UK – London – Shaftesbury Theatre

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First ‘Shaftesbury Theatre’ 

Dates: 20 October 1888 – 1941
Architect C.J.Phipps
Demolished after wartime bomb damage, and now the site of the Soho Fire Station, an office block and a car park. The entire block east of Gerrards Place on the south side of Shaftesbury Avenue was built after the war. 

Past Productions

Current Shaftesbury Theatre

Dates: 26 December 1911 – present

Official website: http://www.shaftesburytheatre.com/

Originally known as The Princes Theatre (1911), renamed The New Princes Theatre (1914), refitted and renamed The Shaftesbury Theatre in 1963. This was the last theatre to be built on Shaftesbury Avenue. 

IMG_8669
twang_shaftesburytheatre

Dates: 1911 – present

Links to information about equipment at Shaftesbury Theatre, London over the years

  • CD / System CD (Strand)

    • Documents


    Shaftesbury Theatre 
    [External Website]
    From Arthur Lloyd website
    Strand Electric Advert (Amateur Stage)
    Strand Electric Advert (Amateur Stage) (October 1963)
    Click on thumbnail to enlarge
    [466kb  JPEG]

    LSI: Kiss of the Spider Woman (November 1992)
    [820kb PDF]
    From Lighting & Sound International

    LSI: Tommy (April 1996)
    [800kb PDF]
    From Lighting & Sound International

     

     

    Location


    View in Google Maps

    Past Productions

    • Mrs Doubtfire (Previews from 12 May 2023, opening 22 June 2023)
    • & Juliet (Previews from 2 November 2019, closing 25 March 2023)
    • The Illusionists (8 weeks, to 1st September 2019)
      Transformation project – Phase 1 completed July 2019

      • Improving air conditioning
      • New open and easily understood staircase to all levels to ease congestion in the foyer.
      • Intimate new seating configuration in the Stalls, resulting in 2 fewer rows of seats and a new rear corridor with proper lobbies to reduce the distraction of movement during the performance.
      • A brand new Accessible Toilet, better situated near our accessible seats.
      • A new Gents Toilet in the Royal Circle.
    • Motown The Musical (11 February 2016 – 20 April 2019) [UK tour followed]
    • Memphis The Musical (23 October 2014 – 31 October 2015)
    • The Pajama Game (13 May 2014 – 13 September 2014)
    • From Here To Eternity (23 October 2013 – 29 March 2014)
    • Burn the Floor (11 March 2013 –  June 2013)
    • Rock Of Ages (31 August 2011 previews, 27 September 2011 – January 2013) then transferred to the Garrick Theatre until 2 November 2013
    • Derren Brown’s Svengali (13 June 2011 – July 2011)
    • Flashdance the Musical (14 October 2010 – January 2011)
    • Burn the Floor (27 July 2010 – September 2010)
    • Hairspray (30 October 2007 – March 2010) ran for two and a half years
    • Fame (4 May 2007 – September 2007)
    • Daddy Cool (21 September 2006 – February 2007)
    • High Society (10 October 2005 – January 2006)
    • Thoroughly Modern Millie (18 September 2005 – )
    • The Far Pavilions (14 April 2005 – September 2005)
    • Bat Boy (18 August 2004 – January 2005)
    • Thoroughly Modern Millie (October 2003 – June 2004)
    • Calamity Jane (12 June 2003 – September 2003)
    • 125th Street (17 September 2002 – )
    • Umoja – The Spirit of Togetherness (12 November 2001 – )
    • Peggy Sue Got Married (2 August 2001 – )
    • Baddiel & Skinner (17 April 2001 – ) comedy
    • Napoleon (30 September 2000 – )
    • Chubby Brown (9 June 2000 – ) comedy
    • Lautrec (27 March 2000 – )
    • Casper – The Musical (4 December 1999 – )
    • Rent (21 April 1998 – ) [running June 1999] directed by Michael Greif
    • The Royal Opera Season (23 October 1997 – )
    • Cinderella (22 April 1997 – )
    • Tommy (Previews 2 Feb 1996, opened 5 March 1996 – 8 February 1997)
    • Return to the Forbidden Planet (19 December 1995 – )
    • Definite Article – Eddie Izzard (10 October 1995 – ) comedy
    • Harvey (16 May 1995 – ) play
    • The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol (18 January 1995 – )
    • Out of the Blue (4 November 1994 – )
    • Carousel (10 September 1993 – May 1994) 
    • Kiss of the Spider Woman (8 October 1992 – August 1993)
    • Re:Joyce (7 July 1992 – ) play
    • A Slip of the Tongue (28 April 1992 – )
    • The Phantom of the Opera (18 December 1991 – 11 April 1992) Ken Hill’s musical version of the story, first performed in 1976
    • Our Town (28 August 1991 – )
    • The Kaliber Improthon (26 May 1991 – )
    • Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell (20 March 1991 – ) play
    • Out of Order (28 September 1990 – ) play
    • Song and Dance (5 April 1990 – )
    • French and Saunders (12 March 1990 – )
    • M Butterfly (14 April 1989 – )
    • Follies (4 July 1987 – )
    • An Italian Straw Hat (5 December 1986 – )
    • Rookery Nook (25 April 1986 – )
    • The Entertainer (26 March 1986 – )
    • Two Into One (15 October 1984 – )
    • See How They Run (3 September 1984 – )
    • A Friend Indeed (9 July 1984 – )
    • Pygmalion (10 May 1984 – )
    • See How They Run (8 February 1984 – )
    • Aladdin (16 December 1983 – January 1984)
    • Run For Your Wife (29 March 1983 – )
    • They’re Playing Our Song (1 October 1980 – )
    • Irma La Douce (28 November 1979 – )
    • Tin Pan Alley (29 October 1979 – )
    • Canterbury Tales (24 April 1979 – )
    • Dracula (13 September 1978 – )
    • Godspell (14 July 1978 – )
    • Kismet (21 March 1978 – )
    • Drake’s Dream (30 November 1977 – )
    • Maggie (12 October 1977 – )
    • Edith Piaf, Je Vous Aime (21 June 1977 – )
    • Rolls Hyphen Royce (11 May 1977 – )
    • Liza of Lambeth (8 June 1976 – )
    • Dads Army (2 October 1975 – ) by Jimmy Perry and David Croft
    • The Wombles (December 1974)
    • West Side Story (19 December 1974 – )
    • Period of closure to deal with the collapsed auditorium ceiling. The reopening was announced in November 1974, after the theatre was threatened with demolition.
    • Hair (27 September 1968 – 20 July 1973) The run was cut short after ‘2 tons’ of plaster fell from the auditorium ceiling onto the seating and stage overnight on 20th July. Cast were told the show could not continue its’ planned run for another month or two. This was ‘on the eve of its’ 2000th performance’ according to the Daily Mail on 21 July 1973. 
      The show transferred to Queens Theatre (now Sondheim Theatre)
    • Big Bad Mouse (17 October 1966 – )
    • Twang! (20 December 1965 – January 1966) by Lionel Bart. Ran for 5 weeks. Directed by Burt Shevelove. Starring James Booth, Barbara Windsor, Bernard Bresslaw. Directed by Joan Littlewood, designed by Oliver Messel, Choreography by Paddy Stone. Was originally due to open on 8 December, but delayed.
    • Our Man Crichton (22 December 1964 – 26 June 1965) starring Kenneth More, Millicent Martin
    • Paul Taylor Dance Company (19 November 1964 – 5 December 1964)
    • Victor Borge (31 August – 23 September 1964) with Leonid Hambro
    • How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (28 March 1963 – 27 June 1964) starring Warren Berliner & Billy De Wolfe. Transferred to Manchester Palace Theatre. 
    • 1962/3 Refurbished and renamed The Shaftesbury Theatre, including ‘a new grey-green decor, a levelled stage and a lighting console… on the bill of £125,000’ (Guardian, 31 March 1963)
    • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (20 August 1962 – )
    • England Our England (7 May 1962 – )
    • The Big Killing (1 February 1962 – )
    • Salad Days (26 November 1961 – )
    • King Kong – African Musical (23 February 1961 – )
    • The Chocolate Soldier (WWII years)
      1914 Renamed The Princes Theatre
    • The Three Musketeers (26 December 1911 – ?)
      Opened as The Princes Theatre (26 December 1911)