The Soho Theatre is moving to its next stage.
Because, after a development period of well over a decade (showbusiness – there’s really no business like it), the much-heralded Soho Theatre Walthamstow has finally opeend its doors. The major new venue offers brand-new studio spaces, a restaurant, not one but four bars (Main Foyer, Ziggurat, Cross Hall and Circle) and at the heart of it all a refurbished Grade II* listed auditorium housing 960 seats.
The building itself has a rich heritage – it’s been a performance venue since 1897, in 1930 was redeveloped into ‘The Granada’, a space hosting pantomime, drag, film, music and comedy, with a beautifully ornate interior. As a live music venue, it played hosts to artists including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield and Buddy Holly. In the 1970s the building became a cinema, and from 2003 the venue was owned by a church, but – save a brief period of reopening as a bar – the space has been gradually falling into disrepair. Until now. The building has been carefully and lovingly restored to its former glory – both outside and in – and now it has finally flung open its doors.
Inside, the spirit of the Soho Theatre’s legendary Dean Street bar is recaptured at the space’s various watering holes, all serving the Soho’s very own lager, and there’ll be Mumbai street food courtesy of Curry On Naanstop. And then, of course, there are the shows.
So who can you expect to see on the beautiful new stage? Confirmed for the opening season so far – take a deep breath – there’s new work from Bryony Kimmings, the promise of a brand-new pantomime, performances from Tim Minchin, Suzi Ruffell, Dara Ó Briain, Brechtian cabaret legends The Tiger Lillies, clowning madness from Zach Zucker and his band of brilliant Stamptown goons, American stand-up sensation Josh Johnson, and Neon Nights, a new mixed-bill comedy evening featuring top-tier performers including Olga Koch, Sindhu Vee, Josh Pugh, Phil Wang, Tom Davis and many more.
It’s been a painstaking act of patience and collaboration between The Soho Theatre, Waltham Forest Council, and a host of other collaborators, proving that it often takes a (Walthamstow) village. But the results seem set to be more than worth it. There’s been a dramatic build up, a (Pinter) pause or two, but Soho Theatre Walthamstow is finally here.
And it’s going to make a real scene.
NOTE: The Soho Theatre Walthamstow is open now. Tickets for the opening run of shows are now on sale, with thousands of £15 tickets available for locals. You can see what’s on, and book, on the Soho Theatre Walthamstow website.
The Soho Theatre Walthamstow | 186 Hoe St, E17 4QH
Did you know that London already has a bunch of theatres that are ALREADY OPEN? Well, it does, and we have all the best shows in our guide to what’s on in London’s theatres right now…