Events
Planning Permission secured for new theatre to house Soldier of Orange - The Musical in London
Planning permission has been granted by Newham Council for a 1,150 seat theatre to be built in London’s Royal Docks.
The new venue, named Royal Docks Theatre, is to be the purpose-built home for the acclaimed historical Dutch theatre experience Soldier of Orange - The Musical which is coming to London for the first time. Situated within the heart of the history and one of London’s most substantially bombed areas during The Blitz, the WWII theatrical experience will be at the centre of the Royal Dock’s regeneration.
Soldier of Orange - The Musical has been seen by over 3 million people in Holland, has broken all Dutch theatre records and celebrated nine years of sold-out shows. Based on the autobiography of Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, a renowned Dutch resistance fighter and British RAF war pilot, who chronicled his remarkable WW2 experiences in his book of the same name.
Soldier of Orange’s pioneering use of 360-degree ‘SceneAround’ staging – a revolutionary theatre technology especially engineered for this production and to be used in the UK for the first time - pulls the audience directly into Erik’s story, delivering a unique theatrical experience.
Our capital’s cultural scene is proudly international and I am delighted that the Royal Docks will play such a key role in bringing this landmark Dutch play to a fresh audience. The new theatre will be another great boost to east London’s growing cultural offering.
Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE
As the story unfolds, the entire seating platform with 1,150 seats rotates along a 360-degree panoramic set, by turns revealing an actual 150-foot-wide coastline with sea, sand and rainstorms, student dorms, interrogation cells, a palace and a real DC3 Dakota Airplane.
The planning permission granted was for a temporary 1,150 seat theatre, located within a 3 minute walk of Beckton Park station, for five years plus a restaurant meaning the creation of up to 150 new jobs across construction, hospitality and for the production itself. The choice of location for this innovative and immersive theatrical experience ties in perfectly with the identity of the Royal Docks, as it establishes itself as a hub and destination for innovation, economic prosperity and culture for years to come.
To register for updates and information on when tickets go on sale go to www.SoldierOfOrange.com
