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The Gielgud Theatre, London
| Current show:
A transfer from the Hampstead Theatre of the stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning movie Chariots of Fire up to 2 February 2013 followed by the World Premiere of Peter Morgan's play The Audience - starring Helen Mirren as 'Queen Elizabeth II' - about the Queen's private weekly audiences with Prime Ministers since she acended to the throne in 1952
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| Architect: W G R Sprague Opened: 27 December 1906 Listed: Grade II | Seats: 889 on 3 levels Archive: Previous shows at this theatre |
This theatre, which is designed in Louis XVI style, is a pair with the Queen's Theatre on the adjacent street corner. Originally called The Hicks Theatre, after actor-manager Seymour Hicks for whom it was built, the name was changed to The Globe in July 1909, and then in November 1994 the name was change to The Gielgud in honour of the actor aswell as to avoid confusion with the reconstructed Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The Gielgud Theatre, which was refurbished in 1987, is notable for it's circular Regency staircase and oval gallery.
Terence Frisby's There's A Girl in my Soup opened here in 1966 and had a long run of 1,064 performances, a run that was not surpassed until Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of the comedy Daisy Pulls it Off opened in April 1983 and last 1,180 performances - this theatre's record for the longest run. In 1987 Peter Shaffer's sucessful play Lettice and Lovage opened, with Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack in the original cast, and run for 2 years. In 1992 a revival of Oscar Wilde's classic comedy, An Ideal Husband, directed by Peter Hall opened here and enjoyed a successful run of 7 months, this production was then restaged in 1996 at the Haymarket Theatre before it then transferred to Broadway.
The Gielgud Theatre is owned and managed by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. In 2003 Sir Cameron Mackintosh announced plans to refurbish the theatre in 2006, including a joint entrance foyer with the adjacent Queen's Theatre facing on to Shaftesbury Avenue.
