Cochrane Theatre


The Cochrane Theatre was a receiving and producing theatre situated in Holborn, London, that opened in 1964. It is now used for television filming.

History

The theatre opened in 1963 and was named after its founder, Jeannetta Cochrane, who was a theatre specialising in costume and scenery design at the Central School of Art and Design, now part of the University of the Arts London. Through her persistence, Cochrane persuaded the London County Council to build a theatre attached to the school. The theatre has a traditional proscenium arch and fly tower consisting of 41 counterweight flying bars, orchestra pit and a fully functioning paint frame.
From 1991 to 1995, Talawa Theatre Company had its home at the Cochrane Theatre.
The Cochrane closed in January 2012 when Central St Martin's moved to a new site near King's Cross, with the new venue having its own theatre, the Platform Theatre.
It owners since 2011, Grange Hotels are set to demolish the building.

Television productions

In June 2015 Channel 4 filmed a TFI Friday special at the theatre and a series of ten shows were produced live in October through December 2015.
Cochrane Theatre was chosen for the new series as the original location of Riverside Studios where the show was filmed has been demolished and is being redeveloped, due for completion in autumn 2017.
ITV's late night chat show The Nightly Show was filmed at the Cochrane Theatre in 2017.
Channel 5's Do the right thing with Eamonn and Ruth was filmed at the Cochrane Theatre in 2019.