Theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh has unveiled his theatrical vision for the West End’s new Sondheim Theatre, which he aims to turn into a home for shows from subsidised venues around the UK that would otherwise be under threat of vanishing following their runs. Named after the esteemed Stephen Sondheim, the site is expected to flourish under Mackintosh.
The gap for a flexible, small-scale theatre in central London is clear: it is something which often limits other venues, such as the National Theatre, and the Sondheim space could provide a non-proscenium arch home for many of its productions which originate in the subsidised sector. The venue would be an important West End venture to provide subsidised theatres with a home away from home.
The reimagined theatre will host productions for runs of between eight and 16 weeks, and is being created to give shows from venues such as the Donmar and studio spaces at Sheffield Theatres and Leicester’s Curve a future life. In order for it to take shape, the Ambassadors Theatre will be redeveloped, with a flexible performance space with around 450 to 475 seats. The building will also have a new floor built above the auditorium that will house a rehearsal space for larger shows.
It will also include a redeveloped foyer, new dressing rooms and a cabaret space, which will be created in the basement bar; the theatre’s current ceiling will be dismantled and repositioned as part of the redevelopment. The theatre is planned to open in 2017, and will be able to accommodate around four or five shows a year, programmed a year or more in advance. There will also be one slot left available for a surprise show which may arise that that needs a London space.