Historic London venue to revert to a theatre

A Grade-II listed building on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue is set to be turned from an Odeon cinema back into a theatre.

The building first opened in 1931, with a capacity of 1,462 people across three levels and has hosted acts including the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana.

Architecture and design studio SPPARC has been asked to plan the redevelopment of the building by real estate firm Yoo Capital, which also hired the firm to work on the redevelopment of the Olympia exhibition venue, set to open in 2025.

Plans for the revamped Shaftesbury Avenue venue include a hotel and dining facilities. Entertainment group Cirque du Soleil is considering the venue for its first permanent home in London, Building Design reported.

Yoo Capital said it had begun a consultation with local stakeholders ahead of submitting a planning application to Camden Council. The company did not give an estimated date for the submission.