Editing Soho (section)

===Theatre and film===
[[File:Soho scenes 1.jpg|thumb|left|Colourful shop windows in a typical Soho backstreet in London]]
Soho is near the heart of London's [[Theatreland|theatre area]]. It is home to the [[Soho Theatre]], built in 2000 to present new plays and comedy.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=848}}

The [[Windmill Theatre]] was based on Great Windmill Street, and was named after a windmill at this location that was demolished in the 18th century. It initially opened as the Palais de Luxe in 1910 as a small cinema, but was unable to compete with larger venues and was converted into a theatre by Howard Jones. It re-opened in December 1931, but was still unsuccessful. In 1932, the general manager Vivian Van Damm introduced a non-stop variety show throughout the afternoon and evening. It was famous for its nude ''[[tableaux vivants]]'', in which the models had to remain motionless to avoid the censorship laws then in place. The theatre claimed that, aside from a compulsory closure between 4 and 16 September 1939, it was the only theatre in London which did not close during the Second World War; this led it to use the slogan "We never closed". Several prominent comedians including [[Harry Secombe]], [[Jimmy Edwards]] and [[Tony Hancock]] began their careers at the Windmill. It closed on 31 October 1964 and was again turned into a cinema.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|pp=1027–1028}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Archive/Feb2003/Page2.htm|title=The Windmill Theatre, 17 – 19 Great Windmill Street, W.1|publisher=Arthurlloyd.co.uk|date=February 2003|access-date=5 August 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Raymond Revuebar 01.JPG|thumb|Façade of the Raymond Revuebar in 2015]]

The [[Raymond Revuebar]] at No.&nbsp;11 [[Walker's Court]] was a small theatre specialising in striptease and nude dancing. It was owned by [[Paul Raymond (publisher)|Paul Raymond]] and opened in 1958. The facade supported a brightly lit sign declaring it to be the "World Centre of Erotic Entertainment". Raymond subsequently bought the lease of the Windmill and ran it as a "nude entertainment" venue until 1981.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1028}} The upstairs became known as the Boulevard Theatre and in 1980 was adopted as a comedy club called "[[The Comic Strip]]"<ref name="Over21-1981">{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=David |title=Something Funny is Happening in Stripland |url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/seismic-shifts/1980-a-new-decade-demands-new-comedy/ |work=Over21, January issue, page 36, republished at Shapersofthe80s |location=London |date=1 January 1981 |access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref> by a small group of alternative comedians including [[Rik Mayall]], [[Dawn French]], [[Jennifer Saunders]], [[Alexei Sayle]] and [[Adrian Edmondson]], before they found wider recognition with the series ''The Comic Strip Presents'' on [[Channel 4]].{{sfn|Banham|1995|p=400}} The name and control of the theatre (but not the property itself) were bought by Raymond's business associate Gérard Simi in 1996. The theatre suffered financial difficulties owing to increasing rent, leading to its closure in 2004.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Obituary: Paul Raymond |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/obituaries/2008/paul-raymond/ |journal=The Stage |date=4 March 2008 |access-date=8 November 2017}}</ref> It became a [[gay bar]] and cabaret venue called Too2Much; in 2005, [[Elton John]] staged a joint bachelor party there with his longtime partner [[David Furnish]] in anticipation of their [[civil partnership]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://people.com/celebrity/elton-john-marries-longtime-partner/|title=Elton John marries longtime partner|work=People|date=21 December 2005|access-date=8 November 2017}}</ref> The venue was subsequently renamed to the Soho Revue Bar, but closed in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/soho-revue-bar-shuts-down/%7Bsubjects%7D/article/877342|title=Soho Revue Bar shuts down|first=Chantelle|last=Thorley|work=Campaign|date=30 January 2009|access-date=8 November 2017}}</ref>

Soho is a centre of the independent film and video industry as well as the television and film [[post-production]] industry. Audio post duo White Lightning (Robbie Weston and Rick Dzendzera) opened two audio post-production facilities in different parts of Soho between 1978 and 1987: Silk Sound at 13 [[Berwick Street]], and The Bridge Facilities at 55-57 [[Great Marlborough Street]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Animation Industry Database Directory |url=https://docshare.tips/aidb-business-directory_58b3b57db6d87f5dac8b4989.html |website=DocShare |access-date=21 January 2025 |date=January 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=4 July 1987 |title=View from a Unique Bridge |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1987/Music-Week-1987-07-04.pdf |magazine=[[Music Week]] |location=World Radio History |publisher= |access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref> Silk Sound was acquired by Bubble TV in 2010, and was rebranded under Bubble's banner in 2018, while The Bridge went defunct altogether in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bickerton |first1=Jake |title=Bubble TV and Silk Sound expand and rebrand |url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/tech/bubble-tv-and-silk-sound-expand-and-rebrand/5133509.article |website=Broadcast Now |date= 10 October 2018 |access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=THE BRIDGE FACILITIES COMPANY LIMITED |url=https://www.companysearchesmadesimple.com/company/uk/05282406/the-bridge-facilities-company-limited/#summary |website=Company Search Made Simple |access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref> White Lightning also opened a third studio at 16 Dufours Place, named Space Facilities, in late 1995.<ref>{{cite book |title=Kemps Film, Television, Commercials |date=2004 |publisher=Reed Business Information |location=Google Books |page=176 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4b4UAQAAIAAJ&q=dufours%20place |access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=November 1995 |title=Space |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-Studio-Sound/90s/Studio-Sound-1995-11.pdf |magazine=Studio Sound |location=World Radio History |publisher= |access-date=21 January 2015}}</ref> However, Space closed in 2008, just a year before The Bridge did.<ref>{{cite web |title=SPACE FACILITIES LIMITED |url=https://www.companysearchesmadesimple.com/company/uk/03028182/space-facilities-limited/#summary |website=Company Search Made Simple |access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref> Twentieth Century House in Soho Square was built in 1937 for [[Twentieth Century Fox]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=847}} Since 1947, Soho has also been home to [[De Lane Lea Studios]], which is currently owned by [[Warner Bros]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Our History - De Lane Lea |url=https://www.wbsl.com/de-lane-lea/about/history/ |website=WBSL Website |access-date=22 January 2025}}</ref> The [[British Board of Film Classification]], formerly known as the British Board of Film Censors, has been based in Soho Square since 1950.<ref>{{cite book |last=Robertson |first=James |title=The Hidden Cinema: British Film Censorship in Action 1913–1972 |publisher=Routledge |year=2005 |page=165 |isbn=978-1-134-87672-3}}</ref> Soho's key fibre communications network has been managed by [[Sohonet]] since 1995, which connects the [[Soho media and post-production community]] to [[British film studios]] such as [[Pinewood Studios|Pinewood]] and [[Shepperton Studios|Shepperton]], along with other locations worldwide include [[HBO]] and [[Warner Brothers]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240162781/Interview-Dave-Scammell-CEO-of-Sohonet|title=Interview: Dave Scammell, CEO of Sohonet|journal=Computer Weekly|date=6 September 2012|access-date=8 November 2017}}</ref> In the 2010s, research commissioned by Westminster City Council showed 23 per cent of the workforce in Soho worked in the creative industries.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tomharvey/soho-tom-harvey_b_4864455.html|title=About Soho|first=Tom|last=Harvey|journal=Huffington Post|date=29 April 2014|access-date=10 November 2017}}</ref>