SPPARC architects have submitted a planning application to Camden Council for the redevelopment of the Saville Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue.
Currently a four-screen Odeon cinema, the plans would be to transform the building back into a West End theatre, for use by international entertainment company Cirque du Soleil to use as their European performance hub.
The multi-million pound redevelopment is funded by Yoo Capital, and the plans would add a six-storey roof extension to grade II-listed building that would become a luxury hotel operated by Citizen M.
The vast basement area of the theatre would also be further excavated to extend the theatre space for Cirque do Soleil; and the ground floor would consist of a theatre lobby, box office and front of house areas.
News of the scheme with Cirque du Soliel was first announced in September 2023, with Yoo acquiring the building way back in November 2021.
Lloyd Lee, managing partner at Yoo Capital, said in a statement: “The Saville Theatre is steeped in experiences and heritage, having played host to many of the world’s most iconic entertainers over the years. We are delighted to be taking the next step in the theatre’s history, submitting plans that will restore the site to its former glory with the ambition to be the home of another iconic live performance group for years to come. We are committed to revitalising The Saville Theatre for the future and creating the next chapter of its story within the legendary West End skyline, and providing benefits to the local community.”
Trevor Morriss, principal architect at SPPARC, said: “Our plans for The Saville Theatre will ensure this renowned venue synonymous with pivotal cultural moments in history will once again become a focal point for London’s creative scene. It has been a pleasure to work collaboratively with many stakeholders including the local community and Yoo Capital to devise a scheme for world class performance, complementing the surrounding area with a new theatre of the highest quality for live performances, while restoring and protecting a valuable piece of the city’s history, both culturally and architecturally.”
In March 2020 the Theatres’ Trust revealed that the Grade II listed Saville Theatre had been saved from redevelopment. Part of their justification for maintaining the building as an entertainment venue was that there is need and demand for additional large-scale theatre space within the West End, for which the Saville provides the last realistic opportunity to deliver due to its size, internal volume, access and its existing cultural use.
The theatre was originally designed by TP Bennett and Son with input from notable theatre architect Bertie Crewe and opened in 1931 with the play “For the Love of Mike”. The building was originally very opulent, and features a large, 40m frieze that runs across the entire front by Gilbert Bayes, depicting ‘Drama Through the Ages’, and is considered to be one of the most important works of public sculpture of the 1930s. The venue was originally one of the West End’s largest theatres with a capacity of 1,530 seats.
It also been the venue for a series of famous concerts in the 60’s and 70’s including the Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Chuck Berry; and a West End theatre – with Cameron Mackintosh staging a revival of Anything Goes at the venue in November 1969 (sadly it only ran for 15 performances, with Marian Montgomery as Reno Sweeney, James Kenney as Billy Crocker and Michael Segal as Moonface Martin).
Cirque du Soleil’s London home has long been the Royal Albert Hall, where the company recently played Cirque du Soleil: Alegria. Eric Grilly, a President at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, said in a statement last year that, ”we see a unique opportunity to bring back live entertainment to a beloved venue with fresh content and new ideas” and that the venue would “complement Cirque du Soleil’s annual Royal Albert Hall residency and offer theater-goers a more intimate space to enjoy incredible performances all year round.”
SPPARC are also the architects on Yoo’s £1.3bn redevelopment of Kensington Olympia, working with working with Heatherwick Studio and Haworth Tompkins, which includes the new Olympia Theatre that will be managed by Trafalgar Entertainment, who own the Trafalgar Theatre.
The project team for the Saville Theatre redevelopment includes planning, heritage and townscape consultant Montagu Evans, structural and civil engineer Pell Frischmann, sustainability consultant Hoare Lea, landscape designer RPS Group, QS Gardiner & Theobald and transport consultant Momentum.
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