The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the London borough of Westminster. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The current building is the most recent in a line of four theatres which were built at the same location, the earliest of which dates back to 1663, making it the oldest theatre site in London. For its first two centuries, Drury Lane could "reasonably have claimed to be London's leading theatre". For most of that time, it was one of a handful of patent theatres, granted monopoly rights to the production of "legitimate" drama in London.
The first theatre on the site was built at the behest of Thomas Killigrew in the early years of the English Restoration. Initially known as "Theatre Royal in Bridges Street", its proprietors hired a number of prominent actors who performed at the theatre on a regular basis, including Nell Gwyn and Charles Hart. In 1672 the theatre caught fire and Killigrew built a larger theatre on the same plot, designed by Sir Christopher Wren; renamed the "Theatre Royal in Drury Lane," it opened in 1674. This building lasted nearly 120 years, under the leaderships of Colley Cibber, David Garrick and Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the last of whom employed Joseph Grimaldi as the theatre's resident Clown.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Get involved with shows at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane:
- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is holding auditions: in Random Location 28 from 12:30 to 12:30 on Tue 28th Jan - more details
- Gypsy: A Musical Fable is holding auditions: in Random Location 21 from 14:45 to 14:45 on Tue 28th Jan - more details
- Hedda Gabler is holding auditions: in Random Location 20 from 18:45 to 18:45 on Tue 28th Jan - more details
- 42nd Street is holding auditions: in Random Location 50 from 10:45 to 10:45 on Wed 29th Jan - more details
- Gypsy: A Musical Fable is holding auditions: in Random Location 22 from 14:30 to 14:30 on Wed 29th Jan - more details
- God of Carnage is holding auditions: in Random Location 16 from 15:30 to 15:30 on Wed 29th Jan - more details
- Equus is looking for: Production Manager, Master Carpenter, Set Designer, Publicist, Costume Designer, Publicity Designer, Sound Designer, Producer - more details
- Hedda Gabler is looking for: Director, Costume Designer, Producer - more details
- God of Carnage is looking for: Sound Designer, Production Manager, Director, Costume Designer, Technical Director, Set Designer, Lighting Designer, Publicity Designer, Publicist, Producer - more details
- Peer Gynt is looking for: Technical Director, Publicity Designer, Director, Lighting Designer, Publicist, Set Designer - more details
- God of Carnage is looking for: Technical Director, Lighting Designer - more details
- The Tempest is looking for: Production Manager - more details
- A Raisin in the Sun is looking for: Production Manager, Technical Director, Producer, Master Carpenter, Director - more details
- Carousel is looking for: Producer, Costume Designer, Sound Designer, Master Carpenter, Publicity Designer, Production Manager, Set Designer - more details
- 42nd Street is looking for: Costume Designer, Production Manager, Director, Master Carpenter, Lighting Designer, Publicity Designer - more details
- The Misanthrope is looking for: Production Manager, Publicist, Publicity Designer, Producer, Master Carpenter, Sound Designer, Director - more details
- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has announced: Random text 79 – more details
- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has announced: Random text 52 – more details
- Peer Gynt has announced: Random text 67 – more details
- A Raisin in the Sun has announced: Random text 77 – more details
- Carousel has announced: Random text 27 – more details
- Hedda Gabler has announced: Random text 40 – more details
- Hedda Gabler has announced: Random text 28 – more details
News
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
02:54 on 18th January
Hi @Camdram! Theatre Royal, Drury Lane wants you to buy tickets for Three Men in the Van of Life.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
03:09 on 17th January
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane has some great news! We're performing Pirates of Week 5.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
04:44 on 15th January
Hi @Camdram! Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is excited to announce Who's Afraid of Panto.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
02:59 on 14th January
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane wants you to buy tickets for Angels in St John's.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
15:17 on 10th January
Hi @Camdram! Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is excited to announce Much Ado About Addenbrooke's.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
14:43 on 7th January
Hi @Camdram! Theatre Royal, Drury Lane wants you to buy tickets for Surviving Oxford.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
09:40 on 2nd January
Hi @Camdram! Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is excited to announce The Merchant of Panto.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
11:59 on 1st January
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane wants you to buy tickets for The End of the Van of Life.
Shows
- Sun 26 Jan
- Mon 27 Jan
- Tue 28 Jan
- Wed 29 Jan
- Thu 30 Jan
- Fri 31 Jan
- Sat 1 Feb
- Sun 2 Feb
- Mon 3 Feb
- Tue 4 Feb
- Wed 5 Feb
- Thu 6 Feb
- Fri 7 Feb
- Sat 8 Feb
- Sun 16 Feb
- Mon 17 Feb
- Tue 18 Feb
- Wed 19 Feb
- Thu 20 Feb
- Fri 21 Feb
- Sat 22 Feb
- Sun 3 May
- Mon 4 May
- Tue 5 May
- Wed 6 May
- Thu 7 May
- Fri 8 May
- Sat 9 May
- Sun 24 May
- Mon 25 May
- Tue 26 May
- Wed 27 May
- Thu 28 May
- Fri 29 May
- Sat 30 May
- Sun 31 May
- Mon 1 Jun
- Tue 2 Jun
- Wed 3 Jun
- Thu 4 Jun
- Fri 5 Jun
- Sat 6 Jun
- Sun 7 Jun
- Mon 8 Jun
- Tue 9 Jun
- Wed 10 Jun
- Thu 11 Jun
- Fri 12 Jun
- Sat 13 Jun
- Sun 14 Jun
- Mon 15 Jun
- Tue 16 Jun
- Wed 17 Jun
- Thu 18 Jun
- Fri 19 Jun
- Sat 20 Jun
- Sun 12 Jul
- Mon 13 Jul
- Tue 14 Jul
- Wed 15 Jul
- Thu 16 Jul
- Fri 17 Jul
- Sat 18 Jul
- Sun 27 Dec
- Mon 28 Dec
- Tue 29 Dec
- Wed 30 Dec
- Thu 31 Dec
- Fri 1 Jan
- Sat 2 Jan
- Sun 3 Jan
- Mon 4 Jan
- Tue 5 Jan
- Wed 6 Jan
- Thu 7 Jan
- Fri 8 Jan
- Sat 9 Jan
- Sun 10 Jan
- Mon 11 Jan
- Tue 12 Jan
- Wed 13 Jan
- Thu 14 Jan
- Fri 15 Jan
- Sat 16 Jan
- Sun 17 Jan
- Mon 18 Jan
- Tue 19 Jan
- Wed 20 Jan
- Thu 21 Jan
- Fri 22 Jan
- Sat 23 Jan
- Sun 24 Jan
- Mon 25 Jan
- Tue 26 Jan
- Wed 27 Jan
- Thu 28 Jan
- Fri 29 Jan
- Sat 30 Jan
Past shows
See all the shows that have been performed here at the venue history page.