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Post by TallPaul on Nov 12, 2018 16:56:48 GMT
What I don't understand is why a theatre named for Rattigan would be called the WE Rattigan Theatre.
I though his first names were Terence Mervyn?
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Post by Jon on Nov 12, 2018 21:58:18 GMT
What I don't understand is why a theatre named for Rattigan would be called the WE Rattigan Theatre. I though his first names were Terence Mervyn? WE is West End. I wouldn’ be surprised if we get the Alan Bennett Theatre, I think the Lyttelton would be the best theatre for a remaining. The Playhouse would be a good theatre to get a rename perhaps after Rattigan |
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Post by partytentdown on Nov 13, 2018 23:13:05 GMT
Surely one of them will be reserved for Dame Judi?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2018 10:02:54 GMT
I agree. I think there are plenty of Brits who deserve a theatre named after them in London's glitzy West End before Stephen Sondheim. Vennessa Redgrave. I would say Dame Angela but she has done most of her work in New York. I saw her in Australia. And she was amazing. I think a theatre in NYC would be so perfect for her. But personally for my money Audra needs one in NYC. She is so inspiring |
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Post by Rory on Nov 16, 2018 20:17:06 GMT
Interesting read 👇
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Post by david on Nov 30, 2018 0:09:39 GMT
Having watched Switzerland the play this afternoon, walking into the theatre auditorium really is just depressing. It’s just so drab and soulless as an auditorium. It’s a real shame that the original plans for Cameron M to purchase this theatre fell through. The guy really knows to to restore a theatre to its best. I just hope the future owner does the theatre justice and brings some life back into what is a lovely historic building.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 9:18:33 GMT
The Times paywall means I can’t read the article but the picture of CM with the cast. I was struggling to reconcile “Cameron Macintosh is 72” with the photo, and then I remembered “Cameron Machintosh is a billionaire.”
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Post by duncan on Nov 30, 2018 9:46:37 GMT
And the bizarre thing is that he owes it all to a Biggins recommendation.
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Post by n1david on Dec 20, 2018 16:08:45 GMT
Going back into ATG...
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Post by duncan on Dec 20, 2018 16:39:10 GMT
Bought for £12 million and they take control in January.
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Post by Rory on Dec 20, 2018 19:05:06 GMT
Pleased that ATG have acquired it. Will be interested to see what their plans are.
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Post by Rory on Dec 20, 2018 19:06:26 GMT
I think of the major groups, ATG is the best fit for the place. I wonder if the "restoration levy" is transferrable between their venues, as this one needs a fair bit spent. If they do some work, it would be rather a lovely small playhouse again like it used to be. £12m did seem a slightly excessive price, though I can see now why the owner turned down Mackintosh in the end. Why as a matter of interest do you think he did turn down CM? Do we know what he had offered to pay? |
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Post by Jon on Dec 21, 2018 1:26:21 GMT
I think of the major groups, ATG is the best fit for the place. I wonder if the "restoration levy" is transferrable between their venues, as this one needs a fair bit spent. If they do some work, it would be rather a lovely small playhouse again like it used to be. £12m did seem a slightly excessive price, though I can see now why the owner turned down Mackintosh in the end. I wonder why ATG sold it in the first place. Also, it's interesting that Sir Stephen didn't sell it to Trafalgar Entertainment who probably are on the look out for venues to acquire but then again Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire sold it to Sir Stephen when they were at ATG 11 years ago. |
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Post by Jon on Dec 21, 2018 14:47:45 GMT
The Stage reports today that the ATG offer was more than double what CM was going to pay. If I remember CM said £5m, ATG paid £12m (would have been £8.5m if they'd had a theatrecard, probably). I think it was sold in the days when everything West End had to be on a big stage in a big auditorium and small went out of fashion. Also I think ATG used the cash to buy somewhere else. Guessing Trafalgar didn't have £12m lying around at the moment to buy it back. ATG bought the Live Nation theatres two years later so they were looking for bigger venues to buy at the time I do think we may see one or two theatres in the West End under new ownership on the next few years like the Shaftesbury and Criterion for example |
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Post by Jon on Dec 21, 2018 16:02:05 GMT
Ah, I knew it was something like that. Yes, I can see a few changing hands again - mostly if ATG's owners sell the entire group again, as is possible, I'm hearing. Given the prices theatres are going for, though, there's a lack of buyers within the current chains, isn't there. Mackintosh has maintenance to do on many of his, plus over-spent on the Victoria Palace re-build. ALW says he has taken a £50m loan to re-do Drury Lane and a while back tried to sell some of his to Grade. Don't know if current prices are too rich for Nimax (hope not) or Trafalgar Group. Wonder how many more wealthy Russians there are out there? Trafalgar has backing from Barings which is a global investment firm so I imagine when the time is right, they'll pounce but at the same time they are building cinemas as part of the group's strategy so they might forego buying existing theatres in favour of building a new one. Also if Providence sells ATG, Howard and Rosemary will likely get a windfall and that would also give them capital for expansion. Nimax already has a theatre being build although given Crossrail's woes, it's at least 5-6 years away |
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Post by partytentdown on Dec 21, 2018 16:08:42 GMT
I'm always surprised Disney don't buy their own theatre as they did on Broadway. Could that be an option in the future?
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Post by Jon on Dec 21, 2018 17:20:59 GMT
I'm always surprised Disney don't buy their own theatre as they did on Broadway. Could that be an option in the future? IIRC Disney don't own the New Amsterdam, they have a 49 year lease on it with the state of New York who own it but they pay a very small amount of money per year because they paid for all the renovation work. |
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Post by Jon on Dec 21, 2018 18:02:34 GMT
Trafalgar has backing from Barings which is a global investment firm so I imagine when the time is right, they'll pounce but at the same time they are building cinemas as part of the group's strategy so they might forego buying existing theatres in favour of building a new one. Which explains the lack of interest. Even with a windfall, for the sort of work they want to do, new build is easier. Good point on Nimax. Just can't see Disney buying in London. No good reason, just can't at the moment. I'd say what the two Nicks are doing with the Bridge and the King Cross's venue is probably what Trafalgar should be doing. |
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 22, 2018 6:35:41 GMT
Which explains the lack of interest. Even with a windfall, for the sort of work they want to do, new build is easier. Good point on Nimax. Just can't see Disney buying in London. No good reason, just can't at the moment. I'd say what the two Nicks are doing with the Bridge and the King Cross's venue is probably what Trafalgar should be doing. What staging new plays by celebrated writers however the new plays aren’t very good ? 😂 |
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Post by sf on Dec 27, 2018 15:15:18 GMT
I'd say what the two Nicks are doing with the Bridge and the King Cross's venue is probably what Trafalgar should be doing. What staging new plays by celebrated writers however the new plays aren’t very good ? 😂
To be fair, the best thing I saw this year (My Name is Lucy Barton) was at the Bridge Theatre. It's just that the worst thing I saw this year (A Very Very Very Dark Matter) was there as well.
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