Comedians Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Mel Giedroyc, Marcus Brigstocke and food writer Jay Rayner are among the opening acts set to perform at The Circle&Star above The Horseshoe pub in Heath Street.
But those behind the long-running Pentameters Theatre say they are “surprised” by news of the new venue.
The curtain came down on their 51-year tenancy last month after they were served notice by landlord Urban Pubs and Bars.
The pub operator cited issues of unpaid rent, disrepair, and a decline in performances, telling the Ham&High it planned to redevelop the space into a “flexible, year-round venue that could host birthdays, small events, amateur dramatics and social clubs”.
But now a major events programme is in the pipeline for the 60-seat venue, with a members’ launch night taking place on December 8.
The opening season is curated by actor, writer and musician Steve Furst, whose cabaret alter ego is Lenny Beige.
Comedy, conversation, and live music will also feature with Liane Carroll, Jess Robinson, Clinton Baptiste and Simon Day also on the slate, and Robbie Williams collaborator Guy Chambers and Bond composer David Arnold staging monthly residencies.
Tickets will reportedly cost £30 to £40 – more than the £10 charged by Pentameters – with proceeds going towards funding a general manager from February 2026.
The venue is now being renovated with new sound, light and cameras for screenings and filming shows and an upgrade of backstage areas.
Mr Furst said: “The Circle & Star Theatre is about bringing people together in a space that’s full of history, warmth and creativity. Hampstead has always been a home for artists and performers, and this is our way of celebrating that spirit for a new generation.”
Some Pentameters supporters have criticised the new venue for trading on a history that included giving early career breaks to comics such as Ben Elton, Rick Mayall, French & Saunders and Russell Brand, and staging performances by Harold Pinter and Ted Hughes.
Founder Leonie Scott Matthews, who is in her 80s, was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to theatre and over the decades had invested in the space, installing a fire escape, repairing the roof, and keeping the lights on when freeholder Camden Council was between tenants which included Wetherspoons and Camden Brewery founder Jasper Cuppaidge.
Her nephew Rod Scott Matthews said they were surprised by news of the new venue.
“Pentameters is not involved or associated with the venture. We at Pentameters Theatre have been reorganising and making ready to deliver the new events that our community has told us it still wants from us, and who have asked us to carry on our traditions beyond our nearly six decades of value and service in our community.
“Pentameters Theatre is a not-for-profit organisation, run in and for our community by its originator (Leonie Scott Matthews), delivering authentic, inclusive performance opportunities for those beginning their careers and for professionals alike, and delivers entertainment everyone can afford, with a range of concessions for those in difficult circumstances.”
He said Pentameters had staged more than 80 community events this year “before Urban Pubs and Bars decided they wanted to flatten the space”.
He added: “We have since been very busy, at personal cost and voluntary effort, clearing out and preserving the 54 years of the community’s social history at the same time as planning new events.
“Bearing in mind there is already the superb Hampstead Theatre, it remains to be seen if there is a case for the people of Hampstead paying to see the familiar old faces seen on TV and working in the West End trying their hand at something at small scale.”
Urban Pubs and Bars were approached for comment.
