36 posts
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Post by etceteranz on Jan 5, 2018 8:40:35 GMT
Previously (years ago) advertised Hunger Games theatre site, seems to have sprung new life recently.
New producers from the Kings Cross Theatre (Lazarus / Railway Children) seems to have taken the mantle up! Planning for c1500 size theatre venue...
Will be interesting to see what they make of it!
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999 posts
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Post by Backdrifter on Jan 5, 2018 9:38:23 GMT
Interesting. But I hope they come up with a bar/entrance area better than the horrible cramped soulless badly-designed one at the KX.
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Post by tonyloco on Jan 6, 2018 14:23:33 GMT
Thanks for the heads-up on this – it's the first I've heard of it. The site is within walking distance of where I live so I will be very interested in seeing it open, provided I don't close first!
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Post by Phantom of London on Jan 7, 2018 12:38:28 GMT
Why will be their target shows?
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Post by danb on Jan 7, 2018 12:46:32 GMT
Interesting to see if they come up with something that has decent sight-lines. We don't have any big theatres in the area, so it would be amazing if it happens. Surprised they don’t use Wembley conference centre & Earls Court 2 for the stuff they always use Hammersmith for. Is it stage size? |
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Post by tonyloco on Jan 7, 2018 13:28:34 GMT
Surprised they don’t use Wembley conference centre & Earls Court 2 for the stuff they always use Hammersmith for. Is it stage size? Personally, I am really only interested in what happens at Wembley as it is where I live. The Wembley Conference Centre was demolished in 2006, which is when the current Wembley Arena was refurbished as a concert venue. The Arena holds 12,500 people and is basically a large, rather uncomfortable, concert venue and totally unsuitable for theatrical presentations. The new venue proposed for Wembley Park is intended to seat 1,500 people and be used as a theatre. I know nothing about Earls Court 2 except that Wiki says it was an exhibition centre that closed several years ago and has now been demolished. I'm not sure why another venue is needed for the things that currently take place at Hammersmith. The 'Apollo' is a very fine large theatre seating something like 3,500 people and as far as I can tell is very much 'fit for purpose'. It has a decent stage (I saw 'Riverdance' there some years ago) and seems to work perfectly well for recording TV shows. |
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Post by danb on Jan 7, 2018 13:34:05 GMT
Surprised they don’t use Wembley conference centre & Earls Court 2 for the stuff they always use Hammersmith for. Is it stage size? Personally, I am really only interested in what happens at Wembley as it is where I live. The Wembley Conference Centre was demolished in 2006, which is when the current Wembley Arena was refurbished as a concert venue. The Arena holds 12,500 people and is basically a large, rather uncomfortable, concert venue and totally unsuitable for theatrical presentations. The new venue proposed for Wembley Park is intended to seat 1,500 people and be used as a theatre. I know nothing about Earls Court 2 except that Wiki says it was an exhibition centre that closed several years ago and has now been demolished. I'm not sure why another venue is needed for the things that currently take place at Hammersmith. The 'Apollo' is a very fine large theatre seating something like 3,500 people and as far as I can tell is very much 'fit for purpose'. It has a decent stage (I saw 'Riverdance' there some years ago) and seems to work perfectly well for recording TV shows. Shows how long ago I lived in London 😂 |
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Post by tonyloco on Jan 7, 2018 13:46:08 GMT
Shows how long ago I lived in London 😂 Sorry danb if I sounded pompous (which I did) in my response. I would love a new local theatre, something like the Swiss Cottage Theatre, within walking distance of where I live, and I really hope that comes to pass in the not too distant future. |
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Post by danb on Jan 7, 2018 14:10:24 GMT
I love the Apollo and will be back there for Evanescence in April, but that’s what I see it as...a rock/music (not even pop) venue. I remember seeing Riverdance there back in the day and feeling so detatched from the performance because of the size. The circle is huge & if you’re not in the front blocks you may aswell stand outside. I’d welcome any new venue in west London as it’d be nearer to home! 😀
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1,089 posts
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Post by tonyloco on Jan 7, 2018 15:12:08 GMT
I love the Apollo and will be back there for Evanescence in April, but that’s what I see it as...a rock/music (not even pop) venue. I remember seeing Riverdance there back in the day and feeling so detatched from the performance because of the size. The circle is huge & if you’re not in the front blocks you may aswell stand outside. I’d welcome any new venue in west London as it’d be nearer to home! 😀 Yes, I saw Riverdance at the Apollo from somewhere relatively close in the stalls and it was fabulous. Also, many years earlier in the 1960s, I saw the Duke Ellington Orchestra from somewhere in the middle of the stalls. They started playing 'Take the A train' while the curtain was still down and it was a real thrill when the curtain rose to reveal all those legendary musicians like Paul Gonsalves and the Duke himself actually there playing live on stage. It is unlikely that I will go to anything there any more but it is indeed an iconic venue. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2018 11:45:27 GMT
Chatting to a friend about this, unlike other pop-up venues this theatre isn't in a tent, it's a ex-tv studio previously used for X Factor and the Superstar TV Show. Apparently the space is huge!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2018 12:35:45 GMT
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5,160 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jan 9, 2018 13:11:18 GMT
I actually performed at Wembley Conference Centre You can't just end a post with that bombshell. We need more details, please. |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 9, 2018 13:47:29 GMT
I actually performed at Wembley Conference Centre You can't just end a post with that bombshell. We need more details, please. I know the reality will probably be more prosaic but I like to think it was a trapeeze act followed by a chimps' tea party! |
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 9, 2018 14:16:25 GMT
Our bit (Tony's and mine) ..... My manor too. I'll be interested to see what happens - I know Fountain Studios quite well from different TV tapings. I saw a Big Band thing at the Wembley Conference Centre in 1989 - was that you on the bongo's, Mr Monkey? |
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Post by QueerTheatre on Jan 9, 2018 17:32:45 GMT
Is this still intended for Hunger Games? Or has that gone cold...?
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 9, 2018 18:17:32 GMT
reality will probably be more prosaic It really is. Like most kids I did school shows etc, and did a little more - semi-professional stuff until I stopped enjoying it. One of those was a "cultural" exchange type show at the conference centre. Boring, sorry. I think I'll stick to my fantasy version, much more fun! |
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Post by Phantom of London on Jan 9, 2018 19:04:34 GMT
Why will be their target shows? The post earlier is pretty incoherent, I meant to type 'what will be their target shows'? by which I mean will it be a receiving house for large musicals or a small producing house for plays? With the former, you have such facilities in South London such as Dartford, Bromley, Wimbledon and Richmond, so would make sense for a venue of between 1000 and 2000 seats in North London. Especially as crossing London isn't always easy and Wembley Park has excellent transport links (I thank you), my only concern would be if something is programmed at the same time as the Stadium events, this would make Wembley impossible. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2018 11:51:20 GMT
I would expect the old seating (and the rest of the contents) have been stripped out and sold off or otherwise disposed of. Suspect the set-up here will be similar (but on a bigger scale) to the current Southwark Playhouse - long-term temporary theatre in a disused space.
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Post by TallPaul on Jan 10, 2018 13:36:51 GMT
I doubt the Fountain Studios could receive touring shows, as it doesn't have a fly tower Neither does the INEC in Killarney. I knew I'd read it somewhere, and it was in the Legally Blonde thread. If there's a will, and all that |
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Post by tonyloco on Jan 10, 2018 13:45:03 GMT
Wembley copes pretty easily with events at both Arena and Stadium already (and the busy cinema complex), and was fine with the Conference Centre operating as well - far more seats than this new place will add. Even better now that they have re-designed the station and surrounding areas, I'd say. I'll second that. Even on 'event days' when the stadium is in use for a sporting event or a pop concert there is very little local disruption apart from a bit of minor diverting of a couple of bus routes. I would expect that a theatre holding say 1,000 or 1,500 people would hardly be noticed in the grand scheme of things! |
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Post by TallPaul on Jan 10, 2018 13:50:52 GMT
would be very under-equipped There are few worst things in life than being under-equipped.  |
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Post by maggiem on May 23, 2018 11:47:39 GMT
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Post by bellboard27 on May 23, 2018 17:33:59 GMT
I wish I had a penny for every time I have read or heard someone in theatrical circles say they were going to “break the mould”.
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Post by alece10 on May 23, 2018 17:47:05 GMT
Article also in tonight's Evening Standard.
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