British Theatre

Venue

new-wimbledon-theatre-uk-tour

4.5 · 3.1k Google reviews

The New Wimbledon Theatre is situated on the Broadway, Wimbledon, London, in the London Borough of Merton. It is a Grade II listed Edwardian theatre built by the theatre lover and entrepreneur, J.

Photos via Google. Attributions: New Wimbledon Theatre, Amy Woolterton, Francoise Moore, Mark Sykes

City

UK Tour

Google rating

4.5 ★ (3.1k)

Venue info

The New Wimbledon Theatre is situated on the Broadway, Wimbledon, London, in the London Borough of Merton. It is a Grade II listed Edwardian theatre built by the theatre lover and entrepreneur, J.

History

The theatre has approximately 1,670 seats across three levels, making it the eighth largest theatre in London following the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the English National Opera's London Coliseum, and the major musical venues the London Palladium, Apollo Victoria, Drury Lane, Dominion, and Lyceum.

The main auditorium is adjoined by the smaller black box space of the Time and Leisure Studio, a flexible space seating up to 80 people. It is often home to small drama and comedy productions, often prior to West End or Edinburgh Festival runs each summer. Up From Paradise, the only musical written by Arthur Miller, directed by Patrick Kennedy received its London premiere at the Studio in July 2014 following a successful year of musical programming.

Until 2001, the theatre was owned and operated by the Wimbledon Civic Theatre Trust, on behalf of the London Borough of Merton, who still own the freehold of the building. The trust was responsible for overseeing a multimillion-pound refurbishment in the late 1990s, incorporating a brand new backstage area, fly tower, and a complete re-seating of the orchestra stalls as well as redecoration of the interior. During this period, the theatre was closed for an entire year. The venue fell into severe financial difficulties in 2003 and was forced to close. Following lengthy talks between leading producers, local councillors, and companies, in autumn 2003 a deal was agreed for the theatre to be managed by the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG). Following a name change to the New Wimbledon Theatre, the venue reopened in February 2004 with Matthew Bourne's production of The Nutcracker followed by a season of touring musicals, dance, and ballet, culminating in the London revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats. In November 2005, the theatre saw the launch of a new UK pantomime company, First Family Entertainment with their flagship production being Cinderella starring Susan Hampshire, Richard Wilson, John Barrowman, Naomi Wilkinson, Peter Duncan, and Tim Vine. In 2006, the theatre welcomed its first Hollywood star in the shape of Happy Days' Henry Winkler. Subsequent Christmases have seen global stars including Pamela Anderson, Warwick Davis, Edna Everage, Linda Gray, David Hasselhoff, Priscilla Presley, Jerry Springer, and Ruby Wax, alongside British household names including Brian Blessed, Jo Brand, Bobby Davro, Anita Dobson, Gareth Gates, Ross Kemp, Alistair McGowan, Paul O'Grady, Joanna Page, Wayne Sleep, Louie Spence, Claire Sweeney, and Tim Vine. The theatre has since played host to a large variety of major touring productions, plus the UK launch of Josef Weinberger's UK collection of Disney musicals available to amateur companies throughout the British Isles. In 2010, the national tour of Spamalot, the musical based on the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, opened at the New Wimbledon. In September, 2024, War Horse (play)

The venue is frequently hired out for television production, with many television series having been shot at the location, including The Optimist, The Bill, The IT Crowd, De-Lovely, Little Britain, Extras (the Aladdin pantomime episode with Les Dennis), Jonathan Creek and We Are Most Amused, a comedy gala performance to celebrate the 60th birthday of The Prince of Wales, in aid of The Prince's Trust.

Accessibility

Available at this venue:

  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair-accessible seating
  • Wheelchair-accessible toilet

Not available at this venue:

  • Wheelchair-accessible parking

Accessibility information supplied by Google Maps. Please contact the venue directly to confirm details for your visit.

What visitors say

5.0 · 2 months ago
Yesterday evening, we went to Wimbledon Theatre to see the ABBA show, and it was absolutely fantastic! The atmosphere of a British theatre is so charming — elegant yet cosy, making you feel part of something special from the moment you arrive. The show itself was captivating: ABBA’s songs were full of energy and emotion, and the performers truly brought their roles to life. The costumes, lighting, and choreography were all meticulously done, creating a vibrant and immersive experience. The evening was perfectly organised, seating was comfortable, and the audience was fully engaged. It was an evening full of joy, nostalgia, and music — I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a top-notch musical performance in true British theatre style.
— Gulnara
2.0 · 2 months ago
Went to see Friends The Musical, very disappointed in the service around services for accessibility. I had bought tickets and contacted them before to say my issues, I basically got told that if I wanted better seats because I had access issues I would have to buy them. Not really the great customer service for people With disabilities. This is one of the theatres, where they haven’t tried everything to help me get the best experience. As a disabled person, I cannot afford ticket prices in places where access is an issue. I think other theatre sees this and helps out the best they can. All I can say is not this theatre. I got to the theatre and the customer service manager scanned my tickets at the door. He said are you ok accessing the venue. I said no, as you can see my access issues. He looked at my ticket and said, you haven’t got many steps, I had about 8 flights of steps. The Upper Balcony did not have a lift, plus the floors were uneven, badly lit and not accessible toilet. I had to struggles to the bar, to the toilet, to the seat. Found it a very bad experience. I loved the show friends, but the theatre needs to do a lot more for its disabled clientele.
— Mark Thorne
5.0 · a month ago
We attended the Wimbledon Theatre to watch The Bodyguard, and it was absolutely amazing from start to finish. The theatre itself is beautiful, with a great atmosphere that makes the whole experience feel special the moment you walk in. The show was outstanding — incredible singers, a gripping storyline, and nonstop entertainment throughout. Every performance was full of energy and emotion, and the iconic songs had the whole audience captivated. A big shout out to Cale, who played Fletcher — such incredible talent at such a young age! His performance was truly impressive and added so much heart to the production. An unforgettable night at a fantastic venue. I would highly recommend it!
— Tania
5.0 · 2 months ago
Really lovely theatre. Seating is positioned well that you get a clear view of the stage from different angles. Bar service is quick and didn’t have to queue up long during the intermission. Watched the Friends parody show here and it was brilliant!
— Charisma O

Reviews sourced from Google Maps.

Live venue listings

REVIEW: Avenue Q, New Wimbledon Theatre, UK Tour ✭✭✭✭✭

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REVIEW: Chicago, New Wimbledon Theatre (UK Tour) ✭✭✭✭✭

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REVIEW: The Last Tango, New Wimbledon Theatre (UK Tour) ✭✭✭✭

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REVIEW: Shrek, New Wimbledon Theatre (UK Tour) ✭✭✭✭

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Frequently asked questions

What's on at new-wimbledon-theatre-uk-tour?

There is no production currently on sale at new-wimbledon-theatre-uk-tour. Check back soon, or browse our full list of West End shows.

Is new-wimbledon-theatre-uk-tour accessible?

new-wimbledon-theatre-uk-tour offers wheelchair-accessible entrance, wheelchair-accessible seating, wheelchair-accessible toilets. Please contact the venue directly if you have specific access requirements.

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