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Arts Theatre

1979

The Arts makes no grand architectural statement, but it is remarkable in other ways, as one of the first theatres in the heart of the West End to which the term ‘fringe’ might reasonably be applied and also, in one of its manifestations, as the only building-based children’s theatre in such a location (the Unicorn). The facade is older than the theatre in red brick with a plain rendered ground floor, giant pilasters uniting second and third floors, framing a shallow central recess containing a canted bay. The Arts Theatre Club, founded in 1927, built their two-tier basement theatre in the building leased from the Salisbury Estate, to the designs of P Morley Horder, at a cost of £18,500. Altered and redecorated by Basil Ionides in 1934, its auditorium and stage boxes were severely damaged by fire in 1951 but immediately reconstructed. The main house is currently a 350-seat proscenium arch theatre. The auditorium is rectangular, with an end balcony and side slips and is architecturally undemonstrative. A 60-seat studio theatre situated on the first floor called Above the Arts was opened in March 2015. Access to the studio is via street level doors and up 23 steps. It is entirely separate from the main house and has no level access. Proposals to redevelop the building in the future include a slightly smaller new theatre.

Built / Converted
1927
Dates of use
  • 1927 : continuing
Current state
Extant
Current use
Theatre
Address
6-7 Great Newport Street, London, Westminster, WC2H 7JB, England
Further details
Other names
New Arts , Unicorn
Events
  • Owner/Management: Salisbury Estate, freeholder
  • 1927 Owner/Management: Arts Theatre Club, lessee
  • 1927 Design/Construction: internal conversion of existing building
    P Morley Horder
    - Architect
  • 1927 Use: continuing
  • 1934 Alteration: altered and redecorated.
    Basil Ionides
    - Consultant
    decorations
  • 1951 Alteration: reconstructed after fire
  • 1962 - 1964 Owner/Management: Nat Cohen, owner of Arts Theatre Club
  • 1973 - 1999 Owner/Management: Unicorn Theatre
  • 2010 Owner/Management: Arts Theatre London
Capacities
  • Capacity
    Original
    Description
    324
  • Capacity
    Current
    Description
    340
Listings
  • Listing
    Not listed
Stage type
Proscenium. Raked
Building dimensions: -
Stage dimensions: -
Proscenium width: 6.17m
Height to grid: 12.5m
Inside proscenium: -
Orchestra pit: -