HomeArts & LifestyleDominion Theatre completes £6m restoration

Dominion Theatre completes £6m restoration

London’s Dominion Theatre, home to Christopher Wheeldon’s adaptation of Hollywood musical An American in Paris, has completed a £6 million restoration and unveils a brand new double-sided LED screen on Tottenham Court Road, the largest and highest resolution projecting screen on the exterior of a West End theatre.
The extensive restoration of this landmark Grade II listed building, which sits majestically at the junction of Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road, was started in 2014 and is now finally complete with the unveiling of the beautifully restored theatre façade and brand new digital screen. All areas of the theatre were involved in the full renovation, including the installation of a new flying system and the enlargement of the orchestra pit to facilitate large scale productions, and a full refurbishment of all five bars and ninety-five toilets front of house. Nearly 1.2 acres of bespoke carpets were laid front of house and over 400 gallons of paint used in the reconditioning of the gold detailing and plasterwork of the proscenium arch, auditorium ceiling, foyers and hospitality suites. All of the theatre’s seats were reupholstered and additional French polished handrails added to aid accessibility inside the auditorium. The electrics and lighting fixtures also received an overhaul with the use of enough cable to stretch 4500 times the length of the Eiffel Tower.

The historic Dominion Theatre first opened in 1929 and has played host to countless legendary stars (including Judy Garland, Shirley MacLaine, Maurice Chevalier, Sophie Tucker, Jeanette Macdonald and David Bowie) and seven Royal Variety Performances. In 1931, Charlie Chaplin made a personal appearance at the UK premiere of City Lights (the classic silent film he directed, wrote and starred in). Over the years, the theatre has also welcomed many prestigious companies, lavish stage productions and long-running shows including: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake; London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet); Welsh National Opera and the Olivier Awards.

An American in Paris has been ecstatically received by audiences and critics, earning an incredible 28 five star reviews when it opened at the Dominion Theatre in March this year. It has now extended booking though to the end of January 2018.

The cast of An American in Paris is led by Leanne Cope (as Lise Dassin) and Ashley Day (as Jerry Mulligan) with Haydn Oakley as Henri Baurel, Zoë Rainey as Milo Davenport, David Seadon-Young as Adam Hochberg and Jane Asher as Madame Baurel*. The company also features Julian Forsyth and Ashley Andrews, Sophie Apollonia, Zoe Arshamian, Sarah Bakker, James Barton, Alicia Beck, Chrissy Brooke, James Butcher, Jonathan Caguioa, Jennifer Davison, Katie Deacon, Rebecca Fennelly, Sebastian Goffin, Alyn Hawke, Nicky Henshall, Genevieve Heron, Amy Hollins, Frankie Jenna, Justin-Lee Jones, Robin Kent, Kristen McGarrity, Julia J. Nagle, Daniela Norman, Pippa Raine, Aaron Smyth, Todd Talbot, Max Westwell, Jack Wilcox, Carrie Willis, Stuart Winter and Liam Wrate. *From Monday 4 September, the role of Madame Baurel will be played by Julie Legrand.

See AnAmericanInParisTheMusical.co.uk for more details and to book.

Greg Jameson
Greg Jameson
Book editor, with an interest in cult TV.

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