Duchess Theatre
Venue Information
- How to book (Phone)
- 0330 333 4815
- [email protected]
- Guide dogs
- Access dogs are allowed inside the auditorium. Staff can also dog-sit for two dogs per performance.
- Wheelchairs
- 2 x Wheelchair spaces available per performance. Stalls N1 and J14 provide wheelchair spaces, with companion seats adjacent. Wheelchair user access is provided using the AAT Major Stair Climber. The stair climber accommodates manual wheelchairs up to 66cm (26 inches) wide and 89cm (35 inches) deep including any footrest. The maximum combined weight the Stair Climber can accommodate is 190kg (30 Stones) when distributed evenly across the wheelchair. Electric wheelchair users may be asked to transfer into the theatre’s manual wheelchair on arrival if the theatre staff consider the electric wheelchair unsuitable for transportation on the Stair Climber. Electric and manual wheelchair users are requested to contact our Access Team via phone or email ahead of purchasing tickets to discuss specific requirements and to book the use of the Stair Climber. All patrons requiring the use of the Stair Climber are requested to arrive at the theatre 45 minutes before the start of the performance.
- Sound amplification
- Sennheiser Infra-red System with 6 headsets. Avoid the first 3 rows in the Stalls and the boxes as the signal is not very strong there.
- Audio description
- Wheelchair user access is provided using the AAT Major Stair Climber. The stair climber accommodates manual wheelchairs up to 66cm (26 inches) wide and 89cm (35 inches) deep including any footrest. The maximum combined weight the Stair Climber can accommodate is 190kg (30 Stones) when distributed evenly across the wheelchair.
- Street to foyer
- Steps
- Foyer to seat
- 20 steps to Stalls, 11 to Dress Circle
- Level access
- To Stalls
- Lift / stair lift / ramp
- AAT Stairclimber to Stalls
- Bars
- The theatre bars are located in the Foyer and the Stalls. A member of theatre staff will offer assistance purchasing beverages on behalf of customers with access needs.
- Food
- Light snacks available
- Toilets
- Men and Womens throughout. here is an accessible toilet located at the rear of the Stalls auditorium.
- Parking
- Air conditioning
- Yes
- Accepts Theatre Tokens
- Yes
The Duchess Theatre opened in 1929. This intimate theatre is the West End’s smallest Proscenium Arch space. It has 494 seats on two levels and used to be well-known for its one-man shows and plays.
The theatre was designed by Ewen Barr and is built with the stalls below street level to avoid the need for a structure that would block out light to the windows of the surrounding buildings. Although the theatre remains much as it was when it opened, there was a large interior decoration scheme carried out in 1934.
The theatre opened with a show called Tunnel Trench and, one year later in 1930, The Duchess hosted the shortest run in West End history when the Intimate Revue closed without completing its first performance. It has also, on the other hand, hosted a number of long-running productions, with Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit completing a run of 1,997 performances there.
The Duchess Theatre is now owned by the Nimax Theatre Group and is currently hosting the hilarious and Olivier Award-winning The Play That Goes Wrong.