History of Vaudeville Theatre London:
The Vaudeville Theatre opened on 16 April 1870. True to its name, its inaugural productions were a comedy play, and a burlesque show. The venue made history with its 1875 productions Our Boys, which became to first theatrical production in the world to reach 500 consecutive performances, and then 1,000 performances.
In 1889 the theatre was closed for refurbishment. When it reopened in 1891 it contained more spacious seating. The years that followed saw a revival of Our Boys alongside successful comedies and musicals like Quality Street (by J. M. Barrie), The Catch of the Season, The Belle of Mayfair, and Baby Mine, before the outbreak of the First World War turned the theatre into a venue for light entertainment and musical revues. These revues would run until the theatre was closed again in 1925.
The theatre reopened in 1926 with a completely reconstructed interior and quickly produced a string of successful productions including the revue R.S.V.P, the comedy The Bread-Winner, and the musical Salad Days, a transfer from Bristol Old Vic that set West-End records by running for 2,283 performances, making it the longest-running show in musical theatre history (until it was overtaken by My Fair Lady 2 years later).
In recent times, the theatre has undergone another refurbishment, produced a revival of Salad Days, hosted the Stomp for 5 years, and brought under the management of Nimax theatres.
At present, Mischief Theatre are in residence at the Vaudeville Theatre.
Vaudeville Theatre London Seating Plan:
