Her Majesty's Theatre
Theatre build date:
1897
History:
Theatres have stood on the site of Her Majesty’s Theatre since the first was built by Jon Vanbrugh in 1705. Then called the Queens Theatre, it became the Kings Theatre in 1714 when George I ascended the throne, in a tradition of changing to reflect the current monarch that continues to this day. This theatre, destroyed by fire in 1789, mainly staged operas as did the second theatre on the site which, incidentally, also burned down in 1867.
When the theatre was rebuilt in 1869, incorporated into the back of the building was the Royal Opera Arcade. London’s first covered shopping arcade. After this theatre was in turn demolished in 1892, the new Her Majesty’s Theatre, opened in 1897, still incorporates the arcade.
The current, fourth theatre is the first not to specialise in opera and ballet. To begin with, the theatre staged mostly plays, including the record breaking Chu Chin Chow (1916) and Coward’s Bitter Sweet (1929). Since the second World War, however, Her Majesty’s Theatre has been known for staging large scale musicals, notably West Side Story (1958) and Fiddler On The Roof (1967). Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom Of The Opera began at Her Majesty’s Theatre in October 1986 and celebrated its seven thousandth performance in 2003.
Hauntings:
Sightings of the original manager of the current theatre, Herbert Beerbohm-Tree have been reported. The building is also rumoured to be haunted by the legendary comedian Tommy Cooper, but this is probably conjecture because Her Majesty’s Theatre was famously the setting for his death, broadcast on live television in 1984.
Previously called:
Queens/Kings Theatre
Italian Opera House
Previously showing:
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1985)
West Side Story (1984)
Bugsy Malone (1983)
Close to:
Trafalgar Square
Piccadilly Circus
Contact Details
Her Majesty’s Theatre
Haymarket
SW1V 4LQ
For all ticket enquiries, call:
0871 789 1004
Map
Facilities
Theatre capacity:
1,262
Stage door location:
The stage door is a side entrance on Charles II Street.
Theatre layout:
Being one of the oldest theatres in the West End, the middle two levels of the four tier arrangement are supported by pillars which naturally obscure the view for a small number of seats in the stalls and dress circle. The levels are also set in close proximity, and so many seats are affected by overhang from the level above.
In the stalls, a bottleneck from rows E to A means that mainly clear views are offered, with rows N to S affected by overhang and pillar restriction. A central aisle runs from the back of the stalls up to row G. In the dress circle, the situation is much the same, with rows E to H affected by overhang and pillar restriction, although in the central section, clear views are offered in row E. Two aisles run down the dress circle, splitting it into three sections.
The Grand Circle, although not as high as in many theatres, does suffer a little from sideline views in the side sections, cut off from the centre section by two aisles. Naturally, the restriction gets worse the more sidelined they get, and this is reflected in the prices. The balcony, although not classified as restricted view, it is very high and set far back. You won’t get the best view from here, but balcony seats are always good for a bargain night out.
Air conditioned:
Her Majesty’s Theatre operates an air cooling system in the auditorium only.
