April - @sohoplace

@sohoplace

Here at The Revue, we want to take a moment each month to shine the spotlight on somebody or somewhere that we think is doing exciting in the theatre industry. As the West End's latest news outlet, we thought there'd be no better place to shine our first spotlight than on the West End's latest theatre - @sohoplace.

Based in the heart of Soho, @sohoplace is a new theatre and dining space from Nica Burns and the team at Nimax Theatres. The 602-seat auditorium, which has so far been used in-the-round for every production, is set to be a pioneer for championing new work across London's West End.

As the first new-build West End theatre in 50 years, founder Nica Burns wanted to provide a theatrical haven away from the restricted legroom and restricted view seats of most of London's auditoriums, by creating a fresh space where audiences can see, hear, and sit in comfort as they immerse themselves into a piece of exciting new theatre.

@sohoplace, a project that is 12 years in the making, becomes another of Nimax's repertoire of West End theatres, joining the likes of the Vaudeville Theatre (Six), the Palace Theatre (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and the Duchess Theatre (The Play That Goes Wrong). Burns called this project an "affirmation of faith" and said that the new theatre will bring a "different dimension to our vibrant West End landscape."

In its design, Burns and the architects consulted with audience members, but also with West End actors, playwrights, and theatre directors to ensure they could create something that worked for everyone. “Theatre is about magic,” Nica said. “Let’s make this a magic space.”

And it's not just the building that's impressive. Within the first year that it has been open, @sohoplace has already been nominated for 5 Olivier Awards. The theatre has been a hotspot for new work - already staging three brand new West End musicals, Marvellous, Brokeback Mountain, and The Little Big Things. It will soon home the revival of Heathers the Musical, as that makes its return to the West End.

Theatre is an industry, it's a business. But when the people running the business are people who love it, that's when it gets really exciting. Nica has created a brand new West End theatre that works for everyone, where there are no bad seats, where the actors and the bands can be heard from every corner, and where new writers and directors stand front and centre. With Nica Burns at the helm, we're excited for the future of London's glittering West End.