Trafalgar Entertainment has acquired the Bridge theatre in London, along with the Lightroom immersive art venue, from the London Theatre Company (LTC) founded by Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr. The sale includes the 900-seat flexible auditorium near Tower Bridge, which opened in 2017 after Hytner and Starr left the National Theatre.
Hytner and Starr reflect on the Bridge's journey
Nicholas Hytner described establishing the Bridge theatre as a “thrilling experience” and said, “After nine years, it feels like the right time to be moving on.” He directed several of the venue’s hits, including a promenade-style Julius Caesar and a long-running Guys and Dolls that ended with audiences dancing alongside actors. Hytner added, “I couldn’t be more admiring of the artists and colleagues who have been responsible for making so many memorable productions and creating a theatre that has quickly become a favourite destination for audiences.”
Nick Starr, co-founder and outgoing CEO of LTC, said: “When we began this project, we wanted to build a theatre that felt genuinely contemporary – flexible, ambitious and open to as many people as possible. Since then, the Bridge has become home to an extraordinary range of productions and artists and has shown how adaptable and resilient theatre can be.”
Trafalgar Entertainment's vision for the venues
Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, founders and joint CEOs of Trafalgar Entertainment, said: “The Bridge is a successful and much-loved part of London’s cultural offer, and Lightroom is establishing itself as a major London attraction. Our focus is on maintaining that momentum in both spaces. We are attuned to what the Bridge means to its audience, what is required to support its growth, development, sustainability and continued success – and proud to play a part in taking the London Theatre Company into its next phase.”
Trafalgar Entertainment, founded in 2017, operates more than 20 venues in the UK and Australia, including the Trafalgar theatre in the West End and the 1,575-seat British Airways theatre, set to open in west London next year. Lightroom in King’s Cross has presented immersive shows about David Hockney, Vogue and David Bowie.
Upcoming productions at the Bridge
LTC’s next production at the Bridge is The Oresteia, written and directed by Simon Stone after Aeschylus. It replaced Stone’s version of Chekhov’s Ivanov, which was postponed to summer 2027 after a “scheduling issue” for its star, Chris Pine. The Bridge’s Olivier award-winning musical Into the Woods transfers to the West End in September. Hytner is also staging James Graham’s new play, The Standard of Living, in the West End in September.
