Hotels near Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London

Author & Researcher: Nathan for Hotel-Assist London
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HOTEL: THE THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE

Catherine Street, 

London, 

Greater London 

WC2B 5JF

United Kingdom

Tube: Covent Garden (250m)

Hotel: Strand Palace [3*]; Kingsway Hall [4*]; The Kingsley Hotel [4*]; The Hampshire [5*] 

Editors Commment: "Firstly let me advise you that you should avoid Row X in the stalls like the plague, I has no legroom and a restricted vertical view due to the balcony overhang.  Also on the Upper Circle avoid row H and back, again due to restricted vertical viewing.  The area around the theatre is fantastic and you should take advantage of the pre theatre or post theatre dining around Covent Garden Piazza.  Afterwards stroll down to the River Thames and enjoy the night vista."

About the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is Londons oldest theatre, and, although its shows are some of the most modern, when you visit, you become part of a tradition that has endured since 1663. Currently home to big musicals, the theatre is as popular is it has always been, and it remains an important fixture in the Covent Garden area, a cultural landmark in an area heavily populated with them.

The theatre building is its fourth, and has stood since 1812 and opened with a production of Hamlet with Robert Elliston in the title role. The first Theatre Royal was one of the first theatres opened in London after the Restoration (plays had been illegal under Oliver and Thomas Cromwell).Charles II issued letters patent to Thomas Killigrew, who started a theatre company that became known as the Kings Company, and they opened their new theatre in Covent Garden on the 7th May 1663. As the oldest theatre in London, it is perhaps not surprising that it is thought by many to be the most haunted as well.

The Theatre Royal allegedly has many ghosts, the most famous of which is, perhaps, the Man In Grey. This apparition is supposed to be dressed as a late 18th century noblerman, he has a heavily powdered wig and a tricorn hat. Seeing him before a performance is meant to bring great luck to the actors, and he is supposed to have been a man stabbed with a knife whose remains were found in 1848 within a side passage that had been bricked up. The ghosts of actors Charles Macklin and Joe Grimaldi are also supposed to be drifting around the theatre. Macklin killed another actor in an argument over a wig at the theatre in 1735: he cried "Goddamn you for a blackguard, scrub, rascal!" and stabbed at Thomas Hallam with a cane that punctured his left eye, and killed him. The ghost of Grimaldi is said to be helpful, and guides tentative actors around the stage.

The auditorium itself is four-tiered, and can seat between 2,200 and 2,300 people, and it had its last major renovation in 1922. After the war, the theatre became famous for a number of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, and that tradition continues to this day as it is managed by Andrew Lloyd Webbers Really Useful Group, and usually houses a major new musical or musical revival.

Situated at the heart of the West End, the Theatre Royal is an historic and exciting theatre to visit. There are many fine eateries and drinkeries in the surrounding area, and you are just moments away from Covent Garden or Leicester Square. The nearest tube is Covent Garden, but you are within walking distance of Leicester Square and Temple, and very near Charing Cross mainline station. Disabled patrons should contact the Theatre Manager on arrival, as there are stairs around the theatre to be negotiated.

The Theatre Royal has been an important fixture of the London theatrical scene for centuries. It housed the first performance of the National Anthem, and has been visited by every monarch since Charles II. If you are looking for ghosts, spectacle, or just to drink in centuries of theatrical history, the Theatre Royal is well worth your time.

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