Singing waiters and show tunes: new musical theatre bar launches in London

By the Room Where it Happens’ official launch, its Instagram followers had ballooned to 35,000, doubling in two weeks alone.

Sellwood, who was formerly at the helm of SingEasy, added: "With the closure of these spaces, I think people are so happy that there is somewhere they can gather."

Last year, the Theatre Cafe Diner closed its doors after only two years on the West End, with the owners blaming "necessary building works" that would have resulted in more than three months of closure. It followed the closure of its sister venue, the Theatre Cafe, a year earlier in 2023.

Sellwood also detailed how the venue aims to "look after" the voices of its performers, musical theatre actors who are seeking practise and income between jobs and auditions.

"They all have in-ear monitors," she told The Stage. "It’s really important that when the room is busy, you’re not losing your voice on a Saturday night when you have an audition on the Monday. I try to run the team with as much compassion and performer safety as possible, and offer a job people look forward to coming to."

Fellow creative team member and Overtures co-owner Lucy Penrose added: "With new, youth-focused musicals such as Six and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, we’re seeing a younger demographic. They don’t have a lot of money, but they do have a lot of passion and commitment.

"With the state of the world at the moment, escapism, release, joy and a sense of community are the things that people are really yearning for, and I do believe this is a place that some people have found it."