Shaftesbury Theatre
Sections:
Theatre build date:
1911
History:
Built in 1911, the New Prince’s Theatre had with little success until 1919 when an acclaimed season of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas heralded the start of the Shaftesbury’s purpose of staging short seasons of musicals and plays transferred from other London theatres.
Sold to EMI in 1962, the following year the theatre became the Shaftesbury and started hosting more of a variety of productions. Most notable of these was the original London production of Hair (1968) with its famous nude scene, which opened only days after the abolition of theatre censorship. The production was cut short two days before its 2000th performance in 1973 when part of the ceiling of the Shaftesbury theatre caved in, forcing the show and the theatre to close.
The theatre narrowly escaped demolition after a public campaign led to the building being Grade II listed and reopened in 1974. From then until 2007, the Shaftesbury played host to variety of productions with varying degress of mediocre success, earning the theatre a reputation as a graveyard for failed musicals such as Out Of The Blue (1994), Bat Boy: The Musical (2004) and Umoja: The Spirit Of Togetherness which in 2002 was served an enforcement notice by the local council and was forced to close. Hairspray has well and truly shattered the Shaftesbury Theatre’s grim reputation, becoming its most successful show to date.
Previously called:
The New Prince’s Theatre
The Prince’s Theatre
Previously showing:
Daddy Cool (2006)
High Society (2005)
The Far Pavilions (2005)
Bat Boy: The Musical (2004)
Thoroughly Modern Millie (2003)
Calamity Jane (2003)
Close to:
Centre Point
Dominion Theatre
Contact Details
Shaftesbury Theatre
Shaftesbury Avenue
WC2H 8DP
For all ticket enquiries, call:
0871 789 1004
Map
Facilities
Theatre capacity:
1,389
Stage door location:
The stage door is at the back of the building, just off Bloomsbury Street.
Theatre layout:
In the traditional three tier arrangement, the stalls offer clear views until the overhang from the royal circle starts to affect the last four rows (U to X). Above the stalls, the situation is the same in the Royal Circle, with rows K to N affected by overhang from the Grand Circle. The Grand Circle is of course very high and set back somewhat and although there are no seats classified as restricted view in the entire auditorium, shorter theatregoers may struggle to see over a handrail in the front two rows of the Grand Circle. The are four boxes available, but it is important to remember that the view is never great from boxes and the general consensus is that if you go for a box, you are paying to be seen rather than to see the show. Boxes are always subject to availability.
Air conditioned:
Yes
