kids encyclopedia robot

Soho Theatre facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre.jpg
Address Dean Street
London, W1
United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°30′51″N 0°07′59″W / 51.5143°N 0.1330°W / 51.5143; -0.1330
Public transit London Underground Tottenham Court Road
Owner Soho Theatre Company Limited
Capacity 144–160
Opened 2000; 25 years ago (2000)
Website
www.sohotheatre.com

The Soho Theatre is a special place in London, England. It's a theatre and a charity located in the Soho area. This theatre is famous for showing new plays, funny comedy shows, and exciting cabaret acts. It has three different stages where shows happen.

The Soho Theatre is a fantastic place for new artists to start their careers. It helps writers by giving them chances to create new work. Many writers and comedians who are now famous in theatre, movies, TV, and radio got their start here. The theatre's shows include a mix of comedy, cabaret, and theatre. They especially focus on brand new plays and different kinds of comedy.

The Soho Theatre Story

The Soho Theatre Company began in 1969. It was started by Verity Bargate and Fred Proud. At first, they performed in a small place on New Compton Street. Soon, the company moved to a small basement. This new home was called the Soho Poly, and they stayed there for 18 years.

In 1990, the Soho Theatre Company left its first home. They started putting on shows at other theatres around London. From 1993 to 1995, they had a special home at the Cockpit Theatre. During this time, they helped even more new writers. They put on the first shows for over 35 new writers!

In 1997, work started on a brand new building for the Soho Theatre. It was built on Dean Street. The theatre got a large grant and raised more money to make this happen. In the year 2000, the new building opened its doors.

Soho Theatre on Dean Street

Mizrach in the Soho Theatre, Soho, October 2023
A special marker in the Soho Theatre. It shows where an old synagogue used to be.

In 2000, the theatre moved to its current home on Dean Street. This building was made just for the theatre. It has three main performance areas:

  • The Main House, which can seat 165 people.
  • The Studio, which is upstairs and seats 90 people.
  • The Cabaret Space, which is downstairs and seats 140 people.

There's also a Soho Theatre Bar on the ground and lower floors.

Today, Mark Godfrey is the executive director, and David Luff is the creative director. They work hard to find and produce new plays. Their team includes experts in comedy, directing, and touring shows. They are always looking for exciting new stories and talent.

Soho Theatre Walthamstow

In 2012, the Soho Theatre worked with the local council in Walthamstow. They helped save an old building called the Walthamstow Granada. This building was going to be an entertainment place again. In 2019, the council bought the building. The Soho Theatre was chosen to run it.

This new venue is being rebuilt and is set to open in 2024. It will be another exciting place for shows and performances.

The Verity Bargate Award

The Verity Bargate Award is a very important prize at the Soho Theatre. It's given to new writers. The winning play gets a full show on one of the theatre's stages! For almost 50 years, the Soho Theatre has supported new writers. Since 1982, this award has found many amazing new writers.

This award has helped start the careers of some of Britain's most famous writers. These include Matt Charman, who wrote Bridge of Spies, and Toby Whithouse, who wrote for Doctor Who. Many others have also become successful thanks to this award.

The award was created in 1981–82. It remembers Verity Bargate, who helped start the Soho Theatre and was its first artistic director.

Famous Playwrights

Many talented writers have had their plays shown at the Soho Theatre.

From the Soho Poly period

From the Soho Theatre period

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Soho Theatre Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.