Duke of Yorks.JPG

Duke of York’s Theatre

Serious drama is the order of the day at this Victorian playhouse with a pedigree
  • Theatre | Musicals
  • Covent Garden
Advertising

Time Out says

Whereas yer average West End theatre houses shows that run for years, or even decades, Duke of York's Theatre has a snappier (and more serious-minded) turnover. Its 640-seater auditorium houses an ever-changing line-up of hit dramas transferring from Off-West End and quality new productions of classic plays.

Its substantial theatrical pedigree includes the premiere of J M Barrie's 'Peter Pan' in 1904, which is commemorated in the venue's Barrie bar, decorated from mementoes honouring the boy who wouldn't grow up. It also made opera history at the turn of the century, when composer Puccini visited a production of the play 'Madame Butterfly' and was inspired to turn it into the heartbreaking opera of the same name. A 14-year-old Charlie Chaplin made his only stage appearance in 1905, in a production of 'Sherlock Holmes'. And the Duke of York's made history off stage as well as on; in 1929, a meeting held in the theatre resulted in the creation of actor's union Equity.

Duke of York's Theatre was built in 1892, and was the first playhouse constructed on St Martin's Lane – it's since been joined by London Coliseum, St Martin's Theatre, and Noel Coward Theatre. It's unusual among West End theatres for being a standalone building: originally, dressing rooms were in a neighbouring house, and reached by a covered iron bridge. Outside, it's all late Classical grandeur with ornate doric columns. Inside, it glows in subtle shades of red and tobacco brown, with three balconies and elegantly restrained gilt flourishes – perfectly designed to prepare an audience for some serious drama.

Details

Address
St Martin's Lane
London
WC2N 4BG
Transport:
Tube: Charing Cross
Opening hours:
Temporarily Closed
Do you own this business?Sign in & claim business

What’s on

Stereophonic

4 out of 5 stars
Stereophonic playwright David Adjmi recently wrote an article for a major British newspaper in which he waxed effusively about how his Broadway smash had been inspired by the band Led Zeppelin. I wonder if his lawyer was holding a gun to his head as he wrote it, because while the Zep may have been a tertiary influence, Stereophonic is very very very very very very very clearly about Fleetwood Mac. There are Fleetwood Mac fan conventions less about Fleetwood Mac. Hell, there are incarnations of Fleetwood Mac that have been less about Fleetwood Mac.  Specifically, it’s a lightly fictionalised account of the recording of the Anglo-American band’s mega-selling Rumours album, and while not every detail is the same, many are identical, from the cities it was recorded in (Sausalito then LA) to the gender, nationality and internal-relationship makeup of the band, to details like female members ‘Holly’ (aka Christine McVie) and ‘Diana’ (aka Stevie Nicks) moving out out the studio accommodation they were sharing with the band’s menfolk in favour of their own condominiums.  Which l hasten to say is all to the good, even if it frequently feels like a miracle that Stereophonic has stormed Broadway – becoming the most Tony-nominated play of all time – without being derailed by legal issues (though there is a lawsuit against it from Rumours producer Ken Caillet, who has accused Adjmi of ripping off his memoir).  Of course, it is a great subject for a play. The story of how erstwhile...
  • Drama
Advertising
London for less
    You may also like
    You may also like