Theatre Royal Drury Lane

The grande dame of London theatre has been open since 1663
  • Theatre | Musicals
  • Covent Garden
  1. Theatre Royal Drury Lane
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  2. Theatre Royal Drury Lane
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  3. Theatre Royal Drury Lane
    steve ryan
  4. Theatre Royal Drury Lane
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  5. Theatre Royal Drury Lane
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  6. Theatre Royal Drury Lane
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Time Out says

Renowned as one of London’s most iconic theatres, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane prides itself on its rich 350 years of history in the capital. Considered a devoted playhouse since the 1600s, The Lane leads with a committed purpose through all it does. From hosting blockbuster musicals, such as Sam Mendes’ ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and ‘My Fair Lady’, to its Showstopping Afternoon Tea in the Grand Salon, you’re in for a real treat from start to finish here. Oh, and it wouldn’t be a worthy write-up without acknowledging the positive impact the £60 million restoration by Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd Weber has had, where, in turn, The Lane has become an all-day food and drink destination beyond world-class theatre in the heart of Covent Garden.

Theatre Royal Drury Lane says
One of the most iconic theatres in London, Theatre Royal Drury Lane has a rich 350 years of history and offers a Showstopping Afternoon Tea in the Grand Saloon, one of the finest Regency rooms in London.

Following a £60 million restoration by Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd Webber, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, known as The Lane, was reopened in July 2021. The Lane has been reimagined as an all-day destination for entertainment, Afternoon Tea, coffee and cocktails in the heart of London’s Covent Garden.

The Lane now encourages visitors to reimagine the traditional experience at the oldest theatre site in continuous use in the world. People can enjoy a world-class performance venue, with new distinct food, drink, and cultural offerings, all set in Grade 1-listed Georgian interiors inspired by the building’s rich history.

The theatre is open to everyone, from those who have tickets to shows, to anyone looking to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden. The Lane’s Afternoon Tea remains the only afternoon tea offered in a West End theatre.

Guests are also able to walk around the theatre and enjoy artwork, including six huge Shakespearean canvases by Brooklyn artist Maria Kreyn.

April 2025 sees the launch of a brand-new Showstopping Afternoon Tea, a unique and one-of-a-kind experience that brings the drama and magic of theatre to the timeless tradition of Afternoon Tea. This experience will have something for everyone with food, drink and joyful nods to the theatre.

Details

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

Hercules

3 out of 5 stars
One of theatre’s greatest mysteries is how Disney literally made the most successful musical of all time and then proceeded to learn absolutely nothing from it. Virtuoso director Julie Taymor included all the dumb stuff required by the Mouse in her version of The Lion King – farting warthogs, basically – but nonetheless crafted an audacious and iconic production that departed radically from the aesthetic of the film and is still in theatres today. Subsequent Disney musicals like Aladdin and Frozen aren’t bad, but they take zero risks – effectively just plonking the film onstage – and are not in theatres today. And here comes Hercules, the next in the megacorp’s long line of perfectly adequate, not very imaginative adaptations of its bountiful ’90s animated roster. Book of Mormon director Casey Nicholaw’s production is good looking and high energy. Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah’s book is appropriately big hearted with a handful of very funny gags. The show’s not-so-secret weapon is the retention of the film’s sassy quintet of singing Muses. Here turbocharged into a full-on gospel group, they’re a whole lot of finger snapping, head shaking, quick-changing fun, and also add a note of character to Alan Menken’s likeable but unremarkable Alan Menken-style score. Hercules is a unit of generic Disney stage entertainment However, the Muses are also symptomatic of the fact that the show’s Ancient Greece comes across as a reskinned small-town America, without having any comment...
  • Musicals