Soho Cinema

8-10 Brewer Street,
London, W1F 0SE

Unfavorite 1 person favorited this theater

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Focus Cinemas

Architects: Dennis Birch

Previous Names: Oscar 1 Cinema, Focus 1 Cinema

Nearby Theaters

Soho Cinema in April 2007

Opened as the Oscar 1 Cinema on 28th September 1972 with Barbra Streisand in “What’s Up Doc?”, it was a project of the Brent Walker Group. The architect was Dennis Birch who created the cinema out of the basement of a former restaurant. Seating was on one level and the space had curtained walls which were fashionable in cinema design at that time.

It was called Oscar 1 Cinema because there were already plans to convert premises across the street into Oscar 2 & 3. Cinemas. This stirred the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood, USA to object to the name Oscar being used and the cinemas' names were changed to Focus. This one became the Focus 1 Cinema from 11th April 1974. Gradually the programming became a mix of soft core sex films and kung fu films.

As the cinema was located in London’s red light and sex district, the cinema took on a new name from 4th March 1976 when it became the Soho Cinema and went over to screening long runs of films such as “Emmanuelle” and “Linda Lovelace for President”, etc. Eventually it became a members only cinema and screened hard core sex movies until closing in 1983 due to changes in licensing laws.

Due to the area losing its red light and sex label in favour of becoming London’s gay village in recent years, the former cinema has for several years been in use as a ‘drag’ cabaret bar named Madame Jo Jo’s, attracting a varied audience of women’s hen parties and gay men. Madam Jo Jo’s and the adjacent Escape (gay bar) were both closed in November 2014, when Westminster Council revoked their licences due to problems with aggressive ‘bouncers’ (security) on the doors.

In December 2019, a new operating licence was approved by Westminster Council, but nothing happened and the building has remained shuttered into 2024.

Contributed by KenRoe

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

woody
woody on February 15, 2011 at 10:49 pm

an undated shot from late 80’s or early 90’s as Madame Jojo's
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/5447962755/

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on February 28, 2019 at 2:06 pm

There is scaffolding around this building at the moment. Unknown why the scaffolding is there?

rivest266
rivest266 on May 20, 2021 at 12:22 pm

Grand opening ad posted.

You must login before making a comment.

New Comment

Subscribe Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.