Odeon Luxe London Leicester Square
26 Leicester Square,
London,
WC2H 7LQ
26 Leicester Square,
London,
WC2H 7LQ
45 people
favorited this theater
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Review: Odeon LUXE Leicester Square Dolby Cinema
I should probably not that unlike the previous iteration, the screen is CIH, so the tabs only open outwards. While screen does appear roughly same size as it was previously for 2.40:1 films, for 1.85 content it’s definitely smaller because of that.
Kers: All’s well that ends well! :–)
I’m wondering whether to go in the new year after the finishing touches are added. Hmm…
NB my earlier comments about Circle/Stalls were based on the online booking system referring to the stalls and Royal Circle as Luxe Recliner, albeit with four price options. The first time visitor might not realise these seats are split between ‘upstairs’ and ‘downstairs’. There are references to Royal Circle etc elsewhere and it is good to see the signage in place. Looking forward to my first visit!
Photo of doors to “Royal Circle”.
This nomenclature has definitively been kept!
Black marble wall finish and parquet floor—very nice.
antovolk: thank you – it is fantastic to see this iconic cinema open for business.
antovolk: Many thanks for the photos!
As I previously mentioned, from my conversation with someone from GF Holding (main contractor) on the 19th, they will be returning in January to finish off. It appears that one of the temporary doors that they said will be replaced can be seen in your photo.
Seated inside, looks very very nice. Movable tabs definitely kept and the screen is raised compared to how it was in the past, likely so circle can get better view and that it’s more square to the projector position. (But I guess that’s why they put recliners in stalls, with them fully extended you don’t need to crane your neck up to the screen). Plus, organ performances of the Poppins songs….
One thing – no flying ladies installed yet! Guess they’re still working on them.
My photos. – https://twitter.com/antovolk/status/1076054220145610752?s=19
Addendum: And, after all the discussion about the use of the terms “stalls” and “circle”:
Under the “Cinema Info” tab.
To quote:
“In the Stalls and Royal Circle, our handmade Luxe recliners[…]
“The exclusive Royal Box hosts 22 sumptuous full-recliners with extra width[…]
“In the Upper Circle, our Luxe Classic seats adjust for the perfect viewing experience.”
Phew!
Another page on Odeon’s site:
History of Odeon Luxe Leicester Square.
Some new information:
Some names of royalty and stars that have visited the cinema are “etched […] into the screen entrance doors.”
(Possibly not “new” information!) “The Duchess” […] organ has an impressive 1,400 pipes controlled by five keyboards.”
Photos of the cinema under construction, “The Duchess,” and a few exterior night shots are included on the page.
FanaticalAboutOdeon: Many thanks for your detailed post on the “plenum”-type systems used in earlier times.
Thank goodness I never had to experience “smoke-filled” auditoria—it sounds like enough to make one stay at home! Of course, it does explain why systems with high air change rates were needed.
Thanks to Google’s 3D aerial imagery, I’m assuming that the left one can be seen just behind the bend in the rooftop ducts on the adjacent property:
Google Maps—3D View of the OLS
It would seem that the right one must have been blocked when the “Mezzanine” block was built.
I’m slightly surprised that you say that the OLS did not originally include full air conditioning; certainly the Empire had a “Carrier” system when it first opened.
Remarkably, a CIBSE Heritage Group newsletter includes a photo of the “British Thomson-Houston 200 TR water-vapour refrigeration machine […] installed [in the OLS] in 1937.”
(P.S. For the sake of completeness!—details of what, presumably, are the current rooftop chiller units are available in a 2010 planning application.)
FanaticalAboutOdeon:
Perhaps I shouldn’t have used the word “clearly!”
To you, or I, and perhaps anybody reading this, the idea that the terms “stalls” and “circle” could cause confusion might seem absurd. The only way of finding out the answer with reasonable certainty would be to conduct a formal survey!
At the Empire Leicester Square, the two seating sections in the 1962 auditorium were, in my experience, never referred to as “upstairs” and “downstairs.” Certainly, when booking tickets online, they were referred to as “stalls” and “circle,” and the same is true of the E-tickets that I still have in my E-mailbox, the last being couple of years before the conversion.
(I’m not sure why there are no saved E-tickets from 2013; I must have decided that paying the online booking fee was pointless as the auditorium was invariably so empty that there was no need to book in advance!)
So, given that a member of staff, pointing to a seating diagram which, IIRC, was marked “stalls” and “circle” referred to them as “upstairs” and “downstairs” suggests, perhaps, that other patrons were confused. Incidentally, I was taken aback by this, and responded with “stalls!”
Be it that “circle” and “stalls” are, strictly, “incorrect” in the case of the 1962 Empire, and other similarly configured auditoria, and as the first row of its stadia was (and is!) elevated above stalls level, one would always have to climb a few steps to access the seating (hence the accessible spaces in the IMAX are in the single row in front of the stadia,) “upstairs” and “downstairs” may well be equally “incorrect,”—but they don’t sound anywhere near as “classy!”
I notice that the renderings of the OLS circle foyer include a sign marked “CIRCLE BOX” by the new central vomitory entrance, and, obviously, as I keep using the terms “Stalls,” “Circle,” and for that matter “Royal Circle,” I’m keen for continuity in this respect.
It is far from an ideal configuration for a cinema (or a theatre for that matter?) in terms of providing an optimal experience for patrons.
However, it is unfortunate than a “black box” auditoria have become the standard for new builds and refits, but it seems that decorative features are now largely confined to foyer/lobby areas. There really is nothing stopping auditoria from having suitably dark walls (to maximise projected image contrast) and the substantial acoustic treatment needed whilst having a more imaginatively finished interior—certainly the standard stretched fabric systems (that hide the acoustic absorption underneath) are very flexible (the profiles that are used to hold/tension the fabric can be used to form different shapes,) and modern LEDs provide numerous options for a fully conceived approach to lighting.
Exactly! I had a conversation with someone that went something along these lines:
“I’ve booked tickets for the reopening day of the Odeon Leicester Square.” “Aren’t they £40? It’s not aimed at people like myself.” “No, I paid much less than that on the first day, and the ticket prices vary depending on where you sit.” “Oh, but £40? Not for me…(!)”
Not only were there a spate of press coverage when the ticket pricing was first revealed publically, but this same figure is being repeated in later articles!
On the other hand, I am not the only person that took photos outside the OLS as the refurbishment was being finished for reopening!
It is, perhaps iconic more than any other cinema in the UK, and its dominance over the square draws attention unlike any other.
By the sounds of it, this system is due to be rolled out to other locations?
I’m willing to pay as much as £30.75 on occasion given, as you say, the high cost of preserving and upgrading the OLS (£10-15m was publically disclosed as the projected cost before the works had been contracted out; have you any idea of the actual magnitude of cost incurred?)
BTW, in the mid-1990s, the cost of entry for a weekday matinee seat was between £4-6 depending on the seating area chosen—which, given inflation, equates to about double that in today’s money.
joeswin: I’d like to echo CF100’s thanks for the link to such a comprehensive and absorbing review of the Odeon’s transformation.
With regards to the 1937 tabs being replicated, the word “curtains” being plural is encouraging as the safety curtain is, by its very nature, a solid piece of equipment which, surely, no one would refer to as “curtains”. Even “curtain” is something of a misnomer for what is actually a fireproof screen or panel – as in “curtain wall”.
During any redecoration/refurbishment of a cinema’s interior where the tabs (colloquial expression used in the industry and a contraction of “tableau curtain”) are being replaced, such stage draperies are usually among the last items to go in, being hung only once the paint is dry and the dust has settled. This would account for the artist’s renderings of the auditorium including an illustration of the Odeon’s safety curtain as a means of showing where the screen will go.
The Odeon’s main or house curtains immediately behind the painted safety curtain were in multi-layered silver satin and although side opening on a motorised track, had huge festooning panels of satin overlaying the basic curtains. The panels rose from either side of the proscenium to an apex in the centre. The whole made for a magnificent setting when lit by both footlights and pageant lights mounted on the balcony front. These would open to reveal another set of tabs, the screen tabs, which were in a similar fabric but with a simpler design near the bottom. When these parted, the screen itself was revealed. A third track was originally provided with velvet tabs but these were used only for stage presentations and concerts. When the CinemaScope screen frame was built in the early ‘fifties, the third set of tabs was removed as the deeper screen frame needed for the new screen’s curvature and masking panels/tracks would have fouled them. History was repeated when a second screen and frame was more recently installed for showing 3D product. When either in use or flown above the stage, this frame would have fouled the house tabs thus, in recent times, only the 1998 blue satin screen tabs have been in use albeit nicely lit and a pleasure to see.
Both sets of original tabs were replaced in 1968 during the cinema’s modernisation, house tabs by velvet tabs in alternate panels of orange and cherry red, screen tabs in plain silver satin. All change again in 1987 when the 1968 tabs were replaced by house tabs in grey velvet with a pink appliqued design echoing the curving neon displays on the splay walls. The screen tabs this time were in copper coloured plain satin. These lasted until 1998 when two new sets of tabs were hung – both in the same grey satin fabric. A few months later, the screen tabs were replaced with a pair in light blue satin and these closed for the final time last January.
A good replication of the original house tabs would be the “icing on the cake” for me and the “golden age” of cinemagoing really would have returned.
joeswin: Thanks for the link!
To summarise the “new” information according to the article, with comments:
The “screen” weighs 25 tonnes, and is suspended from the “ceiling.” This is more than double the weight of the screen frame of the IMAX across the square, so I assume this includes everything (speakers and whatever is required to allow the frame to move back and forth.)
“If you’re sitting in the top tier then you’ll see some nice wood panelling, which also has the effect of insulating sound waves.” This was shown in the stalls also in the renderings, and presumably its primary intended function is not to “insulate” the auditorium but rather to absorb sounds within, reducing wall reflections. As I mentioned previously, my guess is this is an “acoustic wood panel”-type product.
Each of the 400 speakers are “controlled individually”—I wonder quite what is meant—whether “active” line arrays, which allow for the dispersion pattern to be altered by changing the input to each set of drivers, are used? If this is the case, it would be one incredibly expensive installation for a cinema.
Background sound levels in the auditorium controlled to NC25—that is, very quiet indeed!
the article suggests that the original screen tabs from 1937 have been replicated….heres hoping !!
https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/behind-scenes-dolby-cinema-odeon-3635999
A few more details in the above link (although mostly what we’ve read before)plus a mention of curtains, which I don’t really understand. At least there’s not long to wait to find out now!
CF100: “Clearly the terms "stalls” and “circle” must be rather confusing to the average patron…“ suggests the average cinemagoer is unfamiliar with conventional live theatres which I find hard to believe. Traditional proscenium arch theatres have long used the terms stalls and circle to differentiate between, respectively, ground floor seating (sloping or echelonical, towards the stage) and first floor balcony seating. This obviously equates to downstairs or upstairs. Most such theatres have two or even three balconies so add Dress or Royal to the lowest and most expensive and Upper or Grand to the next one up. A third floor balcony will be known as the Gallery (or, colloquially, the Gods!).
London has the densest concentration of such live theatres in the world and every large British city and most towns have at least one such theatre. Because seating areas higher than first floor balcony level would provide a distorted view of the screen, cinemas, unlike theatres, rarely if ever had more than one balcony so simply calling the areas stalls and circle has always been sufficient to differentiate. When cinemas were designed on the stadium principle and had raised seating areas behind the usual stalls level rather than in an overhanging balcony, these additional areas were also referred to as “circle”, so well known were the terms. The 1962 Empire Leicester Square you mentioned was a stadium cinema and “upstairs” and “downstairs” was therefore the easiest way of describing the different levels as although you didn’t need to ascend a dedicated staircase to reach your so-called circle seat, you nevertheless needed to climb steps within the auditorium – usually two steps between every two rows of seats.
While the design of the average live theatre provided the architectural template for all but the smallest purpose-built cinemas right up until recent times when multiplexes introduced us to less theatrical “black boxes” reminiscent of the more utilitarian viewing room surroundings, when live theatres were converted to cinema use balconies above first floor level were often closed off. London’s Dominion, Tottenham Court Road was an example when Todd-AO films famously replaced stage shows at the venue.
Referring to cinemas as theatres was also thought to make them sound more impressive and, typically, all Odeons when built were known as Odeon Theatres and individually registered companies as e.g. “Odeon Theatre (York) Ltd.”, despite relatively few having the fully-fledged stage facilities with which the Odeon Leicester Square was, and is, endowed.
I’m sure I’ll be “swimming against the tide” here (!) but I like the “intelligent ticketing” system employed at OLS. The same company, and others like it, also provide the ultra-flexible pricing/booking schemes for railway operators, airlines etc. where demand comes in many different forms. Re. OLS, I’ve seen a number of articles where outrage has been expressed at the maximum ticket price of £40.75 but not one which tells readers/listeners they can get into the same performance for £10.75. I think it’s ingenious that the price of any one seat can now be established by taking into account so many different factors including position in auditorium, time of day, anticipated success (or otherwise) of film, and stage of run. There is a very influential “…must see this NOW!” factor amongst especially younger film fans and the £40.75 price plainly capitalises on this – why not? In the past when ticket prices for the run of a film were pretty much the same for every showing during the run, it seemed a shame that on many a weekday afternoon the Odeon’s vast balcony could appear empty from the projection box while several hundred people could be sitting in the mid to front stalls.
There is virtually a price for everyone and, in life, you cut your coat according to your cloth. No one is going to be forced to pay the highest price and, generally, you get what you pay for. I have chosen to see “Mary Poppins Returns” (and the Odeon itself of course) during its second week and I’m quite happy to pay £30.75 to sit in the best seats AND make a 400 mile round trip to visit my favourite cinema. In fairness, let’s not forget AMC/Odeons' huge investment and decision to preserve, undivided, the large auditorium – not to mention losing eleven month’s revenue in the process.
Photos have now been uploaded.
Kers: I don’t know if they are the “highest ever admission charges” in the UK; however, excluding special occasions as gala charity premieres, or “Gallery”-type tickets with food/beverages included, I imagine you are quite correct.
From talking to those with no special interest in cinemas, the “£40” ticket price seems to have stuck—not only did it garner attention via “social media” just as soon as bookings were made available on Odeon’s website, but it seems to have “infected” the “echo chamber” that is the domain of the general media’s “lazy” journalists!
No doubt this has provided much “free” publicity, and sometimes bad publicity is far better than none—but perhaps not in this case?
Regarding designating respective parts of the cinema as the “circle” and the “stalls,” on the licensing plans, the 1st floor foyer is marked as “Circle Foyer,” and the “Royal Circle” is marked as such also.
I recall purchasing a ticket in person for the old Empire 1, prior to subdivision, and was asked if I’d like to sit “upstairs” or “downstairs!”
Clearly the terms “stalls” and “circle” must be rather confusing to the average patron, and the “Luxe Recliner” and “Luxe Classic” selections on the online booking make sense, albeit quite how they will denote the respective levels on printed tickets and sign them unambiguously remains to be seen—it appears that the front row of the stalls is designated as row (A) and the front row of the Royal Circle as… row A, with only the parentheses to differentiate!
Update — last trip before the cinema reopens to the public:
I spoke to someone with GF Holding (main contractor) outside the cinema:
Believe it or not, both screenings on the 20th were cancelled because the licensing person from Westminster was ill! They will be back tomorrow but Odeon didn’t want to run the risk of it not being signed off (though no problems are anticipated.)
The auditorium is ready and, IIRC, was scheduled tonight for a “friends and family” preview screening.
They are working to a very tight schedule — “trust us it will be ready” for Mary Poppins on the 21st.
Work is sequenced from top down and then out the front; asked if the ground floor foyer flooring was even finished, they said that it was currently being polished, and the pavement just outside the LSQ entrance will be reinstated tomorrow.
They will be returning in January to finish up—MDF doors will be replaced with metal doors, bar surfaces added, etc.
Is it going to be “fantastic.”
Visible externally from Leicester Square:
Hoarding almost entirely removed.
Dolby Cinema sign now installed behind right side of glass box. Appears to be smaller than the one shown in the renderings.
Centre and right large format LED display module screens operating—Mary Poppins advertised on the centre screen — “DISCOVER IT IN DOLBY CINEMA.”
Foyers seem to be progressing well, albeit hard to compare to the previous visit as a much better view in is now possible. “POPCORN” sign, overhead concession screens and 2xCoca-Cola Freestyle machines could be seen in the ground level foyer. However, it looks far from complete, with wires still hanging from the ceiling!
Service yard view from Charing Cross Road:
No particular changes from previous visit, still being used for waste disposal. Discarded packaging for a 75" Samsung TV could be seen.
Innumerable workers could be seen both from Leicester Square and Charing Cross Road.
Photos—to follow.
CF100: 100% agree. The top prices, £40 Royal Circle and £35 Middle Stalls, are surely the highest ever admission charges for a cinema in the UK – and by some margin. As a comparison, I believe the highest equivalent prices for the OLS pre-refit were £26/£21 for The Last Jedi. Even pre-refit the price varied by film and length of run. We now have additional variations by time and a 7 tier price structure, previously 3. E.g. £35 in the stalls on 21/12 at 7.45pm is reduced to £15 on 3/1 at 10am. Presumably the 10% reduction for Odeon members applies too.
Ultimately Odeon will only continue with ludicrous prices if the customer pays. Perusing the seating plan for opening night the Royal Circle is sold out, but still plenty of Luxe recliners available downstairs.
Incidentally, terminology such as Royal Circle and Stalls seems to be defunct. Even the cinema itself is now being referred to as “London Leicester Square – Odeon Luxe”.
Kers: Me too. :–( If you haven’t done so, you might like to check the prices for different dates/times—if you are able to be flexible, you won’t have to pay £40 for the “best” seats in the house. I certainly don’t want to spend that much to see a film, free gift card or not!
That’s a shame. I was really looking forward to Thursday. This refit did feel like it was going down to the wire, even before the “dress rehearsal” got cancelled.
At least with the £25 gift card I can almost afford to see Mary Poppins Returns 😂😂😂
oh dear One wonders if it will be open in time for Friday?
Kers: Bad news I’m afraid—I received the following E-mail an hour ago:
“Hello,
“I’m sorry to bring you some disappointing news – our exclusive ‘dress rehearsal’ screening of The Favourite on Thursday 20 December at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square has been cancelled. […]
“We need to take a bit of extra time to complete the final works, so we have decided to cancel our preview screenings scheduled for this Thursday. […]
“We will of course refund you in full for your tickets, and will also be sending you a £25 ODEON gift card to enjoy at our new cinema, by way of apology. […]
“We’re excited to confirm that ODEON Luxe Leicester Square will be open on Friday for Mary Poppins Returns, and we hope to see you there soon.”
“the seats weren’t in yet”. That is cutting it fine? I’ve got a ticket for Stan and Ollie on the 20th (I believe that is the first perf open to the general public) – I don’t want to sit on the floor!
Update from a trip to Leicester Square yesterday:
Remainder of the blue LED linear strips to façade now on, “halo” lighting to right Odeon sign also (above former “Studios” entrance.)
Gold coloured cladding fitted to canopy, numerous LED “pip” (?! — as the planning application refers to them?) installed to the soffit and working.
“Band” of LED display modules to canopy fascia installed and operating, very bright, the centre section currently permanently reads “ODEON LUXE LEICESTER SQUARE HOME OF PREMIERS.” The two setback sections to the left and right of this alternate between left reading “NOW OPEN” (sic) and something else (can’t remember,) and the right, “SCREENS 2-5” and something to do with Costa coffee. Looks very good, with a nice choice of typeface being used.
Site is buzzing away with activity, with central sections of the hoarding removed, workmen spilling out into the square for breaks and materials simply left in front. Numerous containers for a Flowcrete 2-part resin flooring system could be seen (presumably for back-of-house areas, e.g. the “food prep” area in the former rear stalls.)
Portakabin in front of former “Studios” entrance moved from first floor level, “door” opening in hoarding for access.
I overheard a worker saying that the seats weren’t in yet, albeit I am not sure if by this he meant the main auditorium or the former “Studios.”
Difficult to see inside; however, the ground floor foyer appears to be unfinished; wire bundles still hanging from the ceiling. The circle foyer appears now to have its ceiling in with general lighting working.
The service yard/access from Charing Cross Road was also active, the Portakabin and hoarding having been removed. At the time of my visit, at least 9 workers in or just outside the service yard, disposing of site waste, and a grinder (or similar?—sparks flying!) was being used in the yard. Visible through an open door at above ground level were yet more bundles of wires could be seen hanging from the ceiling.
Hopefully, I will be able to do add more report to CT just before opening day.
Photo uploaded.