The Venue Leicester Square
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| The Venue | |
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| Owned by | The Venue Group |
| Opened | 2002 |
| Rebuilt | 1953 |
| Previous names | 1953 Notre Dame Hall |
| www.thevenuegroup.co.uk | |
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The Leicester Square Theatre (formerly The Venue), is a 420-seat studio theatre on Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, opened in 2002. The building originated as the Notre Dame Hall in 1953, replacing an earlier building that had been destroyed by World War II bombing. It was used as a French cultural centre, until the 1970s when the hall became a venue for 'punk music'. This use for live music and as a dance hall, continued until it was converted to a theatre in 2001.
The theatre is open-plan with grandstand-style seating, flexible staging and is situated beneath the Notre Dame French Catholic Church.
Among its famous productions have included the world premiere of the Boy George musical Taboo which played a highly successful run before transferring to Broadway, Round The Horne and two seasons of the cult hit Australian comedy The Vegemite Tales. The venue is a popular place for stand-up comedy and small musical productions as well as plays and comedies. American comedian Joan Rivers will make her acting debut in August 2008 with her new play, Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress which will play a total of 75 performances to celebrate her recent birthday.
[edit] Recent and present productions
- Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens (Winter 2005-6)
- Pete & Dud: Come Again
- The Vegemite Tales (Summer/Autumn 2006) by Melanie Tait, starring Patrick Harvey and Blair McDonough
- Icons in London (Spring 2007), starring Greg London
- Side by Side by Sondheim (April - June 2007) by Stephen Sondheim, starring Christopher Cazenove, Angela Rippon, Les Dennis and Barry Cryer
- The Vegemite Tales (26 July 2007 - 27 October 2007) by Melanie Tait
- DARK (28 October 2007 - 28 August 2008)
- Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress (29 August 2008 - 18 September 2008) by Joan Rivers
- Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress (2 December 2008 - 29 January 2009) by Joan Rivers
[edit] External links
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