The first two shows at Marble Arch’s newest theatre have been announced
Bringing the drama
Sometimes, when you have to temporarily close one thing, the only solution is to build a bigger and better stopgap in its place. Right? Well, at least that’s how the folks over at the Bijoux Arts Theatre in the West End felt. After announcing a period of closure for refurbs, the same team were set to build a temporary theatre with around 600 seats, right next to the existing theatre. Better the devil you know?
As slightly unusual as it sounds, the project seems to be well underway with the bigger theatre gearing up to open its doors. Named The Arts at Marble Arch, the venue will open up this summer, with two hit musicals to bring that opening season razzle-dazzle.
Kicking off the inaugural season will be the beloved musical Heathers, which will begin its run on July 9th, with a limited 52-performance run, wrapping up on August 22nd. The cult musical adapted from the black comedy starring Winona Ryder has seen a fair few London runs, with its last production taking place at London’s Sohoplace in June 2024.
Excitingly, the next production to follow it is Burlesque, the first ever return of the musical adaptation since its baffling brief run back in 2025. The musical, which is an adaptation of the hit Christina Aguilera and Cher film, came into London’s West End for a very short run at the end of last year, ultimately wrapping up to make way for the hit Paddington musical.
Despite being executive-produced by Aguilera and having a successful debut on Broadway, it fell slightly flat with UK audiences, so the new production at The Arts at Marble Arch might be just the comeback the show needs. They have announced Cassidy Jason in a leading role, a bit of a West End legend having won Olivier Awards for her performance in & Juliet, and has starred in numerous productions including the 2018 revival of Chess, Candide, Avenue Q, and Wicked. It will be kicking off on September 12th, running until January 2027, so there’s plenty of time – and tickets – to see it.
Tickets are currently on sale for both productions, with Burlesque tickets starting at £30 for the nosebleeds and ranging up to £178 for the up-close front row-ers. Pricing for Heathers is similar, with the cheapest tickets around £35 for the rear stalls, and the most expensive at £70 - £85.
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