Soho Place: The New West End Theatre Opening

Soho Place is the new West End Theatre opening this Autumn, marked to be the first new build West End Theatre to open in 50 years. Located in Soho Place, the first new street name in Soho for 72 years, a state of the art, new and flexible 602 seat auditorium has been created with perfect sight lines and acoustics.

About @sohoplace

Leading West End producer and theatre owner, Nica Burns, announced the opening of @sohoplace. The culmination of a 12-year project, the theatre is owned by Nica Burns and operated by Nimax Theatres and will open this autumn with the first production to be announced soon.

The theatre is adjacent to the site of the old Astoria theatre which was demolished to build Crossrail. The auditorium sits directly above Crossrail’s new Elizabeth line and the existing Northern and Central lines at Tottenham Court Road station, a major transport hub. In addition, Crossrail’s huge ventilation fans extracting the hot air from the platform below and working full-time 365 days a year are also adjacent to the auditorium. A challenging location to build a new modern theatre with state-of-the-art facilities!

The theatre @sohoplace is at the heart of property giant Derwent London’s visionary £300 million regeneration of a neglected corner of Soho. Totalling 285,000 square feet it is a mixed development with the theatre at its heart, offices and retail and a fantastic new piazza, an ideal meeting place for Londoners to start their day or night out in the West End.

Nica Burns explained her vision:

“I wanted to create a theatre which could add a different dimension to our vibrant West End landscape. I asked our greatest theatre creatives two questions: If we could build a new theatre in the heart of the West End, what would you like it to be? What additional facilities would be on your wish list? They dreamt of a flexible auditorium, perfect acoustics and audience / stage intimacy. An ability to create on-site with the dream of a rehearsal room, a Green Room and a bar all in the same building. So that’s what we built – with a few extras including an outside terrace.

The incredible team of engineers pulled off the greatest of structural feats, building over a major underground transport hub – a challenging place to build a theatre – achieving perfect acoustics and no vibrations.”

The auditorium has the following key qualities:

1. Wonderful acoustics
2. Perfect sightlines from every seat with no obscured views
3. Intimate actor/audience relationship: no seat further than 6 rows from the stage
4. Curved auditorium unifying both audience and actors (theatre term ‘the hug’)
5. The flexible auditorium can be transformed into a number of different configurations

 The theatre interior was inspired by Nica’s visit to Epidaurus when young. She explained:

“I was standing on the stage of this great ancient theatre at 8 o’clock – show time – as the last rays of a golden sun were coming through the trees and the stars were starting to twinkle in an indigo sky. It was magic. Epidaurus is one of the greatest theatres in the world and the plays of ancient Greece are still part of our theatre heritage today.”

“The interior of @sohoplace reflects these colours and when you walk through the theatre you walk under crystal star lights, laid out in constellations. When you pass the building, look up to the terrace and you will see the constellations shine.”

Burns added that she felt “incredibly privileged” to be working with Derwent London who hand-picked the most outstanding team – all leaders and innovators in their sectors – to deliver this challenging build:

Architect Simon Allford, founder of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, one of London’s most significant international architectural practices. Simon is currently President of RIBA.

Arup, a brilliant worldwide engineering giant who make the impossible, possible.

Laing O’Rourke, renowned global construction company, specialising in delivering the most difficult projects.

Auditorium specialist consultants and contractors

Please note, below is the list of the key specialist consultants and contractors for the auditorium. Their huge contribution to this amazing auditorium will be shared in detail by @sohoplace in the following weeks.

Haworth Tompkins, award-winning architectural studio, with a special expertise in theatre design

Charcoalblue Theatre Advisor

Ian Albery Theatre Consultant to Nica Burns

Gillieron Scott acoustic consultant

James Johnson & Co balcony joinery

Kirwin & Simpson seating specialists

Stage Electrics audio visual packages

Steeldeck bespoke stage and seating

TAIT Engineering innovators for grid and auditorium reconfiguration

Finally, @sohoplace expressed a very big “thank you” to all at Westminster City Council, adding a message that read, “We have had incredible support from every team member and we couldn’t have done it without you”. 

More about @sohoplace

Ground floor public restaurant and bar

Launches mid-September ahead of the first theatre production. It will be open throughout the day with pre and post-show sittings, showcasing a contemporary international menu focusing on British produce, a mix of classic and modern cocktails, craft beers, and an expertly curated wine list.

Accessibility

The building is accessible for wheelchairs for both audiences and performers. It has access toilets on all levels and backstage. All wheelchair spaces in the auditorium have unrestricted views.
Access Consultant: David Bonnett Associates

Sustainability

Derwent London has a commitment to not just quality and design but sustainability. Everything in the theatre is built with sustainability in mind using BREEAM which allows us to operate efficiently and all our lovely lighting is LED. BREEAM is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings and communities.

Nica Burns OBE is a multi-award winning theatre producer. She is Chief Executive of Nimax Theatres Limited and co-owns six London theatres.

@sohoplace

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