Exclusive: Operator sought to reopen Soho's Boulevard Theatre

The owner of Soho’s Boulevard Theatre – which closed after just six months in March 2020 – is seeking an operator to reopen the venue.

From the end of September, the building will reopen – for the first time since its closure – as a temporary pop-up music club for nine months.

Having opened in October 2019, the 165-capacity venue was forced to shut after just six months due to the pandemic. 

The building has been closed ever since but will now open to the public for the first time in two and a half years as a temporary venue for events organisation Soho Live Music Club. 

Long term, Fawn James – who is director of the company that owns the building, Soho Estates – told The Stage she was in the process of seeking a long-term operator for the Boulevard. The theatre was previously run by a team that James assembled.

James said she was determined for the theatre to reopen after having spent 10 years overseeing its creation. However, she added she was in no rush and wanted to wait to find someone with the "right vision and a holistic attitude" to take on the space, which also includes a restaurant and bar. 

"I’ve always wanted to reopen the Boulevard because it was providing a stage for up-and-coming artists," she told The Stage.

"It was only open for six months. It took a lot of years to get it to that stage. It would seem a shame to close it down and turn it into an office after everything."

She said: "I’m not in the position where I’m going to say: ‘Yep, you can have it and do what you want with it,’ to whoever offers the most. It’s still a passion project for me," adding that she wanted to have a relationship with whoever takes it on. 

"I’m not saying I’m going to be controlling what they do, but I can be an advocate for whatever goes in and how they’re going to do it."

James said the venue had the potential to host a mixed programme of theatre, music and cabaret, as it has a licence enabling performances until 1am. James also said the venue had the potential to be used for immersive experiences, including those involving catering. 

Earlier this year, the Boulevard renewed its sexual entertainment licence, which allows entertainment involving full and partial nudity on the condition that no physical contact is made between performers and customers and that the entertainment is provided as part of "bona fide theatrical or stage performance". 

James said she wanted to dispel any speculation that the licence meant the venue was changing use – highlighting that it was simply in place to allow for a range of different theatrical performances to take place at the venue. 

She added: "Now it’s finding somebody who can come in and make it work, which is why it’s so important for the venue to be looked at as a holistic venue – because 160 seats in a theatre is really difficult to make work. So, the other aspects of the building need to really tie into subsidising that theatre. That’s why we need to find someone quite exciting who has these views and visions as to how we can make it work."

During its nine-month residency at the Boulevard, Soho Live Music Club will curate a series of events showcasing both emerging and established jazz artists.

George Hudson, director and producer of Soho Live said: "I am delighted to announce that the Boulevard Theatre will be hosting Soho Live events. The Boulevard is designed to a world-class standard. 

"Artists are so impressed by the space and the acoustics, and the theatre lends itself to being a live music venue perfectly. There’s so much talent in Soho and we are delighted to give resident artists a bigger stage and expose them to a wider audience."