Director of Soho Estates Fawn James and Artistic Director Rachel Edwards together announce the opening programme for the Boulevard as the newly-reimagined venue opens its doors to the public for the first time in October 2019.
The first show will be the London premiere of Dave Malloy’s celebrated song cycle Ghost Quartet brought to life by the team behind the recent hit production of Sweeney Todd which won great acclaim in London and New York. Ghost Quartet will run alongside a packed roster of late-night and Sunday performances of cabaret, improv, jazz, comedy, classical music and poetry. The Boulevard Theatre’s 2020 season will be announced in September.
Ghost Quartet is an intoxicating musical of love, loss and spirits – of both the spectral and alcoholic kind. Wildly inventive, Malloy’s piece draws inspiration from a rich tapestry of work from Arabian Nights and Edgar Allan Poe to Grimms’ fairy tales and Stephen Sondheim, woven together by gospel, honky-tonk, folk ballads, electro-pop and jazz. This hauntingly beautiful song cycle is a story about stories themselves; how we tell them, how we hear them, and how they evolve, intertwine and draw us in.
London’s newest theatre is located in the heart of Soho in Walker’s Court. The venue is situated in the exact location where Fawn James’ grandfather Paul Raymond opened the original Boulevard Theatre which famously became home to Peter Richardson’s Comic Strip.
The Boulevard also announces Greg Hillier as Head Chef of the new restaurant. Greg Hillier has previously worked as Head Chef at The Commonwealth Club and The British Academy. In 2017 he opened the National Army Museum for Searcys and has worked under Michelin trained chefs Arnaud Stevens and Killian Lynch at Sixty-One Restaurant and The Gherkin. He started working in restaurants whilst growing up in Australia, gaining inspiration from the amazing chefs he worked for and learning the importance of local, seasonal ingredients. With over 20 years of experience in kitchens, he is proficient in a variety of cuisines and modern cooking techniques.
At the Boulevard, Hillier will create menus that reflect modern eating habits and cater for every food taste. Throughout the season, the offering will vary to reflect the show running in the auditorium. Menus will lean towards health trends and dietary requirements (such as vegan or coeliac) with a large plant-based offering whilst still giving diners the option to indulge. Food will be vibrant, sensory and informal.
The Boulevard’s restaurant will be open from 8am for breakfast, followed by coffee and cake, brunch and lunch. From mid-afternoon the bar will continue to offer fresh culinary snacks while the Kitchen closes to prepare for the pre-theatre and late evening diners. In the evening guests will be able to choose from small grazing plates, or larger mains that allow for a more formal dining experience. Alongside the daily à la carte menu, a pre-theatre fixed price menu will be available for purchase online in addition to a ticket for a show.
Architects SODA studio, in collaboration with theatre specialists Charcoalblue, have designed an innovative new flexible space which features Europe’s most advanced revolving theatre and a two-floor glass bridge leading to a restaurant and bar area.
Listings for the Late Night and Sunday programme at the Boulevard Theatre can be found here.
