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ABOUT THE THEATRE ROYAL
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is one of the West Ends largest and most important theatres and is a location for musical theatre at its finest. Located on Catherine Street in Covent Garden, backing on to Drury Lane, the site housed its first theatre in the early 17th century, when the area was quite a fashionable address. A new theatre, designed by the great English architect Christopher Wren, opened in 1663 then destroyed by fire in January 1672. A larger and more elaborate theatre opened in March 1674.
It was in the original theatre of the early 17th century where women were first allowed to appear on stage in England, although there was always very little respect for women as entertainers. The famous Nell Gwynne brought her comedic skills to the stage of the Theatre Royal, but she also sold oranges to the audience. However it was the theatrical success of Sarah Siddons from 1780 onwards that brought a certain degree of respect for women in the industry.
From 1747 the theatre was managed by the great English actor David Garrick who revolutionised English theatre along the way. However, apart from housing fabulous productions, the theatre was renowned for attracting danger with both George II & III escaping assassination attempts and the orchestra was often grateful for the cage they were forced to play beneath. It was even necessary to erect two royal boxes to separate George III and son George IV. After being demolished again towards the end of the 18th century, a new theatre reopened in March 1794 however fire brought it down in the early 19th century. The current theatre was constructed in 1812 raising its curtains with a production of ´Hamlet´. The interior has undergone numerous redesigns with the auditorium being reformed in 1922 to seat 2,205. It has an enormous 24 metre deep stage with a backstage area big enough for a small army - or at the very least, for the big cast shows the theatre is famous for presenting.
Recent principal productions include ´42nd Street´ running from 1984 - 1989 and the fabulous award winning production of ´Anything Goes´. ´Miss Saigon´ was the hit from September ´89 - October ´99, becoming the longest running show at the theatre in December ´94. The current production is ´The Producers´ - a revival of the highly successful musical by Mel Brooks which began its run here in November 2004.
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane offers great backstage tours led by actors.
Covent Garden underground station and Charing Cross rail station are the closest to the theatre.
When purchasing tickets for mainstream theatre productions, it is important to keep the following in mind.
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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Catherine St
London, WC2B 5JF
