Famous Theatres in London England

London itself includes over 230 theatres ranging from the huge glittering ones in Theatreland to the tiny theatre groups in various communities across the City. The history of theatre and of course all the famous theatres in London make for a theatrephiles seventh heaven.

There are over 40 venues in the home of London’s most famous theatre district the West End, “Theatreland” which is located in and near the heart of the West end of London. It is traditionally defined by The Strand to the south, Oxford Street to the north, Regent Street to the west, and Kingsway to the east, but a few other nearby theatres are also considered “West End” despite being outside the area. For example The Apollo Victoria Theatre, in Westminster). Prominent theatre streets include Drury Lane, Shaftesbury Avenue, and The Strand. 

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Famous Theatres in London – Theatre District History

Drury Lane was originally an early medieval lane called Via de Aldwych, which probably connected St. Giles Leper Hospital to the fields of Aldwych Close It is said that the lands were owned by the Hospital but had been in the distant past granted to the Danes as part of a peace treaty developed by Alfred the Great in Saxon times.

Around 1500 Sir Robert Drury built a mansion called Drury House. Years later the house became the Queen of Bohemia a public house, supposedly named after the Earl of Craven’s mistress.  By the 1800s the Lane had become one of London’s worst slums and was inhabited by prostitutes and gin joints.

The term “Drury Lane” is often used to refer to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which has in different incarnations been located in Drury Lane since the 17th century. By the way, Drury Lane is a short walk from either Piccadilly Station or Trafalgar Square. 

The history of the London West End has been inextricably linked to the theatre for hundreds of years. From the opening of the first West End venue in Drury Lane in 1663, locals and visitors to the capital flocked in droves to the West End to be entertained and enthralled by the various shows on offer.

The London theatre tradition has continued to go from strength to strength over the years, and today the West End is the largest theatre district in the world, with many major international stars treading the boards night after night. To this day no other place in the world hosts the variety and quality of shows like the West End.

The famous Andrew Lloyd Weber (he of Cats, Phantom, Le Miz fame) owns 7 London theatres in the West End or “Theatreland”. They include Theatre Royal Drury Lane, The London Palladium; the Cambridge Theatre the Adelphi Theatre (co-owned with the Nederlander Group); the Gillian Lynne Theatre, The Other Palace and Her Majesty’s Theatre.

16 Famous London theatres

The Apollo Theatre 

Named after the Greek god of music and poetry because it was originally designed as a venue for musical entertainment, the Apollo Theatre opened in February 1901. It was designed by the architect Lewin Sharp for its original owner Henry Lowenfield and is now a Grade II listed building.

The Apollo is situated near Piccadilly Circus on Shaftesbury Avenue. Famous London Theatre stars who have performed here include; John Mills, Vanessa Redgrave, Zoe Wanamaker, Peter O’Toole and Penelope Keith. Rosamund Pike in Summer and Smoke (2006), Jessica Lange in The Glass Menagerie (2007), Josh Hartnett in Rain Man (2008) and James McAvoy in Three Days of Rain (2009).  

The Prince of Wales Theatre

The Prince of Wales Theatre was built in the 1880s and became known for its London’s Folies Bergère until it was rebuilt in 1937. It wasn’t until later in the 20th century that the theatre was re-named the Prince of Wales and became the gold standard theatre for musicals. In 2004 after an extensive restoration and refurbishment, it was officially opened by the Prince of Wales.

The Prince of Wales Theatre featured shows such as Martha Graham and her famous company of American dancers. Funny Girl with the new young star Barbra Streisand in the leading role of Fanny Brice.  These days the show to see at the Prince of Wales is, of course, The Book of Mormon.

The Prince of Wales Theatre is on Coventry Street which you can access from the Piccadilly Circus Tube (exit 4 marked Shaftesbury Avenue).

The Most iconic famous theatres in London

The Royal Opera House

The most famous theatre in London is the Royal Opera House is a huge performing arts venue located in Covent Garden. Home to the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet it is renowned for hosting world-class performances in a beautiful building dating to 1858.

Hackney Empire

A total throwback to the days of music hall legends who performed here includes Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin and more. The Hackney Empire is located in East London it is undergoing a renaissance hosting new theatre productions, variety shows, comedy and of course that brilliant British institution the “panto”.

Barbican

Built in what is called the “Brutalist” style the Barbican Centre in the City of London contains, two theatres, 3 movie houses and a concert hall. Not only that but is the base of the London Symphony Orchestra and holds a library, shops a conservatory and art galleries.

Regents Park Open Air

On a beautiful summer day, there is nothing better than enjoying theatre under the stars in a lovely park. Every summer the Open-air theatre produces a variety of plays from Shakespeare to comedies and dramas.

National Theatre

Moving down to London’s cultural hub on the South Bank, the National Theatre is, in effect, four theatres in one. A range of different auditoriums stages contemporary adaptations of classics, new plays and musicals, while bars and restaurants provide a buzz around the whole complex.

Sadler’s Wells

Islington in North London is home to the Sadler’s Wells Theatre, which is famous for dance performances on an international scale. Whether it’s contemporary, circus, ballet, Bollywood or family shows, the world of dance has flocked here for many years.

Shakespeare’s Globe

The original Globe theatre was built in 1599 but was destroyed by fire. Its Elizabethan majesty has been faithfully reproduced in this modern reconstruction.

The unique open-air auditorium, with upright box-style seating, plays host to many of Shakespeare’s classics from May to October each year. You can also visit Stratford-upon-Avon and take in a classic at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

The Old Vic

This beautiful period theatre in Waterloo is rich in history and one of the best-loved theatres in London. At 192 years old it has played host to some of the greatest acting talents in the UK, including Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Maggie Smith and Peter O’Toole.

The Young Vic

The Young Vic is the country’s leading home for younger theatre artists, especially directors. They present seasons of work by new directors in tandem with productions by some of the great directors of the world.

Her Majesty’s Theatre

Home to Lloyd-Webber’s Phantom of the Opera for 30 years this is a grand old famous London Theatre. Your mouth will be hanging open if you get to attend a performance here. From its lavish marbled interior to the red velvet seats this is an all-around theatre experience.

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

The oldest theatre in London it has been rebuilt and restored several times since it was built in 1662. Located in Covent Garden the theatre has hosted such famous performers as Nell Gwynne and Noël Coward.

St Martin’s Theatre

A small theatre found on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue, near Covent Garden, the St Martin’s Theatre it is an iconic venue because it has hosted over 25,000 performances of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery play The Mousetrap. Opened in 1916, St Martin’s has spent over 40 of its 100 years hosting the world’s longest-running play.

London Palladium

The classic façade of the London Palladium has survived since 1868, and the current impressively-tiered auditorium was built around it in 1910. But the Palladium is world-famous thanks to its hosting of the annual Royal Variety Performance, and it became a staple part of British culture in the 1950s and 60s thanks to Sunday Night at the London Palladium.

Totally unique to London the theatre pub

The modern pub theatre is a relatively new phenomenon but it has a very old pedigree. Innyard theatres, common in Shakespeare’s day but much older, were the first enclosed performance spaces.

In Shakespeare’s day, plays produced within an Inn were commonplace. From the middle ages actors, bards and performance artists travelled through England in troupes staying at inns and taverns across the country. Often a landlord would allow them to put on a show in the courtyard in exchange for their rooms. The landlord would charge the patrons and in this way get back the cost of the rooms.

Some of these older pubs and taverns had galleries which can be seen today in the last remaining galleried pub the George Inn in Southwark. Built in 1677 it’s London’s last galleried pub. There was also profit to be made on the food and drink served at the tavern as well.

Sadly by the time of Elizabeth, the First purpose-built theatres came into existence and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was one of the many that were built but the tavern or inn theatre died out until its resurgence in modern-day England.

London Pub Theaters Today

Theatre pubs are often pretty small holding perhaps 60 or so people and the stage is within touching distance of the audience. However, this is a brilliant place to see new works, talented but raw acting and the occasional celebrity either on stage or in the audience.

How to See a Play in a Pub

A lot of theatre pubs don’t advertise so the best place to find them is either to check out the links below or take a look at Time Out online.

Pub theatre tickets are generally under £20 which is a great cheap way to see a potentially awesome theatre show.

 London Pub Theaters

Above the Stag 

Above The Stag Theatre is an award-winning theatre in Vauxhall, London with a focus on producing LGBT+ themed work including new writing, musicals and revivals. We are the only full-time professional LGBT+ theatre in the UK.

The Canal Café Theatre 

Located on the edge of Regent’s Canal this Pub is quite a famous London Theatre and it has been operating since 1979. Some of the biggest names in comedy, like John Oliver, started their careers here. The theatre is a small 60 seat one above the Bridge House pub which is great for drinks or dinner before the show.

The Finborough  

A small pub theatre not far from Earl’s Court Station they pride themselves on new writing and neglected works from the 19th and 20th centuries. The pub itself has a great selection of craft beers for that pre or after-show drink.

The Barons Court Theatre

Unlike many pub theatres that are located upstairs or in the backroom, the Barons Court Theatre is located in the cellar/vaults below the Curtains Up Pub. It has been around for about 16 years and has about 60 seats that surround the stage on three sides. 

The Latchmere/Theatre 503 

Theatre 503 sits just above the Latchmere pub, in Battersea. It is one of London’s original group of pub theatres. Their Second Look program puts on a groundbreaking but overlooked play from the 1980’s onward every year.

The Old Red Lion 

Around for 30 years and one of London’s most respected pub theatres, this Islington pub, is near the Angel Tube Station. They consider themselves the “Off-West End home of exceptional, ambitious and challenging theatre, ranging from world premieres of new plays to acclaimed revivals of significant productions from throughout history”.

The Gate Theatre

An intimate theatre with only 75 seats located in Nottinghill The Gate was founded in 1979. They want to push the boundaries of theatre and have created a space for what they call “radical, inventive thinking to surprise, delight, challenge and inspire”. 

The Tabard 

On the London Fringe scene for over 30 years the 100 seat Tabard is a very popular pub theatre located in Chiswick.  The Tabard is an intimate, 100 seat theatre close to Turnham Green tube station It opened in 1985 above the Tabard Pub, a popular and historic local landmark. It quickly built a strong reputation for new writing. Over the years the Tabard Theatre has played a key role in the development of London Theatre, highly acclaimed for its professional work.

Upstairs at the Gatehouse 

Located in Highgate Village the Gatehouse is what you think of when you think English pub culture. The earliest mention of this pub is from 1670 but the owners claim it has been a pub since 1337. It has been a jazz club, music hall and even a folk club once playing host to Simon and Garfunkel. It has 140 seats and is the last pub (going North) in Camden.

The White Bear Theatre Club 

The White Bear is an independent fringe theatre that works to present challenging and risk-taking theatre. They focus on new writing and “lost classics”. Located in South London on Kennington Park Road they have recently undergone a complete renovation. Extensive upgrades include full air conditioning, brand new lighting and sound equipment and excellent soundproofing of the theatre.

All pub theatre photos are from the theatres’ website

Attending one of the Famous Theatres in London

If you are not actually staying in London you may wish to stay overnight and take in a show. There’s nothing that speaks to a Theatre fan than a trip to the West End of London to see a great performance or even hit up one of the pub theatres for a brilliant Fringe experience.

London’s West End has always got some of the best shows around, from the usual suspects like Book of Mormon, Phantom and Wicked to the more dramatic like Sweat. Whatever you want to see a night in London at a famous London Theatre is well worth the price tag.

There are a few companies offering show tickets, along with a great hotel stay including breakfast.  Show and Stay offers breaks at 4* hotels including breakfast for ranging from 200 and upwards for two tickets to say Book of Mormon and the hotel with breakfast.

London Theatre Breaks are very similar and you can take your pick of the top London shows from Wicket to the Lion King.

 There’s also the Virgin Experience which gives you 4 days in London over the weekdays with theatre tickets that have great deals as well.

Where to buy discount theatre tickets London? TKTS is one of the places where you can buy London Theatre tickets or try Discount Theatre Tickets to see if you can bag a bargain.

So for all, you theatre nerds planning a visit to London go check out some of those famous London Theatres and enjoy the show!

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