Soho Theatre

Soho Theatre
Address Dean Street
London, W1
United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°30′51″N 0°07′59″W / 51.5143°N 0.1330°W / 51.5143; -0.1330
Public transit London Underground Tottenham Court Road
Owner Soho Theatre Company Limited
Capacity 144-160
Opened 2000 (2000)
Website
www.sohotheatre.com

The Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, in London, England. It presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three performance spaces.

The theatre is also home to a Writers' Centre,[1] which provides support to new writers, aimed at developing writers to work in theatre as well as film, TV and radio. The Centre accepts unsolicited scripts sent by budding writers.

The theatre's programme is a mix of comedy, cabaret, theatre, and writers' events, with a particular focus on new writing and fringe comedy.

Soho Theatre Company

The Soho Theatre Company was formed in 1969 by Verity Bargate and Fred Proud, and initially performed at a venue in Old Compton Street. Soon, the company moved to the Soho Poly, where it would remain for eighteen years.

In 1990, the Soho Theatre Company entered a brief migrational period, where it visited the venues of the Royal Court, Riverside Studios and the ICA. Falling into a slow decline, the company was revitalised when it took up residence at the Cockpit Theatre of Marylebone, from 1993-95. During this "renaissance", they expanded their Writers' Development programme, and premiered the works of over 35 new writers.[2]

Soho Theatre on Dean Street

In 2000, the theatre moved to its current home on Dean Street. The purpose-built venue houses the 150-seat Soho Theatre, the 90-seat Soho Upstairs, and the cabaret space, Soho Downstairs. The ground and lower-ground floors are also occupied by the Soho Theatre Bar.

Its current artistic director is Steve Marmion, and its Executive Director is Mark Godfrey.

In 2014 the theatre was fined £20,000 for a health and safety incident in which a stage manager, Rachael Presdee was paralysed in a fall through an unmarked balcony door on to the stage some three metres below. Compensation of £3.7m was also agreed with Miss Presdee.[3]

Playwrights

Soho Poly period

Sources

  1. ↑ "Soho Theatre | Arts Council". Arts Council England. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "Past Productions at The Cockpit". Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Soho Theatre fined over fall that paralysed stage manager". BBC News. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
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