UncategorizedThe Eagle soars back into action

The Eagle soars back into action

The Eagle came out of lockdown later than the other LGBTQ+ bars in the capital, and it was well worth the wait – what a coming out its been so far! The Vauxhall venue now boasts and outdoor theatre which staged the first musical since the pandemic began, and the whole venue has had a chic upgrade. QX’s Jason Reid caught up with PR and marketing manager Kurt Hoffman to find out more… 

It’s good to see The Eagle back up and running, and with quite a few changes. Can you talk us through them? 

We have changed into a lounge bar with table service throughout the venue, the whole place has had a premium upgrade with stylish banquettes, lighting, and a newly designed Mediterranean walled garden and brand new garden bar, garden theatre and the cherry on top is an artisan gelato parlour serving Marine Ices – voted the number one gelato by Vogue magazine. 

Are you adapting well to this new way of operating? 

It’s been baby steps to be honest, to see what works in these challenging times, but we have adapted very well and have phenomenal feedback from our customers. They feel we have gone above and beyond to make them feel safe at The Eagle. 

 How does the new Garden Theatre work and how did the idea come about?

The government had just announced that theatrical performances could take place outdoors and we were approached by Peter Bull and Richard Lambert from the King’s Head Theatre about the possibility of mounting a show in the beer garden. Mark Oakley who knows Peter and his work jumped on the idea immediately, and within two weeks we had a West End cast rehearsed and the show opened.

Credit: Kevin Wilson

It looks brilliant! Do you think it will become a permanent fixture?

Well, the show is a smash and we’ve just added more performances. As long as audiences want to come – (and the weather holds up!) we’ll keep Fanny & Stella running. I know Peter is hoping we can mount more productions in the future. It will be something that will go down in history – the first play to open in London during these times, with a news feature on Channel 4 News. The plan is to continue, and the response has been overwhelming from the public and even amazing support from the press and media. We will definitely continue the garden theatre! We have a stellar cast (no pun intended) with actors of the highest calibre, that have starred in The Book of Mormon, The Lion King, Miss Saigon, Kinky Boots and Les Misérables

Do you envisage club nights returning in the future and under what guise? 

We shall see, these are very uncertain times. We really hope so!

What else can we expect from The Eagle team in the coming months? 

New theatre productions, our new Gelato and Belgian waffle parlour, and exclusive nights with the hottest DJs on the planet, and of course Horse Meat Disco ‘Lounge Style’ – and lot’s more coming soon!

 What positives have you taken from this period of lockdown? 

It’s love. It may only be one word but the support and love we have had from our members and the LGBT+ and local community has been overwhelming, and without them we wouldn’t have been able to open our doors, pay the bills and staff. We would like to take this opportunity to say a HUGE thank you to each and every one of them. Love the Eagle family.

The Eagle, 349 Kennington Lane, SE11 5QY

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Fanny & Stella : The Garden Theatre – tickets 1,2,3,4 September

 

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