Duke of York’s Theatre
Venue Information
- How to book (Phone)
- 0333 009 5399
- [email protected]
- Guide dogs
- A maximum of two guide dogs can be admitted per performance to patrons booking an aisle seat. If preferred, front of house staff can look after the guide dog in the foyer during the performance.
- Wheelchairs
- 2 x Wheelchair spaces available in the Royal Circle per performance
- Sound amplification
- MobileConnect
- Audio description
- The Duke of York’s Theatre entrance is on street level where the box office, cloakroom, main foyer area and access toilet are located
- Foyer to seat
- 23 steps to Stalls and 23 to Upper Circle
- Level access
- Royal Circle Row C (2 x Wheelchair Spaces available per performance)
- Bars
- 2 licensed bars. Stalls bar down 21 steps from the foyer, moveable seating. Circle bar up 23 steps moveable seating. Ice-cream and soft drinks on sale in cloak room. Beverages can be brought to disabled customers in auditorium - please ask duty manager.
- Toilets
- Men and Womens throughout. The access toilet is to the right hand side of the main foyer area (level access), opposite the auditorium right entrance to the Royal Circle.
- Parking
- Air conditioning
- Yes
- Accepts Theatre Tokens
- Yes
The Duke of York’s theatre opened on 10 September 1892. Initially called the Trafalgar Square, the name was shortened to Trafalgar in 1894 and the following year it became the Duke of York’s to honour the future King George V. In 1900, Jerome K Jerome’s Miss Hobbs was staged here as well as David Belasco’s Madame Butterfly, which was seen by Puccini, who later turned it into what is probably his most famous opera; it was ultimately performed at the Duke of York’s in 1932 by the Carl Rosa Opera Company.
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 aegis of Capital Radio was Rose, starring Glenda Jackson. Other successes include Al Pacino’s award-winning performance in David Mamet’s American Buffalo, Richard Harris’ comedy Stepping Out, directed by Julia Mackenzie and Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine.
The Ambassador Theatre Group bought the theatre in 1992 coinciding with The Royal Court’s production of Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden. A host of successes followed including Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, a sellout run of Stones In His Pockets, Stephen Poliakoff’s Sweet Panic, Michael Hastings’ Calico, The Holy Terror by Simon Gray, Dirty Blonde by Claudia Shear, Ronald Harwood’s The Dresser starring Nicholas Lyndhurst and Julian Glover and most recently Richard Eyre’s production of Hedda Gabler starring Eve Best.