Leicester reopens its Haymarket Theatre!

There's some great news for the community and future of the culture scene in Leicester with the return of the Haymarket Theatre. It's back and from a sneak peak, it has a lot of exciting stuff to offer! I'm pretty damn excited about it!

Following on from a 3.6 million revamp, the theatre has reopened on 2nd March 2018 after 11 years of fading into the background and becoming forgotten about. Leicester already has great art venues in the likes of Curve, De Montfort Hall, Y Theatre, and Phoenix Cinema. The Haymarket Theatre will become a modern multi-purpose entertainment venue. It definitely has a place in our city's cultural scene and its vibrant new look is exactly what it needs.

Leicester's Haymarket Theatre is an important asset to the history of Leicester's culture scene, it closed just over a year before the Curve Theatre was erected in 2008. Earlier on in Haymarket Theatre's history,  having Robert Mandell as Musical Director meant the theatre developed on a massive scale. It started to become famous for its stage musicals, many of which actually transferred to London, and Broadway. The Haymarket also mounted musicals in collaboration with Cameron Mackintosh, including the likes of 'My Fair Lady', and 'Oklahoma'.

The venue's programme will offer music, drama, comedy, dance and e-sports, as well as being able to provide spaces for functions and exhibitions too. It has a lot to offer to the community of Leicester and will be a beneficial space for the local universities and colleges too.

The revamped auditorium holds 901 seats overlooking still the largest stage in the UK. What I love about this theatre is the incredible accessibility to see the stage from wherever you are seated, perfect. The Haymarket Theatre will also have production facilities and the backstage areas have been refurbished. The theatre will also provide a new 'green screen' room and TV gallery, with some exciting collaborations in e-sports offering something different to the city of Leicester that is extremely appealing for new people to walk through the doors. The dressing rooms have been painted in colours inspired by Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the musical that had its first major production a the Leicester Haymarket Theatre.

Already on the bill for 2018 at the Haymarket Theatre are the likes of Ballet Theatre UK in March, The Circus of Horrors and the FunkNation 5th Birthday Party in April.

It's really exciting to see the Haymarket Theatre back and I can't wait to see what stuff it has going on over the upcoming months and years.

You can find out more about the new Leicester Haymarket Theatre and their upcoming events by visiting their official website.