Investment firm Yoo Capital’s proposals to revive London’s historic Saville Theatre at 135 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2, have been recommended for approval by Camden Council.
The Grade II-listed building, originally constructed in 1930, was most recently home to an Odeon cinema, operating as a four-screen venue until its closure in September 2024.
The site has remained vacant since.
Yoo Capital has partnered with Canadian theatre group Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group to establish its first permanent UK theatre on the premises, taking over the space formerly occupied by Odeon.
The proposed scheme includes a change of use from cinema to theatre, with plans for 39,760 sq ft of theatre space in the basement.
Above, 65,130 sq ft will be dedicated to a new 220-bedroom hotel spanning the first to ninth floors.
At ground level, new retail, restaurant, and bar spaces will complement the theatre offering. An additional 13,906 sq ft of ancillary space will accommodate plant, servicing facilities, and cycle parking.
In total, the plans represent a net floorspace uplift of 80,230 sq ft.
Yoo Capital submitted the application last year.
In 2017, the site’s previous owner proposed a comprehensive refurbishment that included a two-storey roof extension, a new basement, a four-screen cinema, a spa, a restaurant/bar at ground level, and a 94-bed hotel from ground to sixth floors.
That scheme also included a rooftop terrace and bar, along with public realm and highways improvements. However, the application was rejected, and the subsequent appeal was dismissed.
Yoo Capital acquired the property in October 2021 for £30m.
Camden Council is expected to make a final decision at its committee meeting on 28 April.
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