London's Theatres 

Originally opened in 1806, the current Art Deco building is the fourth on this site. It became famous for French farces and later for long-running musicals like Chicago and Kinky Boots, remaining a cornerstone of the Strand’s theatrical offerings for nearly two centuries.

A Grade II listed building on Shaftesbury Avenue, it was the fourth theatre built on the street. It survived a notable ceiling collapse in 2013 and remains a premier venue for star-led dramas and comedies in a classic Edwardian setting.

Part of the brutalist Barbican Centre, this theatre was built specifically for the Royal Shakespeare Company. It features a unique no-aisle seating design where every row has its own door, ensuring perfect sightlines and an intimate connection between the actors and the audience.

Built on the site of a former brewery, this massive venue served as a cinema for decades before becoming a premier musical house. It famously hosted We Will Rock You for 12 years and is known for its wide, expansive stage and grand capacity.

Originally named the Trafalgar Square Theatre, it hosted the premiere of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan in 1904. It has long been a favored venue for prestigious drama and is currently operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group, hosting high-profile limited runs.

Originally the Hicks Theatre, it was renamed in 1994 to honor Sir John Gielgud. Designed by Sprague, it is part of a famous pair with the Sondheim Theatre and has hosted many of the 20th century's greatest dramatic performances.

Established by actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, this opulent French Renaissance-style building is the fourth on the site. It has been the home of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera since 1986, making it a global landmark.

A theatre with a storied past, once managed by Henry Irving and Bram Stoker. After serving as a ballroom in the mid-20th century, it was restored in 1996 and has famously housed Disney’s The Lion King since 1999.

Originally the Waldorf Theatre, it was renamed in 2005 to honor Ivor Novello, who lived in a flat above it. After years of hosting the Royal Shakespeare Company, it became the permanent home of the musical Mamma Mia! in 2012.

Known for its lush Italianate interior, this theatre opened with the premiere of Noël Coward’s Private Lives. It has a history of long-running successes, including Blood Brothers and Come From Away, and sits on the corner of Charing Cross Road.

Replacing an 1884 building, this Art Deco theatre features a famous tower exterior. It has a long history of hosting comedies and musicals, notably housing The Book of Mormon for over a decade in the heart of Leicester Square.

The sixth theatre on a site dating back to 1683, it is London’s premier venue for international dance. While outside the West End district, it is a global hub for contemporary ballet and experimental choreography in Islington.

A faithful reconstruction of the 1599 open-air playhouse where Shakespeare worked. Built using period techniques and materials, it offers a unique groundling experience where audiences stand in the yard to watch Elizabethan-style performances on the South Bank.

The third theatre on this site since 1870, its name reflects its origins in light entertainment. It is an intimate venue on the Strand that has hosted everything from the musical Salad Days to modern Six the Musical.

Designed by W.G.R. Sprague, this theatre opened as a pair with the Novello. It was the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company for 21 years starting in 1960 and has since hosted major commercial hits, including the long-running Tina Turner Musical

Originally a grand super-cinema, this massive Art Deco venue was converted for theatre in 1981. It became legendary as the home of Starlight Express for 18 years and has housed the blockbuster musical Wicked since 2006.

A rare example of expressionist and modernist design in London, featuring clean lines and gold leaf. It has hosted a variety of entertainment from opera to high-profile musicals, most recently serving as the long-term home for the RSC’s Matilda The Musical.

The oldest theatre site in London still in use (since 1663). The current building, the fourth on the site, is a Grade I listed masterpiece. It has hosted everything from Shakespeare to the original London productions of Oklahoma! and My Fair Lady.

The first London theatre built after WWI, it is famous for its intimate size and for hosting the ghost story The Woman in Black for an incredible 33 years. It remains a key venue for small-scale, high-impact productions in Covent Garden.

Originally the New London Theatre, it was renamed in 2018 to honor the legendary choreographer. Built on a site of former music halls, it features a revolving stage and was the home of Cats for 21 record-breaking years.

The West End’s largest theatre, built as a people’s palace of variety. It features a stunning revolving stage and a massive proscenium arch. Today, it is the home of the English National Opera and hosts major visiting ballet and musical productions.

The oldest surviving theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, it still uses some original hydraulic machinery. It has hosted a mix of light opera, musicals, and dramas, maintaining its Victorian elegance while adapting to modern blockbusters like Hadestown.

One of London’s most historic venues, it was the original home of the National Theatre company under Laurence Olivier. It has a reputation for artistic excellence and community engagement, operating as an independent, non-profit producing house.

When it opened, it was one of the largest and most modern theatres in London. It has seen everything from the first talkie film to major musicals and is currently the home of the spectacular Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

A unique outdoor venue located within the park’s Inner Circle. Operating only during summer months, it is famous for its atmospheric productions of Shakespeare and large-scale musicals, surrounded by the natural beauty of the park.

Built to showcase Gilbert and Sullivan operas, it was the first public building in the world to be lit entirely by electricity. The current interior is a stunning 1929 Art Deco restoration after a fire in 1990.

Originally the Queen’s Theatre, it was renamed in 2019 to honor Stephen Sondheim. After sustaining bomb damage in WWII, it was rebuilt with a modern facade. It is now the legendary home of Les Misérables.

Located across from Victoria Station, it was built on the site of a music hall. After a major £70 million restoration in 2017, it reopened to host the London premiere of the cultural phenomenon Hamilton.

An intimate venue known for hosting the world premiere of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap in 1952, which played here for 21 years before moving next door. It remains one of the West End’s smallest and most charming houses for new plays.

Established as a private members' club to circumvent censorship, it famously premiered Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in 1955. Today, it is the West End’s smallest commercial theatre, specializing in intimate musicals and fringe-style hits.

Unique for being almost entirely underground, this Victorian jewel box is located beneath Piccadilly Circus. Originally intended as a concert hall, it became a theatre famous for long-running comedies and its stunning tile-work and intimate, opulent atmosphere.

One of the West End's most compact theatres, it is known for having a very compressed stalls level. It has had a varied history of plays and musicals, recently gaining fame as the long-term home of the comedy hit The Play That Goes Wrong.

Financed by playwright W.S. Gilbert, this theatre was built with a specialized gold-leaf interior. It has a reputation for hosting successful comedies and dramas and remains one of the few West End houses that feels both grand and surprisingly intimate.

Originally the Comedy Theatre, it was renamed in 2011 to honor the Nobel Prize-winning playwright. It has a long history of championing new and provocative drama and remains a cornerstone for high-quality revivals and contemporary plays.

Perhaps the world’s most famous variety theatre, it became a household name through the Sunday Night at the London Palladium TV show. It remains the home of the Royal Variety Performance and hosts major pantomimes and limited musical runs.

Located on the South Bank, this brutalist landmark contains three separate theatres. It is the flagship of British subsidized theatre, producing a wide range of world-class classics and groundbreaking new works.

Built as the Royal English Opera House, it soon became a variety theatre and then a legendary home for musicals like Les Misérables. Since 2016, it has been the exclusive home of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Designed in an Art Deco style, it briefly served as a casino and a club (the London Casino) before returning to theatrical use. It is now one of the West End's leading venues for large-scale Disney and Cameron Mackintosh musicals.

The third building on the site, this Grade I listed landmark is the home of The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera. It is world-renowned for its architectural beauty, acoustics, and the historic Floral Hall glass atrium.

Originally the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built on Shaftesbury Avenue. It is an independent venue known for hosting large-scale American musical imports and high-energy contemporary hits like & Juliet.

A classic West End house that has become synonymous with a single show. Since 1974, it has been the home of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, the world’s longest-running play, which has played here for over 50 years.

Designed for actor Charles Wyndham, this theatre is known for its exquisite Victorian architecture and intimate auditorium. It has remained a premier venue for prestigious star-led plays and high-end drama for over a century.