Apollo Victoria Theatre London: A Visitor Guide

The Apollo Victoria Theatre is one of the West End's most distinctive venues, built in 1930 and now home to Wicked, one of the longest-running musicals in London. Situated directly opposite Victoria Station, it is among the most accessible theatres in the city. This guide covers everything you need to know before your visit, from the building's history to the best seats in the house. The Apollo Victoria Theatre sits at 17 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1LG, in the Victoria neighbourhood of Westminster. It was designed by Ernest Wamsley Lewis and opened in 1930 as the New Victoria Cinema, a 2,500-seat picture house built in an expressionist Art Deco style. The building's original interior was remarkable for its time: the auditorium featured a rippling ceiling designed to suggest an underwater cavern, with wave-like plasterwork and mermaid motifs that created an atmosphere unlike anything else in the area. The New Victoria operated as a cinema until 1981, when it was converted for theatrical use and renamed the Apollo Victoria. It has been a working West End theatre ever since, and its scale and sightlines make it particularly well suited to large-scale musical productions. The theatre's conversion to a live venue came at an opportune moment. In 1984, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express opened at the Apollo Victoria, a production that would require significant alterations to the auditorium. Roller-skating performers playing anthropomorphic trains raced through specially built tracks extending into the audience, transforming the space into something closer to a racing circuit than a traditional theatre. Starlight Express ran at the Apollo Victoria until 2002, a run of eighteen years and one of the longest in West End history at the time. In 2006, Wicked transferred to the Apollo Victoria from Broadway, where it had opened in 2003. The musical has remained at the venue continuously since then, making it one of the defining long-running productions in the West End. The production suits the Apollo Victoria well: the large capacity accommodates the show's mass appeal, and the depth of the Stalls allows the full scale of the staging to be felt from a wide range of seats. Wicked is the current production at the Apollo Victoria. For performance dates, times and availability, see the Wicked show page on BritishTheatre.com or browse tickets through tickadoo. The Apollo Victoria has two main seating levels: Stalls and Dress Circle. The venue's capacity is approximately 2,500, making it one of the larger West End theatres. Stalls make up the majority of the seating and run deep from the front of the stage to the rear of the auditorium. The stage is elevated, which creates a practical consideration for the very front rows: seats in rows A through E can involve a noticeably steep upward viewing angle, which some audience members find uncomfortable over a long show. For most visitors, rows F to H offer the best balance of closeness to the stage and a comfortable sightline. Mid-stalls seats in the centre section are among the most reliable in the house for both sightlines and sound. From around the mid-point of the Stalls backwards, the elevated stage becomes less of a factor and seats become increasingly good value relative to their proximity to the action. Rear Stalls seats in the centre offer a clear view of the full stage picture, which can be advantageous for a show with the production scale of Wicked. Dress Circle provides an elevated perspective above the Stalls and is well suited to taking in the full scope of the staging. The front rows of the centre section offer some of the best sightlines in the house. A small number of seats in the early rows of the Dress Circle have a safety rail in the direct sightline; for most audience members this is a minor distraction rather than a significant obstruction, but it is worth checking the specific seat map when booking if this concerns you. The Apollo Victoria has relatively few genuinely restricted-view seats compared to many older West End theatres, which reflects the practical priorities of the 1981 conversion. The Apollo Victoria offers a full range of accessibility provisions. Wheelchair spaces are available in Row F of the Dress Circle, with access via platform lifts from the Vauxhall Bridge Road entrance on the side of the building. For audiences with hearing impairments, the theatre provides an infrared hearing loop throughout the auditorium and the Sennheiser MobileConnect system, which delivers enhanced sound amplification to a personal phone or device. Audio-described performances, captioned performances and relaxed performances are available on a scheduled basis throughout the year. Touch tours and Braille cast lists can be arranged on request. Contact the box office directly to discuss specific requirements or to confirm the schedule for accessible performances. The Apollo Victoria's location opposite Victoria Station makes it one of the easiest West End venues to reach. By Underground: Victoria station is directly across the road from the theatre, roughly a one-minute walk. Victoria serves the Victoria line, the Circle line and the District line, giving good connections from most parts of central London. By National Rail: Victoria is a major National Rail terminus, with services from south London, Surrey, Kent, Sussex and beyond. For visitors travelling from outside London, this makes the Apollo Victoria one of the most straightforward West End venues to reach without changing trains. By bus: Several bus routes stop on Vauxhall Bridge Road and Victoria Street. The area around Victoria is well served by both day and night bus routes. On foot: The theatre is within walking distance of Westminster Bridge, St James's Park and Buckingham Palace, making it a natural endpoint for a day of sightseeing in that part of the city. By car: The area around Victoria is heavily congested, particularly at peak times. Parking is available in nearby car parks off Vauxhall Bridge Road, but public transport is almost always a more practical option. The Apollo Victoria falls within the London Congestion Charge zone. Wilton Road, which runs directly past the theatre, has a good range of restaurants and cafes that are used to the pre-theatre trade. The road is short and walkable, with options ranging from quick casual meals to more substantial sit-down dining. Victoria Street and the surrounding streets also have a variety of choices. The area is slightly quieter than the Covent Garden theatre district, which can be an advantage: pre-theatre restaurants here tend to be less congested than those closer to the Strand. Booking a table in advance is still sensible on busy evenings and at weekends, but the experience is generally calmer than eating in the Theatreland area itself. For a quick option, Victoria station itself has a large food hall and a range of coffee shops and grab-and-go outlets, convenient if you are arriving by train and want to eat before the show without a separate stop. After the show, most restaurant kitchens in the immediate area will have closed. The streets around Victoria quiet down relatively early in the evening, but there are late-night options if you walk north towards Pimlico or take the Underground to Soho or Covent Garden. Arrive early. The Apollo Victoria is a large venue and queues at the box office and merchandise stands can build quickly before curtain. Arriving 30 to 45 minutes before the performance starts gives you time to find your seats and settle in without rushing. Latecomers. For Wicked, latecomers are typically not admitted until a suitable break in the performance, which can be around 25 minutes into the first act. Given the opening sequence, arriving late means missing a considerable portion of the show. Plan your journey with extra time if you are travelling at peak hours. Bags. The Apollo Victoria, in line with most West End venues, has restrictions on bag sizes. Check current guidance on the theatre's website before you travel to avoid delays at the entrance. Tickets. Check the BritishTheatre.com Apollo Victoria Theatre page for the latest listings, and book through tickadoo for seat availability and current prices. What is on at the Apollo Victoria Theatre? Wicked has played at the Apollo Victoria since 2006. For the latest performance dates and availability, check BritishTheatre.com. Where is the Apollo Victoria Theatre? The Apollo Victoria is at 17 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1LG, directly opposite Victoria Station. What is the nearest tube station to the Apollo Victoria Theatre? Victoria station is effectively on the theatre's doorstep, around a one-minute walk away. It serves the Victoria, Circle and District lines. What are the best seats at the Apollo Victoria Theatre? For most shows, rows F to H in the centre Stalls offer a good combination of proximity and comfort. The front rows of the centre Dress Circle are also widely regarded as strong seats. Avoid rows A to E in the Stalls if a steep upward viewing angle would bother you. Browse seat availability on tickadoo to compare options. Is the Apollo Victoria Theatre accessible for wheelchair users? Yes. Wheelchair spaces are available in Row F of the Dress Circle, with access via platform lifts from the Vauxhall Bridge Road entrance. Contact the box office directly for specific requirements or to arrange accessible seating. How large is the Apollo Victoria Theatre? The Apollo Victoria has a capacity of approximately 2,500, making it one of the larger venues in the West End. Seating is across two levels: Stalls and Dress Circle.