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West End theatre is mainstream professionaltheatre staged in the large theatres in and near theWest End of London.[1] Along withNew York City'sBroadway theatre, West End theatre represents the highest level ofcommercial theatre in the English-speaking world.[2] Seeing a West End show is a common tourist activity inLondon.[1] Prominent screen actors,British and international alike, frequently appear on the London stage.[3][4][5][6][7]
There are about 40 theatres in the West End. TheTheatre Royal, Drury Lane, opened in 1663, is the oldest theatre in London.[8] TheSavoy Theatre—built as a showcase for the popular series ofcomic operas ofGilbert and Sullivan—was entirely lit by electricity in 1881.[9]
The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) announced that 2018 was a record year for the capital's theatre industry: attendances topped 15.5 million for the first time since the organisation began collecting audience data in 1986. Box office revenues exceeded £765 million.[10] Attendance slipped 1.4% the next year, but box office revenues reached a record £799 million.[11] In 2023, audiences reached a record 17.1 million.[12]
Most West End theatres are owned by theATG Entertainment,Delfont Mackintosh Theatres,Nimax Theatres,LW Theatres, and theNederlander Organization.
Theatre in London flourished after theEnglish Reformation. The first permanent public playhouse, known asThe Theatre, was constructed in 1576 inShoreditch byJames Burbage. It was soon joined byThe Curtain. Both are known to have been used byWilliam Shakespeare's company. In 1599, the timber from The Theatre was moved toSouthwark, where it was used to build theGlobe Theatre in a new theatre district beyond the controls of the City corporation.[13][14]
ThePuritans, who regarded theatre as sinful,closed them in 1642.[15][16] On 24 January 1643, actors protested the ban by writing a pamphlet, "The Actors remonstrance or complaint for the silencing of their profession, and banishment from their severall play-houses".[17]
Afterthe Restoration (1660), Puritan legislation was declared null and void, and theatre (among other arts) exploded.[16][18] Two companies were licensed to perform: theDuke's Company and theKing's Company. Performances were held in converted buildings, such asLisle's Tennis Court. The first West End theatre, known as Theatre Royal in Bridges Street, was designed byThomas Killigrew and built on the site of the presentTheatre Royal, Drury Lane.[8] It opened on 7 May 1663 and was destroyed by a fire nine years later. It was replaced by a new structure designed byChristopher Wren and renamed the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.[19][20] One of the first actresses on the stage,Nell Gwyn became a star of restoration comedy.[21]
Outside the West End,Sadler's Wells Theatre opened inIslington on 3 June 1683. Taking its name from founderRichard Sadler and monastic springs that were discovered on the property,[22][23] it operated as a "Musick House", with performances of opera; as it was not licensed for plays. In the West End, theTheatre Royal Haymarket opened on 29 December 1720 on a site slightly north of its current location, and theRoyal Opera House opened inCovent Garden on 7 December 1732.[24]John Gay's ballad operaThe Beggar's Opera ran for 62 performances in 1728, and held the record for London's longest run for nearly a century. It has been called "the most popular play of the eighteenth century."[25] Another musical show,Tom and Jerry, or Life in London (1821), was the first London production to reach100 consecutive performances.[26]Tom and Jerry's combination of a tour of London interspersed with song and dance, gave rise to numerous similar, loosely constructed entertainments, and "planted the seeds for later musical comedy and revue".[27] In 1823,Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein, the first adaptation ofMary Shelley'sFrankenstein, was staged at theEnglish Opera House (renamed the Lyceum Theatre in 1834) byRichard Brinsley Peake, who also introduced the line "It lives!".[28] Shelley attended a performance on 29 August 1823 and following the success of the play she wrote, "lo & behold! I found myself famous!".[29]
ThePatent theatre companies retained their duopoly on drama well into the 19th century, and all other theatres could perform only musical entertainments. By the early 19th century, however,music hall entertainments became popular, and presenters found a loophole in the restrictions on non-patent theatres in the genre ofmelodrama. Melodrama did not break the Patent Acts, as it was accompanied by music. Initially, these entertainments were presented in large halls, attached topublic houses, but purpose-built theatres began to appear in theEast End, such as thePavilion Theatre inWhitechapel.[30] The comic theatrical genre theharlequinade was also popular among London audiences. Its most famous performer,Joseph Grimaldi, best known for developing the modern day white-faceclown, made his stage debut at Drury Lane in 1780.[31]
The West End theatre district became established with the opening of many small theatres and halls, including theAdelphi inThe Strand on 17 November 1806. South of theRiver Thames, theOld Vic,Waterloo Road, opened on 11 May 1818. The expansion of the West End theatre district gained pace with theTheatres Act 1843, which relaxed the conditions for the performance of plays, and The Strand gained another venue when theVaudeville opened on 16 April 1870. The next few decades saw the opening of many new theatres in the West End. The Adelphi hostedA Christmas Carol; or, Past, Present, and Future in 1844, a play adapted from the novellaA Christmas Carol byCharles Dickens—who came to several stage rehearsals during which he made suggestions—with his book published weeks earlier in December 1843.[34][35]
TheCriterion Theatre opened onPiccadilly Circus on 21 March 1874, and in 1881, two more houses appeared: theSavoy Theatre in The Strand, built byRichard D'Oyly Carte specifically to showcase the comic operas ofGilbert and Sullivan, opened in October (the first theatre and public building to be lit by electric lights, withThe Times recording, "the success of the new mode of illumination was complete, and its importance for the development of scenic art can scarcely be overrated"), and five days later theComedy Theatre opened as the Royal Comedy Theatre on Panton Street inLeicester Square.[32] It abbreviated its name three years later.[20] On 23 December 1886,Alice in Wonderland (thefirst major production of theAlice books) debuted at thePrince of Wales Theatre. Its authorLewis Carroll was involved in the stage adaptation, and he attended a performance seven days later.[36] ThePalace Theatre opened in 1891. Opened in 1892, theDuke of York's Theatre debutedJ. M. Barrie's play,Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, on 27 December 1904.[37]
Oscar Wilde, one of the most popular playwrights in London in the 1890s, premiered his second comedy,A Woman of No Importance, at Haymarket Theatre in 1893. The subject of widespread public and media interest,Lillie Langtry (an associate of Wilde) made her West End debut in the comedyShe Stoops to Conquer in 1881.[38] In 1878,Ellen Terry joinedHenry Irving's company as his leading lady, and for more than the next two decades she was considered the leading Shakespearean and comic actress in Britain.[39] Opened in 1903, the New Theatre debutedThe Scarlet Pimpernel in 1905, a play that introduced a heroic figure with analter ego into the public consciousness.[40] The theatre was renamed theNoël Coward Theatre in 2006 after the playwrightNoël Coward. Constructed in 1897,Her Majesty's Theatre hosted a number of premieres, includingGeorge Bernard Shaw'sPygmalion in 1914 withMrs Patrick Campbell originating the role of Cockney flower girlEliza Doolittle.[41][42] The theatre building boom continued until about theFirst World War.[43]
In 1930,Laurence Olivier had his first important West End success in Noël Coward'sPrivate Lives. A number of other actors made their West End debut prior to the Second World War, includingJohn Gielgud,Alec Guinness,Vivien Leigh andRex Harrison; the latter's performance inTerence Rattigan's 1936 comedyFrench Without Tears at the Criterion Theatre established him a leading light comedian.[44] During the 1950s and 1960s, many plays were produced in theatre clubs, to evade the censorship then exercised by theLord Chamberlain's Office. TheTheatres Act 1968 finally abolished censorship of the stage in the United Kingdom.[45]
"Theatreland", London's main theatre district, contains approximately 40 venues and is located in and near the heart of theWest End of London. It is traditionally defined bythe Strand to the south,Oxford Street to the north,Regent Street to the west, andKingsway to the east. However, a few other nearby theatres are also considered "West End" despite being outside the area proper; an example is theApollo Victoria Theatre, inWestminster. Prominent theatre streets includeDrury Lane,Shaftesbury Avenue and the Strand. The works staged are predominantly musicals,classic and modernstraight plays, and comedy performances.[46]
Many theatres in the West End are of lateVictorian orEdwardian construction and are privately owned. Many are architecturally impressive, and the largest and best maintained feature grand neo-classical, Romanesque, or Victorian façades and luxurious, detailed interior design and decoration. Theatre names, such as Empire, Lyceum, Palladium, Alhambra and Hippodrome, emphasised a grandeur of scale.[47]
However, owing to the age of the buildings, leg room is often cramped, and audience facilities such as bars and toilets are often much smaller than in modern theatres. The protected status of the buildings and their confined urban locations, combined with financial constraints, make it very difficult to make substantial improvements to the level of comfort offered. In 2003, theTheatres Trust estimated that an investment of £250 million over the following 15 years was required for modernisation,[48] and stated that 60% of theatres had seats from which the stage was not fully visible.[49]
Starting in 2004, there were several incidents of falling plasterwork, or performances being cancelled because of urgent building repairs being required. These events culminated in the partial collapse of the ceiling of theApollo Theatre in December 2013.[51] Of these earlier incidents, only one led to people being hurt,[52] but at the Apollo 76 people needed medical treatment for their injuries.[53] A number of West End theatres have undergone refurbishments, including theVictoria Palace Theatre following the run ofBilly Elliot in 2016.[50] TheDominion Theatre refurbishment was completed in 2017 with the unveiling of a new double-sided LED screen, the largest and highest resolution projecting screen on the exterior of a West End theatre.[54]
In 2012, gross sales of £529,787,692 were up 0.27% and attendances also increased 0.56% to 13,992,773-year-on-year.[55] In 2013, sales again rose this time by 11% to £585,506,455,[56] with attendances rising to 14,587,276.[57] This was despite slightly fewer performances occurring in 2013.[58]
On 16 March 2020, following government advice due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, all theatres in the West End were closed until further notice.[59] Theatres in London were allowed to re-open (with social distancing) on 17 May 2021, with full capacity permitted from 19 July.[60] Opening in October 2022,@sohoplace is the first new West End theatre in 50 years.[61]
The length of West End shows depends on ticket sales.Agatha Christie's murder mystery playThe Mousetrap is the longest-running production in the West End and the world, and has been performed continuously since 1952.[62][63] The longest-running musical in West End history isLes Misérables, produced byCameron Mackintosh, which has been running in London since October 1985.[64] It overtookAndrew Lloyd Webber'sCats, which closed in 2002 after running for 8,949 performances and 21 years, as the longest-running West End musical of all time on 9 October 2006. Other long-runners include Lloyd Webber'sThe Phantom of the Opera,Willy Russell'sBlood Brothers, andCatherine Johnson'sABBA-inspired jukebox musicalMamma Mia! which have also subsequently overtakenCats.[65]
Running since 2011,Matilda the Musical, an adaptation ofRoald Dahl'sMatilda, won a then-record sevenOlivier Awards in 2012.[66] Running since 2016,Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a two-part play written byJack Thorne based on an original story byJ. K. Rowling, won a record-breaking nine Olivier Awards in 2017.[67]
| Theatre | Address | Opened | Capacity | Owner/Operator | Current production | Type | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelphi Theatre | Strand | 1806 | 1,500 | LW Theatres /Nederlander Organization | Back to the Future: The Musical | Musical | 2021-09-1313 September 2021 | Open-ended |
| Aldwych Theatre | Aldwych | 1905 | 1,200 | Nederlander Organization | Elf: The Musical[68] | Musical | 2025-10-2828 October 2025 | 2026-01-033 January 2026* |
| Ambassadors Theatre | West Street | 1913 | 444 | ATG Entertainment | Paranormal Activity[69] | Play | 2025-12-055 December 2025* | 2026-03-2828 March 2026* |
| Apollo Theatre | Shaftesbury Avenue | 1901 | 658 | Nimax Theatres | Punch[70] | Play | 2025-09-2626 September 2025 | 2025-11-2929 November 2025* |
| Apollo Victoria Theatre | Wilton Road | 1930 | 2,328 | ATG Entertainment | Wicked | Musical | 2006-09-2727 September 2006 | Open-ended |
| Arts Theatre | Great Newport Street | 1927 | 350 | JJ Goodman Ltd. | The Choir of Man | Musical | 2022-10-1313 October 2022 | 2026-01-044 January 2026 |
| Cambridge Theatre | Earlham Street | 1930 | 1,231 | LW Theatres | Matilda the Musical | Musical | 2011-11-2424 November 2011 | Open-ended |
| Criterion Theatre | Jermyn Street | 1874 | 588 | Criterion Theatre Trust | Titanique | Musical | 2025-01-099 January 2025 | Open-ended |
| Dominion Theatre | Tottenham Court Road | 1929 | 2,163 | Nederlander Organization | The Devil Wears Prada | Musical | 2024-12-055 December 2024 | Open-ended |
| Duchess Theatre | Catherine Street | 1929 | 494 | Nimax Theatres | The Play That Goes Wrong | Play | 2014-09-1414 September 2014 | Open-ended |
| Duke of York's Theatre | St. Martin's Lane | 1892 | 640 | ATG Entertainment | Woman in Mind[71] | Play | 2025-12-099 December 2025* | 2026-02-2828 February 2026* |
| Fortune Theatre | Russell Street | 1924 | 432 | ATG Entertainment | Operation Mincemeat | Musical | 2023-03-2929 March 2023 | 2026-09-2727 September 2026 |
| Garrick Theatre | Charing Cross Road | 1889 | 718 | Nimax Theatres | The Producers | Musical | 2025-09-1515 September 2025 | 2026-09-1919 September 2026 |
| Gielgud Theatre | Shaftesbury Avenue | 1906 | 994 | Delfont Mackintosh Theatres | Oliver! | Musical | 2025-01-1414 January 2025 | Open-ended |
| Gillian Lynne Theatre | Drury Lane | 1973 | 1,118 | LW Theatres | My Neighbour Totoro | Play | 2025-03-2020 March 2025 | 2026-08-3030 August 2026 |
| Harold Pinter Theatre | Panton Street | 1881 | 796 | ATG Entertainment | The Weir | Play | 2025-09-1919 September 2025 | 2025-12-066 December 2025* |
| His Majesty's Theatre | Haymarket | 1897 | 1,216 | LW Theatres | The Phantom of the Opera | Musical | 1986-10-99 October 1986 | Open-ended |
| London Palladium | Argyll Street | 1910 | 2,286 | LW Theatres | Sleeping Beauty[72] | Pantomime | 2025-12-066 December 2025* | 2026-01-1111 January 2026* |
| Lyceum Theatre | Wellington Street | 1834 | 2,100 | ATG Entertainment | The Lion King | Musical | 1999-10-1919 October 1999 | Open-ended |
| Lyric Theatre | Shaftesbury Avenue | 1888 | 915 | Nimax Theatres | Hadestown | Musical | 2024-02-2121 February 2024 | Open-ended |
| Noël Coward Theatre | St. Martin's Lane | 1903 | 942 | Delfont Mackintosh Theatres | The Importance of Being Earnest[73] | Play | 2025-09-1818 September 2025 | 2026-01-1010 January 2026* |
| Novello Theatre | Aldwych | 1905 | 1,146 | Delfont Mackintosh Theatres | Mamma Mia! | Musical | 1999-04-066 April 1999 | Open-ended |
| Palace Theatre | Shaftesbury Avenue | 1891 | 1,400 | Nimax Theatres | Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | Play | 2016-07-2525 July 2016 | Open-ended |
| Phoenix Theatre | Charing Cross Road | 1930 | 1,012 | ATG Entertainment | Stranger Things: The First Shadow | Play | 2023-12-1414 December 2023 | Open-ended |
| Piccadilly Theatre | Denman Street | 1928 | 1,232 | ATG Entertainment | Moulin Rouge! The Musical | Musical | 2022-01-2020 January 2022 | Open-ended |
| Playhouse Theatre | Craven Street | 1882 | 550 | ATG Entertainment | Cabaret | Musical | 2021-12-1212 December 2021 | Open-ended |
| Prince Edward Theatre | Old Compton Street | 1930 | 1,727 | Delfont Mackintosh Theatres | MJ the Musical | Musical | 2024-03-2727 March 2024 | 2026-02-2828 February 2026* |
| Prince of Wales Theatre | Coventry Street | 1884 | 1,148 | Delfont Mackintosh Theatres | The Book of Mormon | Musical | 2013-03-2121 March 2013 | Open-ended |
| Savoy Theatre | Strand | 1881 | 1,150 | ATG Entertainment | Paddington: The Musical[74] | Musical | 2025-11-3030 November 2025* | Open-ended |
| Shaftesbury Theatre | Shaftesbury Avenue | 1911 | 1,416 | DLT Entertainment | Just for One Day[75] | Musical | 2025-05-1515 May 2025 | 2026-02-077 February 2026* |
| @sohoplace | Charing Cross Road | 2022 | 602 | Nimax Theatres | The Spy Who Came in from the Cold | Play | 2025-11-1717 November 2025 | 2026-02-2121 February 2026* |
| Sondheim Theatre | Shaftesbury Avenue | 1907 | 1,137 | Delfont Mackintosh Theatres | Les Misérables | Musical | 1985-10-88 October 1985 | Open-ended |
| St Martin's Theatre | West Street | 1916 | 550 | Stephen Waley-Cohen | The Mousetrap | Play | 1952-11-2525 November 1952 | Open-ended |
| Theatre Royal, Drury Lane | Catherine Street | 1663 | 1,996 | LW Theatres | Hercules[76] | Musical | 2025-06-2424 June 2025 | Open-ended |
| Theatre Royal Haymarket | Haymarket | 1821 | 888 | Access Entertainment | Othello[77] | Play | 2025-11-044 November 2025 | 2026-01-1717 January 2026* |
| Trafalgar Theatre | Whitehall | 1930 | 630 | Trafalgar Entertainment Group | Oh, Mary![78] | Play | 2025-12-1818 December 2025* | Open-ended |
| Vaudeville Theatre | Strand | 1870 | 690 | Nimax Theatres | Six | Musical | 2019-01-1717 January 2019 | Open-ended |
| Victoria Palace Theatre | Victoria Street | 1911 | 1,557 | Delfont Mackintosh Theatres | Hamilton | Musical | 2017-12-2121 December 2017 | Open-ended |
| Wyndham's Theatre | St. Martin's Court | 1899 | 799 | Delfont Mackintosh Theatres | All My Sons[79] | Play | 2025-11-1414 November 2025 | 2026-03-077 March 2026* |
The following shows are confirmed as future West End productions. The theatre in which they will run is either not yet known or currently occupied by another show.
| Production | Type | Theatre | Opening | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1536 | Play | Ambassadors Theatre | 2026-05-022 May 2026 | [80] |
| Avenue Q | Musical | Shaftesbury Theatre | 2026-03-2020 March 2026 | [81] |
| Beetlejuice | Musical | Prince Edward Theatre | 2026-05-2020 May 2026 | [82] |
| The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind | Musical | @sohoplace | 2026-04-25 25 April 2025 | [83] |
| Christmas Carol Goes Wrong | Play | Apollo Theatre | 2025-12-1414 December 2025 | [84] |
| Dracula | Play | Noël Coward Theatre | 2026-02-044 February 2026 | [85] |
| Gerry & Sewell | Play | Aldwych Theatre | 2026-01-1313 January 2026 | [86] |
| Grace Pervades | Play | Theatre Royal Haymarket | 2026-04-01April 2026 | [87] |
| The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals | Musical | Apollo Theatre | 2026-05-1414 May 2026 | [88] |
| High Noon | Play | Harold Pinter Theatre | 2025-12-1717 December 2025 | [89] |
| I'm Sorry, Prime Minister | Play | Apollo Theatre | 2026-02-1212 February 2026 | [90] |
| Inter Alia | Play | Wyndham's Theatre | 2026-03-1919 March 2026 | [91] |
| Jesus Christ Superstar | Musical | London Palladium | 2026-06-2020 June 2026 | [92] |
| The Last Five Years | Musical | London Palladium | 2026-03-2424 March 2026 | [93] |
| Marie and Rosetta | Play | @sohoplace | 2026-03-066 March 2026 | [94] |
| Romeo and Juliet | Play | Harold Pinter Theatre | 2026-03-1616 March 2026 | [95] |
| Shadowlands | Play | Aldwych Theatre | 2026-02-055 February 2026 | [96] |
| Teeth 'n' Smiles | Play | Duke of York's Theatre | 2026-03-1313 March 2026 | [97] |
| The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry | Musical | Theatre Royal Haymarket | 2026-01-2929 January 2026 | [98] |
The term "West End theatre" is generally used to refer specifically to commercial productions in Theatreland. However, the leadingnon-commercial theatres in London enjoy great artistic prestige. These include theNational Theatre, theBarbican Centre,Shakespeare's Globe (including theSam Wanamaker Playhouse),the Old Vic,Royal Court Theatre,Sadler's Wells Theatre, and theRegent's Park Open Air Theatre. These theatres stage a high proportion of straight drama,Shakespeare, other classic plays and premieres of new plays by leading playwrights—for exampleDavid Hare's playPravda starringAnthony Hopkins which was described byThe Telegraph as "one of the biggest hits in the history of the National Theatre."[100] Successful productions from the non-commercial theatres sometimes transfer to one of the commercial West End houses for an extended run.[101]
TheRoyal Opera House is widely regarded as one of the world's great opera houses, with its current incarnation opened in 1858.[102] Commonly known simply asCovent Garden due to its location, it is home to theRoyal Opera,Royal Ballet and a resident symphony orchestra, and hosts guest performances from other leading opera, ballet and performance companies from around the world. In 1735 its first season of operas, byGeorge Frideric Handel, began and many of his Englishoratorios were specifically written for Covent Garden and had their premieres here.[103]
Likewise, theLondon Coliseum is the resident home to theEnglish National Opera. The theatre is also the London base for performances by theEnglish National Ballet, who perform regular seasons throughout the year when not on tour. ThePeacock Theatre is located on the edge of the Theatreland area. Now owned by theLondon School of Economics and Political Science, it is used in the evenings for dance performances bySadler's Wells, who manage the theatre on behalf of the school.[104]
There are a great number of stage productions in London outside the West End. Much of this is known asfringe theatre (referred to asOff West End) which is the equivalent ofoff-Broadway andoff-off-Broadway theatre in New York City. Among these are theMenier Chocolate Factory,Bush Theatre and theDonmar Warehouse. Fringe venues range from well-equipped small theatres to rooms above pubs, and the performances range from classic plays, to cabaret, to plays in the languages of London'sethnic minorities. The performers range from emerging young professionals to amateurs. Productions at the Donmar included the 1980 playEducating Rita which starredJulie Walters in the title role before she reprised the role in the1983 film.[105]
There are many theatres located throughoutGreater London, such as theLyric Hammersmith,Theatre Royal Stratford East, theRose Theatre Kingston, theNew Wimbledon Theatre, theRudolph Steiner Theatre inWestminster, theAshcroft Theatre inCroydon, theSecombe Theatre inSutton, theChurchill Theatre inBromley and theHackney Empire inHackney.[106]
The theatre at the Royal Polytechnic Institution (now theUniversity of Westminster) inRegent Street saw the first public demonstration of "Pepper's ghost"—a method of projecting the illusion of a ghost into a theatre (named after its developerJohn Henry Pepper)—during an 1862 Christmas Eve theatrical production of the Charles Dickens novel,The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain, which caused a sensation among those in attendance.[107][108]
London theatres outside the West End also played an important role in the early history ofdrama schools. In 1833, actressFrances Maria Kelly managed theRoyal Strand Theatre in Westminster where she funded and operated a dramatic school, the earliest record of a drama school in England.[109] In 1840, she financed theRoyalty Theatre inSoho which opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School.[110]
"Theatre is such an important part ofBritish history andBritish culture"
There are a number of annual awards for outstanding achievements in London theatre:
The first public building in the world to be lit entirely by electricity, The Savoy has a history rich in both invention and scandal.
Dec. 30th.—To London with M—, and took her to 'Alice in Wonderland,' Mr. Savile Clarke's play at the Prince of Wales's Theatre... as a whole, the play seems a success.
Here you will find all the information you need about the longest running show, of any kind, in the world.
