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  • Theatre | Musicals
  • Covent Garden

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

The grande dame of London theatre has been open since 1663

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Time Out says

The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is the grande dame of London theatres. Its site has been in constant use as a playhouse since the 1600s and despite various incarnations (usually necessitated by a fire burning down the previous one), its purpose hasn't changed much since. The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a people’s theatre that stages blockbuster musicals for the masses, with Sam Mendes's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' the most recent long-term occupant to follow in the likes of 'My Fair Lady' and 'Miss Saigon.

Prior to 'Charlie's opening, the venue was given a lavish restoration job and probably now looks as good as it ever has – something you can ascertain for yourself with the hour-long 'Through the Stage Door' tour, which takes place six days a week. As Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a working theatre, the content may vary. Comfortable clothing and footwear is recommended as there are stairs on this walking tour.

Details

Address
Catherine Street
London
WC2B 5JF
Transport:
Tube: Covent Garden
Price:
Prices vary
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What’s on

The Tempest

Sigourney Weaver was eight the last time Shakespeare was performed at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, when the late Peter Brook directed John Gielgud in ‘The Tempest’ in 1957. A lot has happened to both Weaver and the theatre since then, but at the age of 75 the star of the ‘Alien’, ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Avatar’ films will make her UK stage debut in the first Shakespeare play to be staged at the venerable theatre for over half a century. It’s ‘The Tempest’ (again), with Weaver taking on the role of exiled magician Prospero in Jamie Lloyd’s revival, the first of two starry Shakespeares he’s directing there (the other, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell, will follow next year). She’ll be joined by a cast of Jude Akuwudike (Alonso), Jason Barnett (Stephano), Selina Cadell (Gonzalo), Mathew Horne (Trinculo), Mara Huf (Miranda), Forbes Masson (Caliban), Mason Alexander Park (Ariel), James Phoon (Ferdinand), Oliver Ryan (Sebastian) and Tim Steed (Antonio). Lloyd’s last couple of shows have made heavy use of live video and found spaces throughout the theatre, of which there would seem to be many at Drury Lane, though there appears to not be any camera operators billed. Design will be from Soutra Gilmour, who designs pretty much everything Lloyd does.

  • Shakespeare

Much Ado About Nothing

While Jamie Lloyd’s productions often involve mad celebrity casting of the sort you’d never have expected to see in your lifetime – see his imminent US production of ‘Waiting for Godot’ starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter – he also has go to actors, and it’s a pleasure to see two of them join forces for this middle-aged ‘Much Ado’. MCU veterans Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell have never actually shared the screen in any of the Marvel films, but they’ll share the stage nightly for a couple of months in the second half of Lloyd’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane season of Shakespeare, playing bickering lovers Benedick and Beatrice. Hiddleston previously starred in Lloyd’s revival of Pinter’s ‘Betrayal’ in the West End and Broadway; Atwell has been in two of Lloyd’s earlier productions, ‘The Faith Machine’ and ‘The Pride’.  We don’t specifically know what to expect beyond their casting, but it tends to be the way with Lloyd that the topline celebrities are the only ‘names’ in his casts; he’s also been going through something of a live video ‘phase’ (though to date that’s only actually been two shows). Further details including an on sale date are TBA.

  • Shakespeare
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