Last updated: 28 January 2025
Next review: 28 January 2026
The development won the New London Awards 2020 Conserving Unbuilt Prize, a category for the restoration of buildings, across any sector, where efficient use is made of existing fabric and embodied energy.
Waltham Forest Council restores and reopens its 960-seat Grade II* listed cultural venue and welcomes Soho Theatre Walthamstow to manage the venue in early 2025.
After a £30m investment, the council has returned the much-loved heritage landmark venue to its former glory, transforming the former Granada Cinema into a multi-purpose cultural venue, offering the borough’s residents, communities and businesses an invaluable asset for many years to come.
The venue’s revival is part of the council’s London Borough of Culture 2019 legacy commitment to place culture at the heart of its communities. The venue will help boost the local evening and night-time economy and support our existing businesses and residents.
The council is working in partnership with Soho Theatre, a charity and social enterprise, London-based theatre company. Soho Theatre Walthamstow is a community interest company - a local theatre with a national profile, who will operate the venue and present the biggest names in comedy and live performance.
The new venue will be a high-profile, high-quality cultural offer in the borough, offering:
- A 960-seat theatre
- Restored Grade II* listed auditorium
- A selection of the best live comedy, music and theatre, from all over the UK and internationally
- One-off film events and streaming of major cultural and special events. A range of events and activities
- Four buzzing bars where artists, audiences and locals can meet and mingle together (main Foyer, Ziggurat, Cross Hall and Circle).
- Community studio space
- A restaurant catering for the local community and visiting audiences
- Community and outreach programmes
Soho Theatre’s wide-ranging programme will be announced in early 2025 and the venue will mark its opening with a series of community-focused events before Soho’s official opening in 2025. Over the past decade, Soho Theatre has established strong connections with many schools, youth, and other community groups across the borough. Its community outreach work in Walthamstow is being overseen by Jessica Draper, Soho Theatre’s Head of Creative Engagement.
The council consulted extensively with local residents, businesses, and community groups in developing the plans for the venue, which respect the heritage, architecture and design of the much-loved art deco building. The Council worked closely with specialists from Historic England to ensure that the former Granada Cinema, one of the best surviving examples of Spanish-Arabic architecture in the country, would be restored to its full glory, sensitively and respectfully. Historic England’s Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk scheme supported the restoration project.
The building is fitted with much needed efficiency and sustainability measures for its age and size. The council has worked with developer Willmott Dixon Interiors and Bond Bryan Architects Ltd on the restoration and build.
A look inside the historic venue
Timeline for development
- 2019: London Borough of Waltham Forest purchase the building
- May 2019: Contractors Willmott Dixon commence safety works
- 22 May 2019: Launch event for the start of works
- May 2019 to January 2020: Essential safety works take place
- January 2020: Pre-planning consultations
- May 2020: Willmott Dixon take possession of the site
- 2 June 2020: Planning and listed consent is granted
- Summer 2020: Start of early refurbishment
- 24 August 2020: The Council takes possession of the whole of the site
- 2022: New name, Soho Theatre Walthamstow, announced
- 2025: Announcement of Soho Theatre Walthamstow programme
- 2025: Soho Theatre Walthamstow opens
Planning applications
The development’s planning application (ref 201007) and Listed Building Consent application (ref 201008) were approved by the council’s Planning Committee on Tuesday 2 June 2020.
Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre are a charity and social enterprise who built their famed West End venue nearly 25 years ago. They are now one of London’s busiest theatres showing award-winning theatre, comedy and cabaret. They identify and nurture new talent as well as working with big names, and also run education, participation, and talent development for people of all ages.
The former Granada Cinema will be their second venue, joining Dean Street in central London.
Soho Theatre Walthamstow is a community interest company and its vision for the new venue reimagines cine-variety for the 21st century. As a local theatre with a national profile, it will be rooted in its community while attracting audiences and media attention from across London and the UK.