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The Duchess Theatre, London
| Current show:
The 'silent' comedian The Boy With Tape on His Face for s strictly limited season of just 22 performances from 17 December 2012 to 5 January 2013. Also daytime performance's of Sooty's new stage show for children (and their parents!) Sooty in Space from 21 December 2012 to 5 January 2013 - featuring Richard Cadell with Sooty, Sweep and Soo
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| Architect: Ewen Barr Opened: 25 November 1929 Listed: ----- | Seats: 479 on 2 levels Archive: Previous shows at this theatre |
One of the smallest 'proscenium arched' West End theatres. The circle, which is narrower than the stalls, is unusual for the time, being supported by steel girders from the roof - this also gives the theatre some very good sight lines.
Notable productions include Emlyn William's Night Must Fall in 1935, Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit in 1942 (which transferred from the Piccadilly Theatre to the St James Theatre before moving to the Duchess Theatre where it completed a run of 1,997 performances), Terence Rattigan's Deep Blue Sea in 1952 and Harold Pinter's The Caretaker in 1960. The 1970s brough somewhat 'raunchy' entertainment in the form The Dirtiest Show in Town which run for just under 800 performances while in December 1974 the controversial production of Oh, Calcutta! transferred here from the Royalty Theatre and remained here until 1980.
Between 1987 and 1990 The Players Theatre company presented their Late Joys Victorian Music Hall programme here while their new theatre under the arches in Villiers Street (under Charing Cross railyway station) was being built.
From the thirties the Apollo specialised mostly in light comedies, thrillers and farces - Marc Camoletti's farce Boeing Boeing opened here on Tuesday 20 February 1962 before transferring to the Duchess Theatre on Monday 10 May 1965 where it completed a total of 2,035 performances in just under five years, closing on Saturday 7 January 1967. History then repeated itself when Camoletti's farce Don't Dress For Dinner opened at the Apollo Theatre on Tuesday 26 March 1991 before transferring to the Duchess Theatre 19 months later on Monday 26 October 1992 where it completed a run of just under six years.
