Cirque du Soleil Permanent U.K. Venue on the Cards as Yoo Capital Restores London’s Iconic Saville Theatre (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran Cirque du Soleil could soon have a permanent U.K. home at iconic London venue The Saville Theatre, which is being revived and restored by Yoo Capital.

Located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the heart of London’s West End theatre district, the 110,000 sq. ft, Grade II listed the Saville opened its doors in 1931 with a play “For the Love of Mike.” It was subsequently home to live performances and known for hosting the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, The Who and Jimi Hendrix, before being converted to a four screen cinema in its later years.

Yoo Capital acquired the site in October 2021 with a view to revive the venue. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group has confirmed it is exploring the Saville as its first permanent home in the U.K.

The live entertainment group is looking at the Saville as a venue that “would complement Cirque du Soleil’s annual Royal Albert Hall residency and offer theater-goers a more intimate space to enjoy incredible performances all year round.“ Eric Grilly, president, resident and affiliate show divisions at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, said: ”We see a unique opportunity to bring back live entertainment to a beloved venue with fresh content and new ideas.” Well-regarded architecture firm SPPARC is leading the proposed masterplan designs to accommodate Cirque du Soleil’s intended needs as well as the wider conversion plans that will look to incorporate a boutique hotel by luxury lifestyle and hotel brand citizenM and a food and beverage offering provided by Incipio Group.