Soho Theatre Walthamstow tour in Hoe Street

Soho Theatre Walthamstow in Hoe Street is set to open its doors to the public next Friday (May 9) after undergoing a mass restoration.

The venue has been used for entertainment since 1897 and in 1973, the last live performance took place before the site was sold and became a cinema.

In 2003 the cinema closed its doors, and the venue lay derelict until now.

I was taken round the theatre on Tuesday (April 29) by co-executive director Sam Hansford and head of creative engagement Jess Draper to experience the restoration in all its glory.

Soho Theatre Walthamstow is located in Hoe Street (Image: Gianni Cirillo) Stood outside it is hard to envisage the level of grandeur that you will see when you actually walk into the foyer and even more so when you walk into the auditorium.

The staff here repeatedly insisted that their aim was to create “a great night out” for anyone who visits the theatre and I could sense that from the second I stepped inside.

The foyer is spacious, clean and and very inviting. The classic maroon, gold and cream colour palette ensured the mood was set whilst the vibrant neon ‘Soho Theatre Walthamstow’ sign provided a flash of exciting modernity. 

This duality of the past and the present features consistently around the building and was apparently a real point of focus in the redesign.

The foyer has a feature wall with newspaper prints from campaigns to keep the venue used for entertainment (Image: Gianni Cirillo) On the left side of the foyer, there is even a small feature wall plastered with newspaper prints documenting the efforts of local groups who campaigned for the building to remain an entertainment venue even when it was dormant – a vital component of the site’s heritage.

We were then shown into the Ziggurat bar – one of the theatre’s four impressive bars.

This room looked like something out of Soho’s classy jazz bar scene – not a theatre in east London.

It was lined with a bottle for every occasion and the draught selection included Soho Theatre’s very own beer Neon Lager.

The theatre has four bars (Image: Gianni Cirillo) Now it was time to see the main event – the brand new, 960-seater auditorium.

Sam explained that one of the designers’ biggest focusses was to create intimacy between audience and performer and this was immediately evident.

Despite being in such a vast room, all 960 seats seemed to be in close proximity to the stage which will allow for a much closer relationship between the spectators and artists compared to some of the capital’s larger venues.

Another interesting point was that the front five rows don’t have an aisle splitting them down the middle which even further enhances the feeling of uninterrupted intimacy.

The proximity between the audience and the stage was a point of focus for the designers (Image: Gianni Cirillo) The intricate design of the ceilings and walls have been done to reflect the original designs of the Granada theatre, as the venue was known as until 1973.

The three massive chandeliers that hang above the audience are actually originals from the 70s that have been restored for modern use.

Sam said that each chandelier weighs a tonne and is so intricately built that if placed on the floor instead of hung from the ceiling, it will fall apart.

We were next taken backstage to the performer facilities, which are apparently very small in theatre tradition.

I have never stepped foot inside theatre dressing rooms but Jess claimed these rooms to be far larger than in other theatres, and judging by the reactions of others on the tour, I didn’t doubt it.

The chandeliers are original from the 70s and each one weighs a tonne (Image: Gianni Cirillo) We were then taken to see the work ongoing in the top floor of the building where a restaurant will be established.

Guests won’t need tickets for any shows to be able to come and dine here.

As our tour came to a close, we were taken down through the performer entrance/ exit where a feature wall stands with rustic faded posters and plenty of space for artists to sign once they’ve performed here – a very cool touch.

Throughout the tour I was very impressed with the fluid mix of heritage and modernity in the redevelopment here. Ultimately, that plays a huge part in making the building so attractive.

I can’t wait to revisit on a show night with the buzz of anticipation in the air and 960 excited faces fill the auditorium – just as they would have 50 years ago.