Cirque du Soleil to set up home in London

Is London about to get a permanent circus building?

Canadian circus giant Cirque du Soleil is in the process of making the capital’s Saville Theatre its UK base.

The theatre, which was turned into a cinema in 1970 has been bought by Yoo Capital which has teamed up with Soleil to restore the 110,000 sq ft, grade II-listed building.

Eric Grilly, president of resident and affiliate show divisions at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, said “We see a unique opportunity to bring back live entertainment to a beloved venue with fresh content and new ideas.”

Lloyd Lee, managing partner at Yoo Capital, said, “Yoo Capital is thrilled to have the opportunity to restore the theatre’s original purpose as a live performance space in partnership with the world’s most reputable live performers, Cirque du Soleil, who have chosen to explore the potential for the Saville to be their first ever permanent experience in London.”

Before circuses travelled in big tops, they were staged in temporary or permanent buildings. The grandest was Astley's Amphitheatre. Known throughout upmarket society simply as Astley's, the landmark venue was mentioned in novels by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

The last circus building still in use for its original purpose is the Yarmouth Hippodrome. But London may be about to get a new one.

 

Pablo Fanque, Britain's first Black circus proprietor, gets blue plaque in Leeds

There aren't many blue plaques dedicated to circus performers, but there are now at least three devoted to Britain's - and probably the world's - first Black circus owner, Pablo Fanque.

One is on the wall of the John Lewis store in Norwich, close to where Fanque (real name William Darby) was born in 1810. A second is at Sheffield's Castlegate.

The latest plaque has been unveiled on a Leeds shopping centre close to where Fanque was buried in 1871.

Fanque's wife Susannah was killed in Leeds when an amphitheatre owned by him collapsed in 1848. Although Fanque later remarried, it was his final wish to be buried alongside her.

The plaque was unveiled on 16 September by Chris Barltrop dressed as Philip Astley, assisted by Shawn Ashworth dressed as Fanque and Deborah Sanderson, from the Urban Angels aerial group, dressed as Fanque's wife, Susannah.

Speeches were given by Jane Taylor, Chair of the Leeds Civic Trust, and circus historian Dr Steve Ward, who played a large part in getting Fanque honoured.

The ceremony was witnessed by 100 onlookers plus BBC and ITV local news crews.

Later in the afternoon, Barltrop performed his play Audacious Mr Astley at the nearby City Varieties Theatre.

The real life Astley had introduced circus to Leeds with open-air performances there in 1773.

For more information on the story of Pablo Fanque, click here.