London Theatre Breaks

Duke of York's Theatre, London

Current show: Twelfth Night (closes 27 February 2010).
Architect: Walter Emden
Opened: 10 September 1892
Listed: Grade II
Seats: 640 on 3 levels (current)
Archive: Previous shows at this theatre

The theatre was originally called The Trafalgar Square Theatre - being just 100 yards from Trafalgar Square - before shortening it to just The Trafalgar Theatre in 1894 before changing it completely to The Duke of Yorks Theatre in 1895. During the late 1990s the name was temporarily changed to The Royal Court Theatre Downstairs before reverting back The Duke of York's Theatre. Originally seating 900 on four levels, the top level (the balcony) has now been closed with the seating capacity reduced to the current 640.

Although the theatre under went refurbishment in 1979 when structural alterations were made to remove some of the columns supporting the circle, a number of seats still suffer from a restricted view of the stage.

Productions staged here include a successful run of Richard Harris's play Stepping Out which run for just under 3 years while Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine enjoyed a run of over 2 years here. Between October 1995 and March 1996 the Royal Court presented Ron Hutchinson's 'Rat in the Skull, Terry Johnson's Hysteria and David Storey's The Changing Room as part of a 'Royal Court Classics' season. This was then followed by a revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Alan Ayckbourn musical, By Jeeves, a musical which had originally been seen in 1975 but which had now been virtually rewritten - it opened on 2 July 1996 and closed on 28 September 1996 when it transferred to the Lyric Theatre. After this the Theatre was taken over by The Royal Court Theatre for the next four years - and was renamed The Royal Court Theatre Downstairs - while their own home in Sloane Square underwent major reconstruction. In August 2000 the comedy hit Stones in his Pockets transferred here from the New Ambassadors Theatre.

List of shows currently playing in London's West End

List by date built

Adelphi Theatre
Aldwych Theatre
Ambassadors Theatre
Apollo Theatre
Apollo Victoria Theatre
Barbican Theatre
Cambridge Theatre
Comedy Theatre
Criterion Theatre
Dominion Theatre
Drury Lane Theatre
Duchess Theatre
Duke of York's Theatre
Fortune Theatre
Garrick Theatre
Gielgud Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre
London Coliseum
London Palladium
Lyceum Theatre
Lyric Theatre
National Theatre
New London Theatre
Noel Coward Theatre
Novello Theatre
Old Vic Theatre
Palace Theatre
Phoenix Theatre
Piccadilly Theatre
Playhouse Theatre
Prince Edward Theatre
Prince of Wales Theatre
Queen's Theatre
Royal Opera House
St Martin's Theatre
Sadler's Wells
Savoy Theatre
Shaftesbury Theatre
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Trafalgar Studios
Vaudeville Theatre
Victoria Palace Theatre
Wyndham's Theatre