Drury Lane, Theatre Royal
Venue Information
- How to book (Phone)
- 0203 925 2998
- Guide dogs
- Guide dogs are allowed into the auditorium or alternatively theatre staff can look after them in the Manager's office.
- Wheelchairs
- Entrance to theatre through signposted door on Russell Street which leads into the left of the Stalls. The door has a bell on the outside. 4 spaces for wheelchairs users, L1 and 35 and K1 and 35, companions can sit in the same row. Transfer seating to aisle seats, wheelchairs can be stored in the Stalls store room (maximum of 2 scooter transferees).
- Sound amplification
- Infra-red system with 10 headsets. Best reception in centre Stalls and centre Circle. Headsets available from duty manager in main foyer. Induction loop at Box Office.
- Audio description
- 6 steps up to front entrance through swing doors into main foyer and Box Office. Box Office counter to right. 20 steps down then 17 up to Stalls with handrails on both sides, 39 to Dress Circle with a handrail on the right, 61 to Upper Circle with a handrail on both sides. Top stair of each group is highlighted.
- Bars
- 6 licensed bars. Stalls bar 17 steps down from the Stalls - some seating, fairly large. Further bars at Dress Circle, Upper Circle and Balcony.
- Toilets
- Adapted toilet to the left inside Russell Street entrance, beside the Stalls.
- Parking
50% off parking with Q-Park. Single yellow lines on Russell Street. Taxi rank at Covent Garden Piazza end of Russell Street.
- Air conditioning
- Yes
- Accepts Theatre Tokens
- Yes
Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a large West End theatre that has played host to a number of noteworthy musicals.
The Grade I listed building was originally constructed in 1812; however, this is not the full extent of the theatre’s history. Prior to this, the first theatre on that site was constructed in 1660 and, since then, there have been three other theatre buildings, including the one which stands at the location today.
The theatre was renowned for its spectacular Victorian melodramas and pantomimes but, since the 1920s, its history has mirrored the development of the modern musical. It has hosted a variety of productions, from the original London productions of American musicals Rose Marie, The Desert Song, and Show Boat, through Ivor Novello’s romantic operettas and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ground-breaking post-war shows, to musicals The Producers and The Lord Of The Rings.
My Fair Lady held the record as the theatre’s longest running-show for many years but Cameron Mackintosh’s record-breaking production of Miss Saigon, at ten years, is the current record holder. Following the subsequent Shrek The Musical, it hosted the family spectacular Roald Dahl’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, directed by Sam Mendes.
In 2013, Andrew Lloyd Webber undertook a £4 million redevelopment of the 1812 building that restored the Rotunda, Grand Staircase and Grand Saloon to their original Regency style. During productions, there are regular daily tours of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
In early January 2019, Theatre Royal Drury Lane closed for 20 months to undergo a £45 million renovation project, which will reduce audience capacity but create wider seats with more legroom and better sightlines.