Arts Theatre
Venue Information
- How to book (Phone)
- 020 7836 8463
- [email protected]
- Guide dogs
- Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome in the auditorium, please discuss with the Box Office team when booking.
- Wheelchairs
- 1 space in Circle.
- Sound amplification
- None at present
- Audio description
- Access to main entrance via a slight ramp and through double doors. Box office counter is straight ahead. 19 steps down to the Stalls to the right of the box office and 5 steps up to the Circle to the left of it. Venue carpeted throughout, stairs are highlighted with handrails on either side.
- Street to foyer
- Ramp
- Foyer to seat
- 5 stairs up to Circle, 19 down to Stalls.
- Level access
- N/A
- Lift / stair lift / ramp
- Ramp from street to Dress Circle
- Bars
- The Arts Theatre bar is open from 6pm on performance evenings and from an hour before matinee performances. Serving up a full range of soft and alcoholic beverages and snacks, plus Pimms on tap. Bar located inside the foyer, the counter is to the left (1.2m high) with low moveable seating in the centre. Bar with moveable seating also at Stalls level.
- Food
- Light refreshments available at the foyer bar.
- Toilets
- Very large cubicle with some adapted toilet facilities at the back of Circle.
- Parking
Limited parking available in the surrounding area.
- Air conditioning
- Yes
- Accepts Theatre Tokens
- Yes
The Arts Theatre continue to produce short runs of excellent plays, operating as the West End’s smallest commercial receiving house, seating a maximum of 350 attendees in a two-tier basement auditorium.
Situated on Great Newport Street in the heart of Leicester Square, The Arts Theatre originally opened in April 1927 as an independent, members-only club, performing unlicensed plays and avoiding censorship. Prioritising artistic experimentation over commercial appeal, the Arts Theatre aimed to present a diverse range of new productions and continues to showcase a broad range of shows to this date.
The early years of the theatre saw it undergo troublesome financial times as the small and unlicensed plays were failing to bring in enough money to cover its costs. This changed, however, in 1946 when Alec Clunes and Peter Elstob were able to raise enough capital to put the theatre in a firm place financially
While the theatre continues to host smaller-scale productions, it has also been the venue for the works of notable playwrights. For example, Tom Stoppard’s satirical play Dirty-Linen and New-Found-Land enjoyed a run of four years at the theatre between 1976 and 1980.
The venue also houses two rehearsal rooms, a private members’ bar, and an upstairs performance space – the aptly named, Above The Arts. The venue is owned by Consolidated Development and is operated by JJ Goodman Ltd.