West Kensington Mannequin Factory to Become Theatre Space


The Lost Estate to be resident in venue for next three years

The Greatest Night of the Jazz Age to be staged next March
The Greatest Night of the Jazz Age to be staged next March

A former mannequin factory in West Kensington is to be converted into a temporary immersive theatre space in a development that will also include workspace for creatives.

The approval given by Hammersmith and Fulham Council for the plan on 20 July clears the way for The Lost Estate’s new jazz age production to take place at the venue which is next to West Kensington tube station.

The Lost Estate is a production company which creates live experiences that fuse theatre, live music and dining, as one. In 2009, three Royal College of Music graduates founded The Arensky Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble focused on finding new ways to present classical music. As their projects became ever more ambitious, encompassing opera, ballet, theatre and hospitality, the need to reform as a production company became clear leading to the foundation of The Lost Estate in 2017.

The site belongs to the Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) which will be handing over the theatre to The Lost Estate for the next three years.

Tickets for its new experience, The Greatest Night of the Jazz Age, are already on sale with the experience set to premiere in March 2023. The show aims to transport guests back in time to the opening night of notorious New York socialite Belle Livingstone’s 58th Street Country Club—the most outrageous club to exist in the twilight of the Prohibition era. 500 free tickets per year are being offered to residents for its shows.

The Lost Estate stages immersive shows with music, theatre and dining
The Lost Estate stages immersive shows with music, theatre and dining

In addition to the theatre space The Lost Estate says it will offer support and knowledge sharing to local groups and creative entrepreneurs. It will be launching a programme with local schools to help inspire younger students to see their future in creative and cultural industries.

There will also be an Arts Hub with ‘affordable workspace’ for local creative enterprises and it will inaugurate a placement scheme with Springboard, a charity providing hospitality industry training to vulnerable young people.

Commenting on the announcement, Sarah Gaventa, Creative Director at ECDC said, “We are thrilled to be bringing one of the most exciting and innovative cultural experiences anywhere in the UK to Earls Court. Our vision is to ‘bring the wonder back’ and The Lost Estate will do just that.”

“Just as importantly, working with The Lost Estate, we will be able to continue to give back to the local community, with free tickets, job opportunities, co-working space for local creatives, and support to vulnerable young people and the homeless.”

Eddy Hackett, Executive Producer and Co-founder of The Lost Estate said, “The Lost Estate is delighted to announce a destination for our immersive experiences here, in West Kensington - a place wonderfully rich in culture, community, and heritage. It’s a pleasure to work alongside ECDC to create an exceptional temporary use for this empty building. Our plans will bring a number of key cultural, economic, employment and community benefits to the area.

“Our next major production, The Greatest Night of the Jazz Age, will premiere in the venue in March 2023 and we invite you to visitwww.enterthejazzage.com to find out more.”

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July 26, 2022