Esher Theatre announces opening date

Esher Theatre will be a "multi-faceted entertainment venue for the arts" according to the team behind the project, and will open with a full programme of events lined up from Saturday, September 4.

The venue, purportedly the first of its kind in the town, will host everything from live music, fashion events, dance, comedy, theatre and poetry as its team aim to bring what they hope will be a welcome injection of live culture to the area.

It is located at the Sandown Racecourse end of Esher High Street, where the former Elmbridge King George’s Hall has been restored and transformed into the new venue.

The theatre will boast a 240 maximum capacity auditorium with variable seating arrangements and "the very best in lighting equipment and sound" from providers Funktion-One.

The team behind Esher Theatre ahead of the September 4 opening

Meanwhile a box office/bar/coffee shop offering exclusively local produce from companies such as Big Smoke Brewery, Silent Pool Gin, Brown Bag Crisps along with a wide variety of wine features, along with three "fully refurbished" dressing rooms and a Green Room, plus plenty of outside seating space and themed gardens.

"Over the lockdown living in the area I decided to create something and restore this building back to health as an entertainment venue. There's nothing like us around here," Owner and Artistic Director Charlie Swift said.

"It's drastically changed and a brand new venue, we'll be opening our doors for the first time ever in September," he said.

"The focus is on bringing the West End, local," Lisa Black, also on the new Esher Theatre team, added.

Opening night on September 4 will feature Lee John of Imagination and Shakattack, with other big names such as comedy legends Andy Parsons and Harry Hill billed later in the year.

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