Theatres in London
London offers a diverse range of theatres situated all over the city. Probably the most famous is the Globe Theatre which is dedicated to the work of acclaimed playwright William Shakespeare. In 1997, the theatre was actually renamed The Shakespeare Globe. The theatre is designed in an Elizabethan style and was constructed according to the plans of the original Globe Theatre where Shakespeare staged his plays. The Globe stages many performances from the Shakespeare classics like 'Romeo and Juliet' to more modern performance such as Ché Walker’s avant-garde play about London entitled 'The Frontline'. Another theatre which should not be missed is the Royal National Theatre. It was designed by Denys Lasdun and opened by the Queen in 1976. It has three theatres, the Olivier which is the biggest with a capacity of 1,160, The Lyttelton with a seating capacity of 890, and the smallest the Cottesloe with a capacity of only 400. All shows are usually in repertoire, which means you can see many productions in a week. The National theatre shows a varied amount of productions, from The 'Lion King'ideal for the kids to 'Oedipus'.
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Ambassadors Theatre
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Address: West Street
Phone: +44 20 7369 1761
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Website: http://www.theambassadors.com/
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Ambassadors London is part of the chain of Ambassadors theatres set in many countries across the world. It has its 'brother-theatres' in Umberto Boccioni” target=_blank>Dublin, St. Louis, New York, etc. The theatre is mainly famous for its exclusive shows - not only British, but most often foreign. It specialised in musicals and Broadway style performances.
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Gielgud Theatre
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Address: Shaftesbury Avenue
Phone: +44 207 494 5065
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Website: http://www.gielgud-theatre.com/
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Majestic and imposing in its facade and inside décor, this building in style Louis XVI hosts one of the symbol-theatres of London. It was founded as Hicks Theatre, later renamed to Globe Theatre and in the 90s changed finally to the present Gielgud in order not to be confused with the reconstructed Globe Theatre of Shakespeare. The theatre neighbours the Queen's Theatre and it is owned by the Delfont Mackintosh theatres.
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New London Theatre
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Address: Drury Lane
Phone: +44 870 890 0141
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Website: http://www.newlondontheatre.co.uk/
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The New London Theatre was opened in 1973 on a site with a vast theatrical and musical history. Its unofficial opening was the concert of Marlene Dietrich, and the official one was the play 'The Unknown Soldier and His Wife'. The theatre has a modern design and several interesting facts to impress with: it hosted the performance of the musical 'Grease' in the times when the soon to be famous Richard Gere played the part of Dany Zuko, for instance. The theatre also presented the all-time hit – 'Cats'.
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Novello Theatre (formerly the Strand)
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Address: Aldwych
Phone: +44 870 950 0940
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Website: http://www.novellotheatre.co.uk/
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Novello was opened in 1905 and was then known as The Waldorf Theatre. Soon afterwards it assumed the name of Strand Theatre, under which it became most famous. In 2003, the Strand was officially overtaken by the Delfont Mackintosh theatres and a huge refurbishment programme was undertaken. The grand opening in December 2005 also featured the new name – the Novello Theatre. That night the Royal Shakespeare Company presented Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'.
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Queens Theatre
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Address: Shaftesbury Avenue
Phone: +44 870 950 0930
e-mail: info@queens-theatre.co.uk
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Website: http://www.queens-theatre.co.uk/
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Queen's theatre was designed as a twin of the Globe theatre (which was later renamed to Gielgud Theatre) and opened in 1907. In 1940 it was hit by a bomb, which ruined almost the entire facade. Reconstruction followed and today the design of the facade is quite modern. The theatre is owned by the Delfont Mackintosh theatres.
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Victoria Palace Theatre
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Address: Victoria Street
Phone: +44 20 7834 1317
e-mail: mailorder@victoriapalace.co.uk
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Price: 18 - 60 EUR
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Website: http://www.victoriapalacetheatre.co.uk/
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Victoria Palace was opened in 1911 and it was originally designed as a music hall. As the critics of the time described the building - it was designed to provide the best combination of comfort and simplicity. The impressive theatre has a seating capacity of about 1500 places. Its program features mainly musicals.
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Wyndham's Theatre
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Address: Charing Cross Road
Phone: +44 870 950 0925
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Website: http://www.wyndhams-theatre.com/
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The grand opening of the theatre took place in 1899 and it was attended by the Prince of Wales himself. The theatre is a typical Victorian building with beautiful interiors in Louis XVI style. The Wyndham Theatre has a seating capacity of 759 places. Madonnna performed in the theatre in 2002.
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Adelphi Theatre
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Address: 7 Great Newport Street
Phone: +44 870 403 0303
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Price: 20 - 70 EUR
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Website: http://www.adelphitheatre.co.uk/
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One of the most attractive theatres in London today, Adelphi was first established in 1809 and named Sans Pareil (meaning 'No Comparison' in French), 13 years later it changed its name to the present Adelphi. In the middle of the 19th Century the building was replaced by a more modern one – both in terms of design and equipment. Last grand re-design was carried out in 1930, giving the theatre its present look. Adelphi is a big theatre of 1500 places in the West End of London.
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