Windmill Theatre in Soho to reopen under new ownership

The Windmill in Soho will open in August 2021.

In recent years, new London theatres have cropped up all over the city; the Boulevard Theatre and the Turbine Theatre to name a couple. But, a new venue has been greenlit in a matter of days, as The Windmill Soho reopens from August 2021.

Talks were first reported in The Times by David Brown, with the famous venue set to reopen again. Actors including Alan Cumming, Taron Egerton and singer Paloma Faith are just some of the celebrity supporters to get the Windmill open again, which at one point was Britain's most famous strip club.

Following a £10 million restoration, The Windmill has been revamped as The Windmill Soho, with a seating capacity of 350. Upcoming programming aims to host the biggest names in entertainment, as well as variety acts and a resident compère. The dining menu at the Windmill Soho has been created by Michelin starred Chef Andrew McLeish.

Previously the Palais de Luxe building, Laura Henderson bought the venue in 1930, renaming it The Windmill. In its early years, Henderson hired Vivian Van Damm, who created a long-running variety show. Notably, the Windmill was home to the Windmill Girls, a group of women who would pose as living statues, also dancing with fans to hide their naked bodies.

In 2005, the BBC premiered Mrs Henderson Presents, a comedy-drama inspired by events at the Windmill. The movie was eventually adapted into a musical, which ran at the Noel Coward Theatre for four months, starring Tracie Bennett, Emma Williams and Robert Hands.

Plans to restore the Windmill were discussed by Westminster City Council on Thursday, 18 March.

^{Photo credit: The Windmill Soho (Photo courtesy of Bell Co)}

^{Article Originally Published: 16 March 2021}