London is getting a brand new theatre, with the Capital Theatre opening in West London in autumn 2025.
This new permanent, flexible theatre space will launch with a revival of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage, from 23 October 2025, booking to 1 March 2026.
Developed by West End producers Karl Sydow and Adam Kenwright, the venue is based in Westfield London in Shepherd’s Bush. The 620 seat venue is set over 35,000 square feet, taking over the southwest corner of the Shepherd’s Bush shopping centre on the site of the former Debenhams department store.
The venue will also accommodate a foyer café, box-office and merchandise stands, and backstage there will be rehearsal rooms, offices, dressing rooms, creative and technical facilities, and management offices.
Dirty Dancing will be the first production to open at the Capital Theatre. The smash hit musical, produced by Karl Sydow, will make a return to London, having had two record-breaking seasons in the West End in the last four years.
Capital Theatre will be operated by Adam Kenwright and his company Kindred Partners in partnership with Karl Sydow. The auditorium is designed and built by the architects and design team behind The Bridge Theatre, @sohoplace, The Young Vic and the transformation of the Playhouse Theatre into the Kit Kat Club for Cabaret.
A number of other entertainment venues are based at Westfield including Exhibition London, a 17,000 square feet music and events venue, plus mini-golf, climbing, bowling, and a cinema.
Karl Sydow, Producer of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, said in a statement: “I began my entertainment journey in 1965 with Rock’n’Roll bands, moved to theatre in 1982, produced my first show in 1988 and received my first Tony nomination in 1991. I have presented shows all over the world from the smallest of the fringe to the largest of West End Theatres and produced Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage since 2004. So at the halfway point in my theatrical life I’m thrilled to be doing something very special and new to me with a very special friend. It’s time to build and run a venue! We have always had a mission to bring more people to the theatre and by opening the Capital Theatre at Westfield London, we are bringing a theatre to where the people are!”
Adam Kenwright, Founder & Managing Partner at Kindred Partners, said: “We are so excited today to announce the Capital Theatre: a thrilling, state of the art addition to London’s thriving entertainment scene. We have created a uniquely tailored and designed new space, with the experience of audiences at its heart. London’s theatres are on course to deliver the greatest ever attendance figures in 2024, with 17 million tickets and, for the first time ever, sales in excess of £1 billion. Capital Theatre will build upon this, supported by superb transport links to provide easy access for audiences from across the UK. With Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage as the inaugural show in the venue, we will be launching with a world-renowned production that has a track record of more than a decade’s sold-out seasons in London and throughout the country.”
Laura Waters, General Manager at Westfield London, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to debut Capital Theatre at Westfield London with the world-renowned production of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage. As the UK’s leading destination for shopping and leisure, Westfield London is continually evolving to offer unparalleled experiences, and this purpose-built, state-of-the-art theatre is an exceptional addition. We look forward to welcoming audiences to this spectacular new venue to enjoy a world-class show.”
Constantin Wiesmann, director of leasing UK at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), said: “Signing Capital Theatre at Westfield London and launching with Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage marks an exciting evolution in our commitment to redefining retail destinations. This addition reflects the growing demand for immersive, diverse experiences in retail environments and underscores our vision of Westfield as a dynamic destination where culture and entertainment lead the way.”
Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage will play the Capital Theatre in London from 23 October 2025 to 1 March 2026.
This stage adaptation of Dirty Dancing, is not to be confused with the recent news of a full Broadway musical adaptation of the movie, with the movie’s original writer Eleanor Bergstein on board to develop and write the show’s book, and with Lonny Price (A Class Act, Merrily We Roll Along), who played Neil Kellerman in the movie, set to direct.
More about tickets toDirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage at the Capital Theatre in London
UPDATES: First published 7 November 2024; Updated 7 November 2024 removing Haworth Tompkins Architects as the architects
Capital Theatre, London
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