Theatre at the May Fair           (Reviews)

“London’s largest and best – that was our aim for the theatre,” explains Charles Oak, general manager of The May Fair. “Quite a few private cinemas have opened in the West End in recent years so there was no point in doing just another one. We’ve looked at the market and provided something that moves the game along in size, quality and leading–edge technology.

“With 201 seats, the most up to date technology available and, of course, all the facilities of the May Fair itself, this is becoming the natural choice for screenings, corporate events and private viewings. A particular point of interest is that we can transmit the proceedings in the theatre live into our other great meeting rooms so that audiences in excess of 500 people can witness what is on stage or screen.”

A notable feature in the May Fair Theatre's armoury is the Audience Response System (ARS). The ARS, which is built into each seat, can be used at any time in the proceedings to gauge the mood of the audience instantly and effortlessly. So advanced

is the technology that the May Fair ARS is certified to provide data at shareholders meetings.

Each ARS station also has a microphone and the system generates a queue for question and answer sessions. As a member of the audience takes his or her turn to speak they are picked up automatically on one of eight cameras and on screen. The ARS system can overflow into the adjoining conference rooms – or even individual bedrooms – to allow participation of a wider audience.

“Technically, the projection, acoustic and lighting equipment is absolutely at the cutting edge, while the seating is designed to be both comfortable for long periods and practical,” said Charles Oak. “As the theatre is purpose–built from scratch we were able to optimise viewing angles, suppress sound ingress and egress and generate a total ‘you are there’ experience.”