Originally a Victorian music hall, the former Granada cinema in Walthamstow, east London, has transitioned through various roles, including a movie theater, and once featured performances by iconic artists such as The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, and James Brown. However, for much of the 21st century, the venue has stood empty.
Now, following a significant renovation in collaboration with the local council, the Grade II* listed structure on Hoe Street is preparing to reopen as **Soho Theatre Walthamstow**, featuring a main auditorium with a capacity of 960 seats, three studios, and four expansive bars. Soho Theatre, which has been an energetic cultural hub on Dean Street in central London for 25 years, will manage the new site, which aims to deliver a similar array of comedy, cabaret, and theatrical performances starting in May.
The inaugural programming, revealed on Tuesday, will feature a monthly comedy showcase titled Neon Nights, hosting performers like Sara Pascoe, Rosie Jones, and Sindhu Vee. Renowned theatre-maker Bryony Kimmings has been commissioned to develop a new piece, Bog Witch, focusing on navigating uncertain times and finding happiness. Additionally, a pantomime, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, is on the slate, helmed by Susie McKenna, a prominent figure in Waltham Forest pantomimes, often staged at Hackney Empire.
Promoted as “a local theatre with a national profile,” the venue plans to release 15,000 tickets at a £15 price point during its inaugural year, targeted at residents, workers, and students in Waltham Forest. The borough will also celebrate its rich film legacy—Hitchcock’s birthplace—through a festival organized by the local **McGuffin Film Society**, which mobilized extensive grassroots efforts to preserve the venue’s identity as an arts hub, established in 1887. In 2003, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God acquired the building while intending to convert it into a worship space, similar to its earlier acquisition of Finsbury Park’s Rainbow theatre. However, plans faltered due to a lack of planning permission. The venue’s state of disrepair was brought to light after an unauthorized rave held there in 2011, prompting local MP Stella Creasy to inspect the damage firsthand.
Mark Godfrey, the executive director and CEO of Soho Theatre, has been formulating a plan for the venue since around 2010. Nearby, there are small performance venues, like **Centre17** and the theatre pub **Ye Olde Rose and Crown**, which hosts stand-up comedy. However, Godfrey remarked that the performing arts landscape in the area has been “a bit thin on the ground,” given the high concentration of artists and creatives living there. Alessandro Babalola, a creative associate and co-chair at Soho Theatre, expressed frustration over the lack of creative outlets for the abundant local talent. He shared his own experiences growing up in the community, engaged in street dance and youth arts programs, alongside Godfrey, who acknowledged the long-standing need for improved entertainment infrastructure.
Reflecting on early planning meetings about the building’s future, Godfrey noted the enthusiasm for reviving it as a cultural venue. Initial concepts included both a performance space and a cinema, although a new independent multiplex, operated by **Forest Cinemas**, has since opened nearby. In 2012, a public inquiry confirmed the feasibility of transforming the site into an entertainment venue. Following its ownership transfer from the Universal Church to the pub chain Antic, which operated it briefly as a bar and performance space, the council acquired it as part of its **London Borough of Culture** legacy project initiated in 2019.
Godfrey highlighted the venue’s unique selling proposition: delivering mid-scale comedy experiences not available elsewhere. “While London hosts smaller venues like Soho Theatre and Leicester Square Theatre for comedy, your only larger option is Hammersmith Apollo, accommodating over 3,500 people. There’s a gap at the mid-tier level with a capacity of around 1,000,” he explained. The main stage at Dean Street holds just 200 seats, yet they have collaborated with many brilliant artists early in their careers who are now well-known names, allowing them to host those talents at a fitting scale. The opening performance will feature Natalie Palamides in her acclaimed show **Weer**, with follow-ups including Ahir Shah’s award-winning performance **Ends** later in May. Walthamstow will also welcome major London performances by Indian comedians like Biswa Kalyan Rath.
The new theatre is set to extend Soho Theatre’s community outreach initiatives. “That’s how we’ve nurtured generations of artists who feel part of the Soho Theatre family,” Babalola remarked. Aspiring artists will have opportunities to participate in creative labs—activities designed to channel inspiration from theatrical experiences into practice. There will also be a Primary Playwrights program aimed at primary school students, where their plays could be staged by professionals, alongside the launch of a Panto Young Company in collaboration with McKenna.
Originally redeveloped in 1930 with exterior designs by Cecil Masey and Theodore Komisarjevsky’s interior work, the venue’s Moorish architecture has been preserved during its “arrested decay” renovation by Willmott Dixon Interiors and Bond Bryan Architects. “We want visitors to sense its historical essence,” Godfrey stated. The theater will honor its musical legacy from the 1960s and its brief period as a Bollywood cinema in the 2000s, while also embodying the avant-garde spirit of Soho Theatre. “It’s truly a spectacular space,” Babalola added. “Many will want to visit just to admire its beauty.”
Comedy aficionados may typically flock to Hammersmith for Apollo shows, but how will they be enticed to travel to Walthamstow, the final stop on the Victoria Line? “It all begins with the programming,” Godfrey emphasized. “We need to present performances that attract audiences, and I believe we’re accomplishing that.” He pointed out that the venue is conveniently located near Walthamstow Central, with easy access via overground trains, the tube, and buses. “We’ll strive to establish it on the cultural map,” he noted, referencing a recent trend toward expanding arts offerings eastward, as seen with Sadler’s Wells’ new venue in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in nearby Stratford.
Walthamstow’s reputation for visual arts is further bolstered by designer William Morris, whose family home in Lloyd Park has transformed into a vibrant gallery. Soho Theatre hopes to leverage the pull of comedy to draw crowds as effectively as Morris once did with his crafts.
