Casino plans for Hippodrome could save Matcham design

Published Tuesday 7 March 2006 at 15:35 by Nuala Calvi

Leicester Square’s Hippodrome will be transformed into an up-market casino and the original features of the Frank Matcham-designed theatre restored, under a £8 million proposal submitted to Westminster City Council.

Casino operators United Leisure Gaming Limited plan to turn the site, home of Cirque nightclub, into an “entertainment destination”, incorporating “theatrical” cabaret performances on a newly-created mezzanine level.

The plans fall short of returning the venue to its original use as a fully operating theatre but designers claim the limited stage area and lack of backstage facilities mean that is not viable. However, they say any changes made to the Grade II listed building will be reversible, so it can be used as a performance venue in the future.

Ian Whitfield, of architects Scott Brownrigg, said: “Our proposal is to strip away everything put in since the late fifties and bring it back to its former splendour. We are not bringing it back to use as a full theatre but we are encorporating a space for cabaret-style dinner shows. It will be a private members’ club, centred around a sophisticated gaming floor, with live shows, a good quality restaurant, a piano bar and a hospitality suite.”

The plans involve replacing part of the existing stalls level with a raised floor, to allow gaming to take place on one level, and constructing a restaurant with tiered seating on top of the existing concrete balcony.

The upper gallery fronts, original ceiling, minstrels’ gallery and limelight galleries will be revealed by pulling away a false ceiling. Friezes, scroll work, cornices and other elements will be repaired or replaced using the original patterns.

Mhora Samuel, director of the Theatres Trust, said: “Given that the planning application internal views appear very sensitive to the character of the building, that no other theatre operator has come forward and that there is significant restoration to the building, this would appear to be a constructive scheme. It saves a unique theatre and provides it with a viable use. However, we would want to be assured that the restoration was of the highest quality and further consideration given to maximising restoration activity to enhance the theatre-casino feel the scheme proposes.”

The Hippodrome was built in 1900 as a circus theatre, with an arena stage featuring a large circular drum which could be filled with water for shows involving elephants and polar bears.

It was turned into a variety theatre in 1905 and then converted into a club in the fifties to house The Talk of the Town. It was taken over by Peter Stringfellow in the seventies and has been used as a nightclub ever since.