The Odeon cinema in Shaftesbury Avenue

FOR 93 years the Saville Theatre has entertained audiences with both live acts and the stars of the silver screen.

But, at the weekend, the projectors rolled for the last time as the Shaftesbury Avenue cinema turned off the house lights, emptied the popcorn machines and finally said goodbye to one of the West End’s best-known venues.

The Odeon has shut after being bought by Yoo Capital for £30million in 2021 with the developers planning to build 200 rooms and dig a new double-storey basement below the existing one to create a new home for the Cirque Du Soleil.

A smaller scheme was thrown out by the local authority and lost on appeal, and now civic groups are campaigning once again.

Amanda Rigby, from the Covent Garden Community Association, told the Extra: “CGCA’s view is that this is a slap in the face for ordinary people who live in, and visit, the West End, people who want to go to a reasonably priced and accessible mainstream movie cinema.

“This site was one of Odeon’s most profitable in the UK, and the company would have been happy to continue to operate here.

“They have been prevented from upgrading the building in recent years by the actions of the various freeholder owners who have not granted the new lease that would make investment viable.”

The building began life as a theatre in 1931, and was feted for its eye-catching design: murals by AR Thompson decked the foyer and bars, with The Stage warning that they may need to install a warning bell to stop customers lingering for too long in the opulent surroundings.

Bombs hit the cinema in 1941, but that didn’t stop the players.

Wartime revues thrilled Blitz-struck audiences and included an American comedy for visiting GIs stationed in London.

In the post-war period, the theatre enjoyed many long-running hits: Ivor Novello musicals, Peter Ustinov, Laurence Olivier, Arnold Wesker, Sid James and Harry Secombe all enjoyed great success at the venue and it became the home for Gilbert and Sullivan in the West End, until it was given a new role by the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein in the 1960s. Epstein was looking for a West End venue to host gigs.

As well as The Beatles, big name acts also included Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, The Who, Procol Harum and Cream. In 1970 the era of live music came to an end and it was time for cinema chain ABC to take it on. They installed two screens holding well over 1,000 people in total.

And then, in 2001, Odeon created a four-screen venue. While the interior has been altered and many historic features either lost or hidden, the façade retains its listed Gilbert Bayes frieze, representing drama through the ages.

An Odeon spokesman confirmed its closure, adding that no staff had been made redundant.

Their statement added: “Odeon confirms that its Covent Garden cinema has closed due to redevelopment plans taking place at the site by the landlord.

“Supporting the team is our number one priority, and we would like to thank our colleagues for their incredible work over the years at the cinema.We are pleased to confirm that we have secured jobs for the whole Covent Garden team at other cinemas to continue their journeys with Odeon.

“We would like to apologise to our guests for any inconvenience this will cause.”

A spokesperson for Yoo Capital said: “We are working hard to keep 135 Shaftesbury Avenue in use and publicly accessible after Odeon vacates in September.

“We are collaborating with our partners and hope to announce a temporary use while we work with the London borough of Camden on proposals for a new home for Cirque du Soleil, a restaurant, and a citizenM hotel.”