New owner for Saville Theatre

Theatres Trust responds to the news that the theatre has been bought by Yoo Capital.

Theatres Trust is pleased to see the building's new owners indicate that it may once again be used for live performance. However, at this stage we would have to reserve expressing support until we understand more about their intentions. 

Alongside loss of cultural provision one of the main reasons the previous scheme failed was harm to the building's special character and significance as a Grade II listed heritage asset. Any future plans would have to be mindful of this.

We had positive engagement with Yoo Capital ahead of their theatre plans for the Olympia site and hope they will again engage with us positively at an early stage for the Odeon/Saville.

The Saville is considered by Theatres Trust to be an architecturally and culturally important building and we objected when planning permission was previously sought to convert the building into a hotel with a small ‘replacement’ cinema in the basement. We were a main party at the Public Inquiry when two appeals were launched against the decision not to grant planning permission. Read more about the Public Inquiry and our role.