British Theatre

Venue

duke-of-yorks-theatre

4.5 · 2.3k Google reviews Box office closed · opens 11am

The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London.

Photos via Google. Attributions: The Duke of York's Theatre, Steven Illiou, Dandylicious, Alg Lara

Google rating

4.5 ★ (2.3k)

Venue info

The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London.

History

It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by the architect Walter Emden, it opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, and was renamed Trafalgar Theatre in 1894. The following year, it became the Duke of York's to honour the future King George V. The theatre's opening show was comic opera The Wedding Eve by Frédéric Toulmouche. One of the earliest musical comedies, Go-Bang, was a success at the theatre in 1894. In 1900, Jerome K. Jerome's Miss Hobbs was staged as well as David Belasco's Madame Butterfly, which was seen by Puccini, who later turned it into the famous opera. This was also the theatre where J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up debuted on 27 December 1904. Many famous British actors have appeared here, including Basil Rathbone, who played Alfred de Musset in Madame Sand in June 1920, returning in November 1932 as the Unknown Gentleman in Tonight or Never. The theatre was Grade II listed by English Heritage in September 1960. In the late 1970s the freehold of the theatre was purchased by Capital Radio and it closed in 1979 for refurbishment. It reopened in February 1980 and the first production under the patronage of Capital was Rose, starring Glenda Jackson. In 1991 comedian Pat Condell performed sketches at the theatre which were later released on DVD. ATG Entertainment bought the theatre in 1992; this coincided with the successful Royal Court production of Ariel Dorfman's Death and the Maiden. A host of successes followed including the 21st anniversary performance of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show and the Royal Court Classics Season in 1995. The theatre houses the producing offices of ATG Entertainment's subsidiary Sonia Friedman Productions, whose revival of In Celebration starring Orlando Bloom played until 15 September 2007. Singers Rag'n'Bone Man and Pink filmed their 2021 video for Anywhere Away From Here in the theatre.

After Mrs Rochester (22 July 2003 – 25 October 2003) by Polly Teale Sweet Panic (12 November 2004 – 7 February 2004) by Stephen Poliakoff Calico (3 March 2004 – 3 April 2004) by Michael Hastings The Holy Terror (14 April 2004 – 8 May 2004) by Simon Gray Dirty Blonde (16 June 2004 – 28 August 2004) by Claudia Shear Journey's End (5 October 2004 – 19 February 2005) by R. C. Sherriff The Dresser (28 February 2005 – 14 May 2005) by Ronald Harwood, starring Nicholas Lyndhurst and Julian Glover Hedda Gabler (27 May 2005 – 6 August 2005) by Henrik Ibsen, starring Eve Best and Iain Glen Tom, Dick and Harry (23 August 2005 – 29 October 2005) by Ray Cooney and Michael Cooney, starring Joe, Stephen and Mark McGann I Am My Own Wife (10 November 2005 – 10 December 2005) by Doug Wright, starring Jefferson Mays Embers (1 March 2006 – 24 June 2006) by Sándor Márai, adapted by Christopher Hampton, starring Jeremy Irons and Patrick Malahide Eh Joe (27 June 2006 – 15 July 2006) by Samuel Beckett, starring Michael Gambon Rock 'n' Roll (22 July 2006 – 24 February 2007) by Tom Stoppard, starring David Calder, Emma Fielding, Dominic West, Rufus Sewell, and Nicola Bryant Little Shop of Horrors (12 March 2007 – 23 June 2007) by Alan Menken, starring Sheridan Smith, Paul Keating and Alistair McGowan In Celebration (5 July 2007 – 15 September 2007) by David Storey, starring Orlando Bloom, Tim Healy and Lynda Baron Rent Remixed (16 October 2007 – 2 February 2008), by Jonathan Larson, starring Denise Van Outen (succeeded on 24 December 2007 by Jessie Wallace) The Magic Flute (8 February 2008 – 12 April 2008) That Face (1 May 2008 – 5 July 2008) by Polly Stenham, starring Lindsay Duncan, Hannah Murray and Matt Smith Under the Blue Sky (25 July 2008 – 20 September 2008) by David Eldridge, starring Catherine Tate, Francesca Annis and Dominic Rowan No Man's Land (7 October 2008 – 3 January 2009) by Harold Pinter, starring Michael Gambon, David Bradley, David Walliams and Nick Dunning A View From the Bridge (5 February 2009 – 16 May 2009) by Arthur Miller, starring Ken Stott Arcadia (27 May 2009 – 12 September 2009) by Tom Stoppard starring Samantha Bond, Nancy Carroll, Jessie Cave, Trevor Cooper, Sam Cox, Lucy Griffiths, Tom Hodgkins, Hugh Mitchell, Neil Pearson, George Potts, Dan Stevens and Ed Stoppard Speaking in Tongues (18 September 2009 – 12 December 2009) by Andrew Bovell starring John Simm Bedroom Farce (24 March 2010 – 10 July 2010) by Alan Ayckbourn Ghost Stories (25 June 2010 – 16 July 2011) by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman starring Andy Nyman, David Cardy, Ryan Gage and Nicholas Burns Journey's End (19 July 2011 – 3 September 2011) by R. C. Sherriff Backbeat (10 October 2011 – 18 February 2012), co-written by Iain Softley and Stephen Jeffreys, musical direction by Paul Stacey, and directed by David Leveaux. All New People (22 February 2012 – 28 April 2012) by Zach Braff, directed by Peter DuBois, starring Zach Braff, Eve Myles, Paul Hilton and Susannah Fielding. Posh (23 May 2012 – 4 August 2012) (transfers from the Royal Court Theatre) Jumpy (28 August 2012 – 3 November 2012) by April de Angelis, starring Tamsin Greig Constellations (16 November 2012 – 5 January 2013) by Nick Payne, starring Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall (transfers from the Royal Court Theatre) The Judas Kiss (17 January 2013 – 6 April 2013) by David Hare, starring Rupert Everett and Freddie Fox (transfers from the Hampstead Theatre) Passion Play (7 May 2013 – 3 August 2013) by Peter Nichols, starring Zoë Wanamaker A Doll's House (14 August 2013 – 26 October 2013) by Henrik Ibsen, starring Hattie Morahan Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense (12 November 2013 – 20 September 2014) by P. G. Wodehouse Neville's Island (10 October 2014 – 3 January 2015) by Tim Firth, starring Adrian Edmondson, Miles Jupp, Neil Morrissey and Robert Webb The Nether (30 January 2015 – 25 April 2015) by Jennifer Haley (transfer from the Royal Court Theatre) Hay Fever (11 May 2015 – 1 August 2015) by Noël Coward, starring Felicity Kendal Hetty Feather (6 August 2015 – 6 September 2015) by Jacqueline Wilson Farinelli and the King (29 September 2015 – 5 December 2015) by Claire van Kampen, starring Mark Rylance (transfer from the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse) Goodnight Mister Tom (17 December 2015 – 20 February 2016), starring David Troughton The Father (1 March 2016 – 26 March 2016), starring Kenneth Cranham Doctor Faustus (9 April 2016 – 25 June 2016), starring Kit Harington How the Other Half Loves (7 July 2016 – 1 October 2016) by Alan Ayckbourn The Dresser (12 October 2016 – 14 January 2017) by Ronald Harwood, starring Ken Stott and Reece Shearsmith The Glass Menagerie (2 February 2017 – 29 April 2017) by Tennessee Williams, starring Cherry Jones Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (15 May 2017 – 2 September 2017) Ink (19 September 2017 – 6 January 2018) by James Graham, starring Bertie Carvel and Richard Coyle Mary Stuart (25 January 2018 – 31 March 2018) by Friedrich Schiller, in a new version by Robert Icke, starring Juliet Stevenson and Lia Williams The Moderate Soprano (12 April 2018 – 30 June 2018) by David Hare, starring Roger Allam and Nancy Carroll King Lear (26 July 2018 – 3 November 2018) by William Shakespeare, starring Ian McKellen Summer and Smoke (20 November 2018 – 19 January 2019) by Tennessee Williams, starring Patsy Ferran and Matthew Needham Home, I’m Darling (5 February 2019 – 13 April 2019) by Laura Wade, starring Katherine Parkinson Rosmersholm (2 May 2019 – 20 July 2019) by Henrik Ibsen, starring Hayley Atwell and Tom Burke The Girl on the Train (23 July 2019 – 17 August 2019) The Son (2 September 2019 – 2 November 2019) by Florian Zeller, translated by Christopher Hampton Touching the Void (9 November 2019 - 29 February 2020) by David Greig Blithe Spirit (10 March 2020 – 11 April 2020) by Noël Coward, starring Jennifer Saunders (production closed early due to COVID-19 pandemic) The Ocean at the End of the Lane (23 October 2021 – 14 May 2022) The Glass Menagerie (23 May 2022 – 27 August 2022) by Tennessee Williams, starring Amy Adams A Different Stage (30 August 2022 - 25 September 2022) created and performed by Gary Barlow The Doctor (4 October 2022 – 11 December 2022) by Robert Icke, starring Juliet Stevenson Mother Goose (15 December 2022 – 29 January 2023) starring Ian McKellen and John Bishop Shirley Valentine (17 February 2023 – 3 June 2023) by Willy Russell, starring Sheridan Smith The Pillowman (10 June 2023 – 2 September 2023) by Martin McDonagh, starring Lily Allen and Steve Pemberton Vanya (15 September 2023 – 21 October 2023) in a new version by Simon Stephens, starring Andrew Scott An Enemy of the People (6 February 2024 – 6 April 2024) by Henrik Ibsen, in a new version written and directed by Thomas Ostermeier, starring Matt Smith Shifters (12 August 2024 - 12 October 2024) by Benedict Lombe Barcelona (21 October 2024 - 11 January 2025) by Bess Wohl starring Lily Collins and Álvaro Morte Elektra (24 January 2025 - 12 April 2025) by Sophocles, translated by Anne Carson, starring Brie Larson Stereophonic (9 June 2025 - 22 November 2025) by David Adjmi, original songs by Will Butler, directed by Daniel Aukin Woman in Mind (9 December 2025 - 28 February 2026) by Alan Ayckbourn, starring Sheridan Smith

Backstairs Billy (27 October 2023 – 27 January 2024) by Marcelo Dos Santos, starring Penelope Wilton and Luke Evans

Romeo and Juliet (11 May 2024 – 3 August 2024) by William Shakespeare, starring Tom Holland

Box office hours

Box office closed · opens 11am

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM
  • Thursday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM
  • Friday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM
  • Saturday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM
  • Sunday: 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM

These are the box office (ticket desk) hours supplied by Google. The theatre itself opens around 45 minutes before curtain-up — always check your ticket for the performance start time. You can book online any time through British Theatre.

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

4.0 · 2 months ago
Went to see the Wednesday matinee performance of “Woman in Mind” with Sheridan Smith and tried out the Ambassador Lounge which hosts 14 guests pre, interval and post show for an extra fee. Ingenious idea. Dedicated wait staff. Separate room away from the main areas and a short flight of stairs to the main stalls. Perfect! Better still. You can leave all your bags and coats there. Private area with tables and comfy seats and separate bathroom. So you turn up before the show and have a drink/snacks, pick up your program and then return during interval again. After the show you can pick up your belongings. Would definitely recommend paying the extra fee to access the AL when booking your tickets for this theatre. Service was excellent.
— Genevieve Sulway
5.0 · 5 months ago
Never been to this theatre before 😁 Great looking building😁 Went to see the play “stereophonic” which was very good 😁 Great team of staff in the building 😁 Used bar area on first floor. Wine prices very good. Interval drinks available 😁 Nice clean toilets 😁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Inside the auditorium sound and vision excellent 😁🎭 Lots of merchandise 😁🎭 Easy entry and departure so well controlled. Tickets in advance or maybe last minute 😁🎭 Highly recommended 😁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎭
— Larry Haywood
5.0 · 3 months ago
The Duke of York's Theatre, in Leicester Square, is a lovely and civilised venue and, in many ways, one of the quiet pleasures of that part of London. It sits just far enough from the tourist chaos to feel composed, yet close enough to benefit from the energy of the area. Getting there is genuinely easy, especially via Tottenham Court Road and the Elizabeth Line, followed by a short and pleasant walk that sets the tone for the evening rather than exhausting you before you even sit down. Inside, the theatre retains that reassuring old London character. It is intimate without feeling cramped, elegant without trying too hard, and acoustically well behaved. Sightlines are generally good, and there is a sense that the space respects both the actors and the audience. You feel close enough to the stage for nuance to matter, which is exactly what you want for psychologically driven plays rather than spectacle. What really works in its favour is the surrounding area. Leicester Square and its immediate streets offer excellent options for dinner or a drink before or after the performance. Restaurants and bars are abundant, varied, and easy to slip into without fuss, making the theatre part of a complete evening rather than an isolated event. Even if the production itself divides opinion, the setting ensures the night still feels worthwhile. Overall, the Duke of York’s Theatre is a refined and dependable venue. It may not overwhelm you with grandeur, but it delivers comfort, accessibility, and atmosphere in a way that feels very London in the best sense. A place where the evening flows naturally, before the curtain goes up and after it comes down.
— Glauco HA
3.0 · 6 months ago
I am not a regular theatre go-er but would describe my experience at the Duke of York's Theatre as average and as expected. The theatre is relatively small and narrow, spanning mulitple floors. It's a bit of a maze finding the toilets and they aren't big enough considering how many people are admitted at any one time. I entered the theatre 50 minutes before the show as I had a backback and didn't want to cause any issues on entry. This meant I spent some time in their bar, and paid £9.60 (!!!) for a bottled Camden Hells lager that's usually sold for £3 anywhere else. My advice is to stay in a nearby pub until 10-20 mins before your show starts and go straight to your seats. I watched Stereophonic here, and thought the set was great. The music and acting was brilliant, too. I would say, though, the play dragged on and definitely doesn't need to be 3-hours long. I would also say that the 'failed attempts' at perfecting the songs in the show reduced the impact and enjoyment of when the songs were played in full, albeit not a reflection of the theatre itself. Lastly, I got the impression that there are lots of restricted view seats in this theatre. I sat in the ground floor stalls central to the stage so I had no issues, but I saw lots of people leaning over the edges of the upper levels as they weren't able to see the stage, and I'm sure this had knock-on affects to people behind them. So, pay that little bit extra for good seats and enjoy the show, or risk being disappointed.
— Liam Kelly

Reviews sourced from Google Maps.

Live venue listings

REVIEW: The Glass Menagerie, Duke Of Yorks Theatre ✭✭✭✭✭

11 February 2017

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REVIEW: Doctor Faustus, Duke Of Yorks Theatre ✭✭

25 April 2016

View listing

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Frequently asked questions

What's on at duke-of-yorks-theatre?

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

What are the box office hours at duke-of-yorks-theatre?

The duke-of-yorks-theatre box office (ticket desk) operates: Monday: Closed; Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM; Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM; Thursday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM; Friday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM; Saturday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM; Sunday: 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM. Right now the box office is closed · opens 11am. The theatre itself opens around 45 minutes before curtain-up — and you can book online any time through British Theatre.

Is duke-of-yorks-theatre accessible?

duke-of-yorks-theatre 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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