During the golden age of theatre a truly amazing number of theatres sprang up across the capital and especially in the West End. These ranged from simple music halls presenting variety shows for the working classes to luxurious entertainment palaces catering to the rich and famous.
This page is by no means a comprehensive list of the theatres that existed in London during 'The Golden Age'. I have simply tried to provide some information about some of the venues that figure in my actress biographies.
Where a Theatre's name has changed during its lifetime I have focused only on those names by which it was known during the historical period to which this website is dedicated (and if relevant that by which it is known now).
| London Theatres | |
|---|---|
| The Adelphi, The Aldwych, The Apollo, The Century, The Criterion, Daly's, Duke of Yorke's, Elephant & Castle, The Empire, The Gaiety, The Garrick, The Globe, The Haymarket, His/Her Majesties, The Lyceum, The Lyric, The New Theatre, The Old Vic, The Palace, The Prince of Wales, The Royal Adelphi, The Royal Court, The Royal Victoria, The St James's, The Savoy, The Seymour Hicks, The Strand, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Theatre Royal Covent Garden, The Vaudeville, The Waldorf, Wyndham's. | |
| The Adelphi Maiden Lane/Strand, WC2. |
First theatre on site built 1806. Rebuilt 1901. Known as Royal Adelphi 1865 to 1901, Century Theatre 1901, then The Adelphi. |
| The Aldwych Aldwych/Drury Lane, WC2. |
Built 1905. One of two similar theatres at either end of the same block with near identical exteriors. Designed by W.G.R. Sprague. Opened 23rd December 1905 by Charles Frohman with Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terris in "Bluebell in Fairyland". |
| The Apollo Shaftesbury Avenue, Picadilly, W1. |
Opened 1901 First production - 'The Belle of Bohemia'. |
| The Century Theatre |
See The Adelphi. |
| The Criterion Piccadilly Circus, W1. |
Opened 1874 - extensively altered 1902. Unusual in that it was built underground. |
| Daly's Theatre Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square. |
Built 1893 - Demolished 1937. Built by the English theatre manager George Edwardes for Augustin Daly. Edwardes later took over the theatre himself and made it the home of musical comedy. Image |
| The Duke of York's Theatre St Martins Lane, Leicester Square, WC2. |
Built 1892 backing onto The Garrick Theatre. Originally named the The Trafalgar Square Theatre it became the Duke of York's in 1895. First production - 'The Wedding Eve', a comic opera by F. Toulmouche (opened 10th September, 1892). |
| The Elephant and Castle Southwark. |
Built 1872. |
| The Empire Wood Green, Leicester Square. |
Built 1884. Closed 1927. Empire Theatre of Varieties from 1887. Image |
| The Gaiety Aldwych/The Strand, WC2. |
Opened 1868 - Demolished/Rebuilt nearby 1903 - Closed 1939. First building occupied site of former Strand Music Hall. Image |
| The Garrick Charing Cross Road. |
Opened 1889 Another Garrick Theatre had previously existed in Leman Street Whitechapel (1831-1881). |
| The Globe Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly, W1. |
Built 1906 - Remodelled 1930. No connection to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Built by Seymour Hicks and was named The Seymour Hicks Theatre until 1909 when it became The Globe. (Now The Gielgud). |
| The Haymarket The Haymarket, SW1. |
Present building opened 1892 - Remodelled 1905. |
| His/Her Majesty's Theatre The Haymarket, SW1. |
Theatre on site since 1705 - Present building Opened 1897. The name has changed over the years from His Majesty's Theatre to Her Majesty's Theatre and vice versa according to the gender of the ruling monarch. |
| The Lyceum Wellington Street/The Strand WC2. |
Built 1834 - Rebuilt 1904. An earlier Lyceum theatre had existed on a site nearby. |
| The Lyric Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly, W1. |
Built 1888 - Rebuilt 1933. |
| The New Theatre St Martins Lane, Leicester Square. |
Built 1903. (now The Albery). |
| The Palace Shaftesbury Avenue. |
Built 1891. Opened as Royal English Opera House, became Palace Theatre of Varieties in 1892, Palace Theatre from 1911. First production - "Ivanhoe" (opera) opened January 1891. Image |
| The Prince of Wales Coventry Street/Oxenden Street, W1. |
Built 1884 - Demolished/Rebuilt 1937. Opened as Prince's Theatre, became Prince of Wales 1886. |
| The Royal Adelphi |
See The Adelphi. |
| The Royal Court Sloane Square, SW1. |
Opened 1870 (in former Chapel) - Demolished/Rebuilt 1878 |
| The Royal Victoria (the Old Vic) Waterloo Road, SE1. |
Opened 1818 Originally named the Royal Coburg it was renamed the Royal Victoria in 1833. Became a temperance music-hall in 1880. Taken over in 1912 by Lilian Baylis who made it the leading centre for productions of Shakespeare. |
| St James's Theatre King Street, Piccadilly, W1. |
Opened 1835 - Reconstructed 1879. |
| The Savoy The Strand, WC2. |
Built 1881 Purpose built by Richard D'Oyly Carte as a permanent home for his operatic theatre company. It was the first public building in the world to be illuminated by the wonder of electric lighting. First production - "Patience" (Gilbert and Sullivan operetta). |
| The Seymour Hicks (Hicks's Theatre) |
See The Globe. |
| The Strand The Strand, WC2. |
Opened 1832. Demolished 1905. The Aldwych Theatre built on an adjacent site in 1905 was renamed 'The Strand' in 1909. |
| Theatre Royal Drury Lane Catherine Street, Drury Lane, WC2. |
Present theatre (fourth on site) opened 1812. |
| Theatre Royal Covent Garden Covent Garden. |
Present theatre (third on site) opened 1858. |
| The Vaudeville The Strand, WC2. |
Built 1870. Image |
| The Waldorf Aldwych/Catherine Street, WC2. |
Built 1905. Restored 1923 (war damage) One of two similar theatres at either end of the same block with near identical exteriors. Designed by W.G.R. Sprague. Opened 22nd May, 1905, under the direction of the Schubert Brothers of New York with Italian Opera. Renamed The Strand from 1909. Now the Novello. Image |
| Wyndham's Theatre Charing Cross Road, WC2. |
Opened 1899. Designed by Sprague in Louis XVI style. Image |