The music was very low-key and not booming out the speakers with EDM or hip hop that you can expect from most London-based hairdressers or barbers. Victoria has actually created a YouTube channel dedicated to and encouraging hairdressers and salons to create playlists so people can play them in their salons.

One of the other things you notice is the wall of products behind the desk, Drama Parlour use and sell Kevin Murphy products, which I have used before and really like, especially the night rider product Victoria used to style my hair. Victoria’s colleague Jeff Ginsburgh has actually worked with Kevin while he was based in Amsterdam, this shows you the pedigree of stylists they have there. When you visit ask Victoria about her story on the almighty Hoff himself!

I was instantly put at ease at Drama Parlour, as I have said in my other men’s hairdressers reviews it can often be daunting to go somewhere new and Victoria asked me what I would like done to my overgrown hair, how long since I had it cut and if I had any specific requests. Victoria is one of those very good hairdressers who asks a number of questions and is genuinely interested in your story, what you do and somehow holds great conversation while blending in a great hair cut.

She took great care in cutting my hair to the shape of my face, using a number of different techniques to cut a lot of texture into my hair. As my hair grows quite quickly and grows out thickly Victoria seamlessly took a lot of the weight out of the top, cut it to the style requested and blended the sides and back with scissor over comb technique which you do not get in barber shops.

What I loved about the whole experience was how relaxed it was, the cut never felt rushed even on a Saturday afternoon. Often, even in some of the top or most expensive barbers and hairdressers in London you are just another person in the chair and have between 30 minutes and 45 to get in and get out. This never felt like this at all.

I really enjoyed my visit to The Drama Parlour and even though the salon is based away from home I will definitely be traveling back and look forward to getting my hair cut again by Victoria. It’s the best cut I have had since Gentlemen’s Tonic. Also if you work late on Thursday’s, the ‘late late nights’ stay open until 10pm and as the pub is downstairs you can grab drink and relax while getting your hair done. Definitely check out the Drama Parlour.

Drama Parlour offer ladies and men’s cut and colouring, for more info and prices head to dramaparlour.com and say The LDN Diaries sent you.