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ABOUT THE DUKE OF YORKS THEATRE
Located on St Martin´s Lane with Trafalgar Square as very close neighbour, this theatre was originally named the Trafalgar Square Theatre when it first opened in September 1892. Two years later it was shortened to the Trafalgar, only to be changed again in 1895 to The Duke of York's Theatre, as it is now known, to honour the future King George V.
1900 saw the performance of David Belasco´s ´Madame Butterfly´ staged at the Duke and was thoroughly enjoyed one day by Puccini, who later transformed this production into the now world famous opera which was later performed at the Duke of York's Theatre by the Carl Rosa Opera Company in 1932.
Capital Radio purchased the theatres´ freehold in the late 70´s which was followed by the closing of the theatre in 1979 for renovations, reopening in 1980 with ´Rose´, starring Glenda Jackson. Successes following this include: Al Pacino´s award winning performance in ´American Buffalo´, Richard Harris´ comedy ´Stepping Out´ enjoyed a run of almost 3 years and Willy Russell's ´Shirley Valentine´ ran for 2 years. The Royal Court's production of Ariel Dorfman´s ´Death and the Maiden´ was the hottest production around in the early 90´s and other productions housed at the Duke include ´The Rocky Horror Show´ and the highly successful ´Royal Courts Classics´ season ran between October ´95 and March ´96. After a 3 month run of a revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber / Alan Ayckbourn musical ´By Jeeves´, The Royal Court Theatre took over the stage for the next 4 years while their theatre underwent renovations, with the Duke being temporarily renamed ´The Royal Court Theatre Downstairs´.
The Duke of York's Theatre continued to host many critically acclaimed productions including the Olivier Award winning production ´The Weir´, a sell-out run of the award winning comedy ´Stones in His Pockets´ and ´I Am My Own Wife´, a true story based on the astonishing life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf.
The current production of Christopher Hampton's ´Embers´ sees the legendary Jeremy Iron return to the West End starring in a story ´of love, friendship and betrayal´ set in war-torn 1940´s Europe.
Leicester Square underground station and Charing Cross rail station are the closest to the theatre.
The cheapest way to buy tickets is to buy directly from the theatres´ box office where the show is playing. Or, purchase your tickets from the ´Half Price Ticket Booth´ (AKA ´tkts´) located in Leicester Square, where they sell ´on the day´ tickets for all of the West End shows at a discount rate. The booth is open Monday to Saturday from 10am - 7pm and Sundays from 12pm - 3.30pm. There is a service fee of £2.50 per ticket and a maximum of 4 tickets per person. Avoid touts hanging about the theatres and any other ticket agencies around the West End that appear a little dodgy as tickets may not be legitimate. Always ask if your seat is in a restricted viewing area. You can also purchase a theatre and hotel package which saves money all round.
However, the best thing to do if you have your heart set on seeing a particular show is to book ahead. You will be guaranteed a good seat, a great view and a fab night out.
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St Martin's Lane London WC2H 4BG