The Theatre Cafe is the theatrical venue for coffee, tea and more among theatre-themed decoration in the heart of London. We managed to have a chat with the café about all things stagey!How did the café come about?
We wanted a destination for those who loved theatre to head to and a place where they could consider which show they might like to see.
How would you describe it to someone that hasn’t heard of it?
It’s the stagiest place in town! We’ve got showtunes playing all day long, memorabilia adorning the walls and even theatre themed drinks. We also get the stars of the West End stopping by to perform and chat about their shows.
What are the opening hours and how can we find you?
We are right in the heart of the West End, on Shaftesbury Avenue just opposite the Queens Theatre. We’re open Monday-Friday 11:30-20:00, Saturday 10:00-20:00 and Sunday 11:00-19:30.
Who did the fabulous design for the café such as the drinks board?
We have close links with all of the big West End marketing companies, so we called upon them to do our design.
What’s the coolest prop you have in the Café?
Oooh, that’s a difficult one. Elphaba’s broom is pretty cool, but so are the platforms from Priscilla Queen of the Dessert and Billy Elliot’s boxing gloves.Is there a prop you would love to have in the Café?
There are so many. We’d love a plaster cast from Dear Evan Hanson, some original skates from Starlight Express or how about a pistol from Hamilton?
How do you come up with the great drink names?
We are a close-knit team that has great fun together so we generally just brainstorm for ideas but every now and then; we ask our followers and get them to vote. We’ve got a new drink coming soon called The Cell Choc Tango, to celebrate the return of Chicago to the West End, which a fan came up with.
Apart from great coffee what else can people get at the Café?
We do milkshakes, smoothies, hot chocolate, cold drinks, cookies, cakes, but most of all you’ll get a warm welcome!
Can you tell us about your open mic sessions, how can people get involved?
We run our open mic sessions every Tuesday and Sunday from 2-4pm and you can just turn up. All you need to do is decide on a showtune, tell one of our team and get ready to belt it out.You have some great live performances in the café can you tell us about any lined up?
We’ve got a few very exciting ones lined up that we can’t tell you about because they aren’t 100% confirmed as yet, but we are able to tell you about the new Genie from Disney’s Aladdin popping in. Michael James Scott will be performing at The Theatre Café on 16 August at 5:30pm and we can’t wait! You can keep up to date with all of our events on our website and watch videos of our previous guests there too.
Who’s been your favourite stagey visitor?
It has to be Kristin Chenoweth. Despite being a big star, she was humble, kind and just a beautiful soul. We were all star struck and we’d love to see her again.
What song gets played the most on the Jukebox?
It varies depending on what’s new. The Wicked album is always played a lot, but more recently it’s been the Broadway cast recording of Mean Girls, with songs like “Revenge Party” and “Stupid with Love” and Heathers the Musical that have been the most popular.
Where can people follow the Cafe on Twitter/Facebook/YouTube etc?
We are @thetheatrecafe on Twitter, @theatrecafeuk on Instagram, The Theatre Cafe on Facebook and Youtube. Our website is www.thetheatrecafe.co.uk.
