Opened 27 December 1906 as the Hicks Theatre Renamed The Globe in 1909
Renamed the Gielgud Theatre in 1994, as a tribute to Sir John Gielgud and to distinguish it from the newly built Shakespeare’s Globe on the South Bank. Current Owners: Delfont Mackintosh Theatres
Maximum Seating Capacity: 994 seats on three levels
Stage Depth: 10829mm / 35ft 6in
Width of Proscenium: 9150mm / 30ft
Height of Procenium: 8070mm / 26ft 5in
Height to pelmet: 5750mm / 18ft 10in
Height to under iron curtain: 5990mm / 19ft 7in
Forestage Depth: 1029mm / 3ft 4in
Rake: 1 in 48
Height of get in above stage: 2695mm / 8ft 10in
Prompt Corner: SL
Equipment
1971 (from The Stage Guide) Electrics: Board Strand IDM in stalls SL. Dimmers – 120; 300 preset memories; no groups. Circuits – FOH 24. Socket type – 15A BESA. Total capacity available 400A on 3 phases. Special effects supply – 100A on 1 phase. Follow spots – 2 sunspots in Upper Circle. Footlights cannot be covered.
Links to information about equipment at Gielgud Theatre, London over the years
Oliver! (14 December 2024 – 28 September 2025) produced by Cameron Mackintosh, directed by Matthew Bourne. Starring Simon Lipkin. Chichester Festival Theatre production.
Juno and the Paycock (21 September – 23 November 2024) starring J. Smith-Cameron and Mark Rylance. Directed by Matthew Warchus.
Frank Skinner: 30 Years of Dirt (5th – 24th August 2024)
Opening Night: A New Musical (6 March – 18 May 2024) starring Sheridan Smith, book by Ivo Van Hove, music by Rufus Wainwright, conceived & directed by Ivo Van Hove. Set,lighting & video design by Jan Versweyveld. Originally due to run to July 27.
Frank Skinner: 30 Years of Dirt (5 – 17 February 2024)
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends (16 September 2023 – 6 January 2024)
The Crucible (7 June to 2 September 2023) National Theatre production, directed by Lyndsey Turner, design by Es Devlin
To Kill A Mockingbird (10 March 2022 – 20 May 2023) a new play by Aaron Sorkin. Starring Rafe Spall, directed by Bartlett Sher.
The Mirror and the Light (23 September 2021 to 28 November 2021)
Upstart Crow (Previews from 7 February 2020, opening night 18 February 2020, closed in March 2020) performance run cut short by Coronavirus pandemic (originally scheduled to close 25 April 2020) starring David Mitchell
Girl from the North Country (10th December 2019 – 1st February 2020)
Gilbert & Sullivan season by Carl Rosa Opera (2008)
Nicholas Nickleby (2007)
Macbeth (2007) starring Patrick Stewart
Equus (2007) starring Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths
Frost/Nixon (2006)
2006 – Delfont Mackintosh Theatres took over operational control of the Gielgud from Really Useful Theatres.
RSC Season – The Crucible & The Canterbury Tales (2005)
And Then There Were None (2005) directed by Steven Pimlott, rewritten by Kevin Elyot, from Agatha Christie.
Some Girls (2005)
Don Carlos (2005)
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (2004) From the Edinburgh Fringe
All’s Well That Ends Well (2004) starring Judi Dench
Tell Me On A Sunday (2003)
The Graduate (2000) starring Kathleen Turner, then Jerry Hall, then Linda Gray.
Boyband (opened June 8 1999 – ?) by Peter Quilter. Directed by Peter Rowe.
Romance Romance (4th March – 19th April 1997)
Chapter Two (1996) written by Neil Simon, starring Tom Conti and Sharon Gless
Sir John Gielgud (1967) from IMDB.com
It’s announced at the Olivier Awards ceremony on 17 April 1994 that the theatre is to be renamed The Gielgud as a special tribute to Sir John Gielgud and to distinguish it from the newly opened Shakespeare’s Globe on the South Bank. The opening production under its new name was Hamlet (previews from ?29 October 1994, opened 4 November 1994, 12 week season by the Peter Hall Company) with Stephen Dillane, directed by Peter Hall.
Sir John Gielgud was at the naming ceremony on 2 November 1994, in his 90th year.
The Winslow Boy (Previews from ?20 August 1994, Opened 24 August 1994, closed 29 October 1994) by Terence Rattigan, starring Peter Barkworth, Simon Williams.
An Absolute Turkey (previews from 27 December 1993, opened 4 January 1994, closed 30 July 1994) starring Felicity Kendall, Griff Rhys Jones
Present Laughter (Previews from 16 June 1993, closed 19 December 1993) starring Tom Conti, Gabrielle Drake, Judy Loe, Jenny Seagrove
An Ideal Husband (Previews 4 November 1992, opened 11 November 1992, closed 12 June 1993) starring Anna Carteret, Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, Hannah Gordon, Martin Shaw, David Yelland. Directed by Peter Hall.
Valentine’s Day (Previews 7 September 1992, ?closed 17 October 1992) starring Edward Petherbridge, John Turner, Edward De Souza, Elizabeth Counsell.
The Blue Angel (Previews 7 May 1992, Opened 20 May 1992, closed 27 June 1992) by Pam Gems, directed by Trevor Nunn, starring Kelly Hunter, Philip Madoc.
Wax Acts (from 1 April 1992) Starring Ruby Wax, Directed by Alan Rickman, Designed by Bob Crowley
Sophisticated Ladies (Previews from 28 December 1991, opened 6 January 1992, closed 28 March 1992)
When She Danced by Martin Sherman (from 31 July 1991, closed 2 December 1991) starring Vanessa Redgrave, Frances De La Tour, Alison Fiske
Same Old Moon by Geraldine Aron (Previews 4 May 1991, opened 13 May 1991, closed 22 June 1991) starring James Ellis, Gabrielle Reidy
Map Of The Heart by William Nicholson (Previews from 28 February 1991, closed 30 March 1991) starring Patrick Malahide, Sinead Cusack, Susan Wooldridge. Directed by Peter Wood.
Man of the Moment by Alan Ayckbourn (Previews 2 February 1990, opened 14 February 1990, closed 12 January 1991) starring Michael Gambon, Peter Bowles. Featured 5000 gallon tank of water pool on stage.
Lettice and Lovage (Previews 21 October 1987, Opened 27 October 1987, closed 27 January 1990) by Peter Shaffer, starring Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack (who both won Tony Awards when the production transferred to Broadway) Directed by Michael Blakemore.
Light Up The Sky by Moss Hart (Previews from 21 July 1987, Opened 28 July 1987, closed 29 August 1987) Directed by Elijah Moshinsky.
The House of Bernarda Alba (Previews 14 January 1987, opened 16 January 1987, closed 30 May 1987) starring Glenda Jackson, Joan Plowright, Patricia Hayes. Directed by Nuria Espert
Lend Me A Tenor (Previews from 21 February 1986, Opened 6 March 1986, closed 10 January 1987) Directed by David Gilmore.
Daisy Pulls It Off (Previews from 13 April 1983, opened 18 April 1983, closed 15 February 1986) over 1000 performances
Design for Living by Noel Coward (Previews 3 August 1982, opened 4 August 1982, closed 5 February 1983) starring Maria Aitken, Ian Ogilvy, Gary Bond
A Personal Affair (Previews 7 June, opened 8 June 1982, closed ?July 1982) starring Gerald Harper, Virginia McKenna, James Grout, John Barron, Lucy Fleming
Pass The Butler by Eric Idle (Previews from 20 January 1982, opened 26 January 1982, closed 5 June 1982) Directed by Jonathan Lynn
The Mitford Girls (8 October 1981 – 9 January 1982)
St Mark’s Gospel (12 July – 8 August 1981) solo performance by Alec McCowen
Rowan Atkinson in Revue (19 Feb – 16 May 1981) by Richard Curtis & Rowan Atkinson
Hinge and Bracket at the Globe (22 October 1980 – 31 January 1981)
Born in the Gardens (Previews from 17 January, Opened 23 January 1980, closed 18 October 1980) starring Beryl Reid, Barry Foster, Peter Bowles, Jan Waters. Directed by Cilfford Williams.
Songbook (?1979 – 12 January 1980). Starring Anton Rodgers, Gemma Craven, Diane Langton, Andrew C Wadsworth, David Healy.
Ten Times Table (1978)
Donkey’s Years (1976) by Michael Frayn
The Chairman (1975)
The Norman Conquests (1974 1 August) starring Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon, Penelope Keith, Felicity Kendal.
My Fat Friend (1972)
There’s a Girl in my Soup (15 June 1966 – 1969) 1064 performances – then transferred to the Comedy Theatre
A Man For All Seasons (1960) by Robert Bolt. Starring Paul Scofield.
Nude with Violin (1956) written by Noel Coward and directed by him and John Gielgud (transferred to Broadway & Australia).
Charley’s Aunt (1955)
An Evening with Beatrice Lille (24 November 1954) started as a 14 day experiment and became a £265,000 sell-out and ran for 195 performances.
The Prisoner (14 April 1954) starring Alec Guinness. Produced by Peter Glenville.
The Lady’s Not For Burning (1949) starring Richard Burton and Claire Bloom
While the Sun Shines (1943) 1154 performances, boosting morale during the wartime years.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1939) starring Edith Evans as Lady Bracknell, directed by John Gielgud
Candida (1937) The first H M Tennant production, at the theatre that subsequently became the companys headquarters until 1991.
Call It A Day (1935) play by Dodie Smith – 509 performances
Biography (1934) starring Ina Claire, Joan Wyndham and Laurence Olivier
Holding Out The Apple (1928) First appearance by John Gielgud at the theatre. Fourteen others followed.
The Grand Duchess (1925) starring Margaret Bannerman
Our Betters (1923) Satirical comedy by Somerset Maugham. 548 performances
Belinda (1922) by AA Milne.
My Pym Passes By (1922) by AA Milne.
The Truth about Blayds (1921) by AA Milne.
The Clock Goes Round (1913)
The American impresario Charles Frohman became sole manager of the theatre and changed its name to The Globe it reopened with: His Borrowed Plumes (1909) written by Lady Randolph Churchill (Winston’s mother)
Brewster’s Millions (1907) starred Gerald du Maurier
The Beauty of Bath (1906 27 December) A musical play by Seymour Hicks (after whom the theatre was named) and Cosmo Hamilton
