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Post by Jon on Nov 6, 2021 11:50:37 GMT
True, the Haymarket Odeon building is a non descript box, but a few luxury hotels and the bustle of Leicester Square wins it commercially I guess. Probably easier and cheaper to convert that to a Luxe than any work on 'The Saville'. The Prince Edward had most of its life as a cinema until 'Evita' 40 plus years ago, and a lot of traders that end of Soho credited it with reviving the area, so I'm looking forward to what 'The Saville' might bring to the shy end of Shaftesbury Ave. That part of Charing Cross Road/Shaftesbury Avenue is going to benefit from the Elizabeth Line opening plus Nimax's new theatre is also opening next year as well. |
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Post by Mark on Nov 6, 2021 12:13:52 GMT
Odeon have the new "Odeon West End" which is also in Leicester Square. 2 screen Luxe. They recently removed the Covent Garden cinema from the "central london" cinemas with the limitless pass. Definitely avoid the Odeon on Tottenham Court Road - horrible cramped seats
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Post by Jon on Nov 6, 2021 12:16:47 GMT
Odeon have the new "Odeon West End" which is also in Leicester Square. 2 screen Luxe. They recently removed the Covent Garden cinema from the "central london" cinemas with the limitless pass. Definitely avoid the Odeon on Tottenham Court Road - horrible cramped seats The Odeon West End replaced the original West End cinema that got demolished to make way for the hotel. Odeon removing Covent Garden from the Central London grouping does indicate that the cinema is likely to close within the next year or two. |
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Post by asfound on Nov 6, 2021 18:02:40 GMT
Shame, I'll also miss it as a cinema. It was a bit ungainly - but it was cheap, warren-like, had good and varied programming, and usually had a decent (although admittedly often small) crowd. Many times as a student I was in the area at a loose end and found something worth seeing at the right time there.
I also agree that it's a shame to lose a cinema to gain a theatre in the West End. The great thing about having a wide range and large number of cinemas in that kind of place is that odds are between them they'll be something to see at almost any time of day. They're an affordable place to spontaneously while away a couple of hours.
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Post by Jon on Nov 6, 2021 23:22:24 GMT
Shame, I'll also miss it as a cinema. It was a bit ungainly - but it was cheap, warren-like, had good and varied programming, and usually had a decent (although admittedly often small) crowd. Many times as a student I was in the area at a loose end and found something worth seeing at the right time there. I also agree that it's a shame to lose a cinema to gain a theatre in the West End. The great thing about having a wide range and large number of cinemas in that kind of place is that odds are between them they'll be something to see at almost any time of day. They're an affordable place to spontaneously while away a couple of hours. TBH I think the Odeon Covent Garden is surplus to requirement and honestly it wouldn't be difficult to add another cinema within that vicinity especially with all the new buildings that are being built due to the Elizabeth Line. |
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Post by asfound on Nov 7, 2021 9:05:22 GMT
Shame, I'll also miss it as a cinema. It was a bit ungainly - but it was cheap, warren-like, had good and varied programming, and usually had a decent (although admittedly often small) crowd. Many times as a student I was in the area at a loose end and found something worth seeing at the right time there. I also agree that it's a shame to lose a cinema to gain a theatre in the West End. The great thing about having a wide range and large number of cinemas in that kind of place is that odds are between them they'll be something to see at almost any time of day. They're an affordable place to spontaneously while away a couple of hours. TBH I think the Odeon Covent Garden is surplus to requirement and honestly it wouldn't be difficult to add another cinema within that vicinity especially with all the new buildings that are being built due to the Elizabeth Line. I don't think so, simply because you can never have to many cinemas - given the almost limitless rotation of films and start times, the more the merrier! The number of times I've traipsed between the Curzon, Empire, Apollo, Picturehouse etc. after a 2pm meeting to end up watching some obscure film at the Odeon suggests it wasn't surplus to my requirements! In fact, after the Cineworld on Haymarket (another fantastic theatre conversion), it was probably my most visited spot. But I think the main point is we're definitely losing more and more of these interesting, cheap "fleapit" type cinemas in the West End, first with the redevelopment of the Trocadero, and then the Haymarket changing hands and the luxury refurb of the Panton Street Odeon (once the go-to spot to see foreign films not showing anywhere else). Sure, they could add another of these upmarket cinemas where you might a best catch a Wes Anderson film, but it would be nice if the West End could remain a place to see all kinds of films affordably and not just generic Disney/Marvel fodder. |
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Post by zahidf on Sept 19, 2023 14:38:12 GMT
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Post by demelza on Sept 19, 2023 15:42:00 GMT
It'll be a shame to lose that odeon — managed to catch some hard to find films there over the last few years! But at least it's returning to a theatre instead of offices or whatnot
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Post by bimse on Sept 19, 2023 17:15:37 GMT
This is great news, there was talk of this building being re-developed as offices and hotel. I hope this proposal comes off. from what I remember the Cirque du Soleil was looking for a permanent London base many years ago. The Battersea Power Station was considered at one point.
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Post by Jon on Sept 19, 2023 17:45:43 GMT
It'll be a shame to lose that odeon — managed to catch some hard to find films there over the last few years! But at least it's returning to a theatre instead of offices or whatnot TBH the fact Odeon has so many cinemas in the West End and it's not been refurbished unlike some of the others meant it's time was limited. Not sure about the bit at the top, doesn't really complement the venue. |
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Post by gmoneyoutlaw on Sept 19, 2023 21:39:51 GMT
It's great the Saville is coming back as a live venue although I'm unsure Cirque du Soleil has the "legs" or audience to warrent a perminate base in the West End.6 weeks at the RAH - and the occasional summer run at the O2 - a year is fine but is there a big enough audience in London for a continuous 12 month run?I know they have perminate shows in Las Vegas but then there is an enormous turnover of vistors to the resort whereas their shows in Los Angeles and New York had short runs. I’m glad to see that the theatre will live on. It’s a great location. It may lead to short term rentals for other production. |
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Post by punxsutawney on Sept 20, 2023 8:05:54 GMT
I think the likely scenario is that the "permanent home" lasts a few years, before it becomes a more general venue/theatre which hosts Cirque du Soleil semi-frequently.
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Post by barrowside on Sept 20, 2023 9:56:31 GMT
Has any of the Saville's art deco interior survived underneath The Odeon or will they have to build a completely new theatre within the walls?
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 20, 2023 11:32:52 GMT
It’s not very big though is it?
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 20, 2023 11:41:55 GMT
I’ve just been reading into the theatre on the brilliant Arthur Lloyd website and it’s rather fascinating.
It’s where Cameron Mac staged his flop Anything Goes revival.
It’s a shame it’s not being turned back into a legit west end theatre- cannot get excited about Cirque staging their nonsense there
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Post by TallPaul on Sept 20, 2023 12:41:09 GMT
The architects have clearly never visited the site or even looked at the previous planning application.
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Post by marob on Sept 20, 2023 12:48:56 GMT
Shame. I quite liked it as a cinema. Caught a couple of films there that wouldn’t get a look-in at the various Odeon Luxes. Those door handles are quite creepy though.
Rather see them knock it down and build a modern venue than just put it back as yet another West End theatre stuck a century out of date.
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Post by mkb on Sept 20, 2023 13:04:06 GMT
It’s not very big though is it? It originally had 1426 seats over 3 levels. I remember it was quite a large house - yes I'm that old! - but since has been split into 4 cinemas. I guess the stalls are 2 screens and the circles 1 on each level Don't know never been to it since the conversion. I hear they are talkies now! When it was a twin-screen ABC, the two auditoria were one on top of the other. Both were large. I remember seeing Blade Runner in 70mm there. The conversion to four screens was achieved with: Screen 1 - front half of upstairs Screen 2 - rear half of upstairs Screen 3 - rear half of downstairs Screen 4 - front half of downstairs All screens had the potential to be "Luxe'd" and screen 1 had the possibility of a much vaster screen, but clearly Odeon was never going to invest in a venue with a limited future. It will be a great shame to lose this as a cinema venue, one that has been programmed more toward art-house content in recent years. This provided an opportunity to see some films at no additional cost (for myLimitless West End members) and without the tiny screens of the other similarly programmed Odeon, the Haymarket four-screen. |
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Post by Jon on Sept 20, 2023 21:06:49 GMT
I find it amusing that some people don't want to see a new live entertainment venue in London. Cinemas are dime a dozen in the West End, restoring the Saville back to live entertainment is very exciting.
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Post by marob on Sept 20, 2023 21:39:33 GMT
Missing the point. It showed less commercial films that don’t get shown elsewhere. There’s literally dozens of ancient outmoded theatres with god awful sightlines within walking distance of this place. No need for another one of those.
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Post by demelza on Sept 20, 2023 23:34:24 GMT
Missing the point. It showed less commercial films that don’t get shown elsewhere. There’s literally dozens of ancient outmoded theatres with god awful sightlines within walking distance of this place. No need for another one of those. And cheaper than the others at that! Don't think I've ever paid more than £7 a ticket there — compared to an eye-watering nearly £20 for a seat with little legroom (and I'm 5'1") at the Curzon along Shaftesbury Ave when I went to see Boiling Point! |
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Post by TallPaul on Sept 21, 2023 12:55:17 GMT
Missing the point. It showed less commercial films that don’t get shown elsewhere. There’s literally dozens of ancient outmoded theatres with god awful sightlines within walking distance of this place. No need for another one of those. - and completely remodel the auditorium with hopefully no poor sightlines making it one of the newest London theatres. From the Theatres Trust website |
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Post by n1david on May 2, 2024 10:41:58 GMT
The planning application for the rebuild is here: camdocs.camden.gov.uk/HPRMWebDrawer/PlanRec?q=recContainer:%222024/0993/P%22The new planning application builds a new theatre underground (except for the foyer) with restaurant use at ground level and hotel from first floor upwards, with six new storeys on top. The Cirque de Soleil theatre would have a capacity of about 400, with protected provision for future conversion into a new conventional theatre with a capacity of about 1000. Despite the findings of the Theatre Trust in 2018, the developers now say The users of the Phoenix Garden behind the Saville are concerned about their loss of daylight. Interestingly despite the discussion above the mockups all show the name "Saville Theatre", however I guess that could change due to corporate sponsorship etc. |
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Post by n1david on May 2, 2024 11:22:48 GMT
Image of the new upwards extension:
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Post by barrowside on May 3, 2024 13:18:11 GMT
If the theatre is in the basement and only seats 400 (aren't Cirque du Soleil shows generally bigger than this?), it sounds like its just being slotted in to get planning for the larger redevelopment. I'd much prefer to see a decent theatre of 800-1,000 seats with a fly tower in the shell of the old theatre with the foyers and bars reinstated in Art Deco style.
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