Duke of York's Theatre
St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4BG
What’s On
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The Doctor
(18 Apr 2021 to 18 Jul 2021)
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The Pillowman
(24 Jul 2021 to 17 Oct 2021)
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane
(26 Oct 2021 to 12 Feb 2022)
Location
The Duke of York’s Theatre is situated on the famous St Martin’s Lane, a side street in the Covent Garden network. The main hub of Covent Garden is within walking distance if you fancy witnessing some exciting street performers or exploring the large number of high street shops, but St Martin’s Lane itself has a unique flavour that is worth exploring. In addition to hosting the English National Opera and several theatres, the road is also known for its plethora of antique dealers, bookshops, high-end gentleman’s tailors and boutique cafés.Getting there
By Tube: The nearest station to the theatre is Leicester Square on the Northern and Piccadilly lines. Alternatively, Charing Cross station is also within walking distance and has National Rail, Bakerloo and Northern line services.By bus: Numbers 14, 19, 22, 24, 29, 38, 40 and 176 all stop near the theatre.By taxi or car: Charing Cross station has a taxi rank outside its entrance. The nearest car park is the NCP on St Martin’s Lane, or there are meters outside the theatre.Seating
The Duke of York's Theatre, which was named to honour the future King George V, opened in 1892 and has a rich history of performing new and classic plays. Situated to the north of Trafalgar Square in the heart of the West End the theatre district the theatre often has a fast turnaround of shows.Seating at the theatre can be difficult due to the arrangement of the circles and the depth of the auditorium. The theatre is relatively small by West End standards, with the majority of the seats in the stalls section. It is worth assessing how much money you want to spend in relation to the quality of the seats, as many seats are restricted in some way, depending on the different production. The Stalls are deep yet narrow, with no central aisle running through them. The wider rows are towards the centre of the section where the better seats seem to be. From row P onwards the seats are more central but suffer from the overhang from the level above.
The Royal Circle is on the first level and is only 6 rows deep. Each row curves around the balcony, resulting in some restricted seats at the extreme ends of each row. Boxes on this level also provided restricted seating and should be avoided unless they are particularly cheap. The Upper Circle is similar to the Royal Circle, although is higher and further from the stage. The seats follow the curve of the balcony, creating further restrictions. A bench seat at the rear of the section can provide excellent value as it is central to the stage.


Accessibility
The Duke of York’s Theatre is divided into three sections: the Stalls, Royal Circle and Upper Circle. From the street there is almost level access to the main foyer, with a small lip to navigate. Once inside the foyer it is 24 steps down to the Stalls, 23 steps up to the Upper Circle and level access to the back of the Royal Circle. There is space for companions alongside disabled patrons, with discounts and concessions available for both during most performances.Most of the theatre’s seating is located in the inaccessible Stalls area, and consequently there is not a lot of choice for those in wheelchairs. There are 2 spaces for wheelchair users in the Royal Circle, although they do suffer from a restricted view. There is an adapted toilet at the back of the Royal Circle. The theatre’s bars are situated in the Stalls and Upper Circle, but drinks can be carried to disabled guests in their seats.
The Duke of York Theatre has an Ezee Loop induction loop at the Box Office, as well as a dual channel infra-red system in the main auditorium. Signed events and audio-described tours are available for most productions. Four guide dogs are allowed into the theatre during each performance, and are normally permitted to stay with their owner unless the production demands otherwise. In this instance, the management can dog-sit for the duration of the performance.Access bookings telephone line +44 (0) 800 912 6971 or access booking form
History
Since opening in 1892 the Grade II-listed Duke of York’s Theatre has undergone many transformations and different management, but has retained its character through a series of high quality dramatic works. The theatre was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife and was initially known as the Trafalgar Theatre, with one of its first successes being the musical comedy Go-Bang in 1894. The Duke of York’s immediately became known for hit debut productions such as that of J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan in 1904. The theatre was also where Puccini first saw the play Madame Butterfly, which he would later turn into one of the most successful operas of all time. During the 1930s the theatre was known for balletic productions such as The Ballet Rambert, although unfortunately it was forced to close between 1940 and 1943 due to war damage.Nevertheless the theatre managed to bounce back, and under the new ownership of Capital Radio in 1976 it held performances of the play Rose featuring Glenda Jackson and American Buffalo featuring Al Pacino. Since 1992 the theatre has been under the management of the Ambassador Theatre Group, with successful productions including Death and the Maiden, the Rocky Horror Show and the Royal Court Classics. In the 21st century the Duke of York’s Theatre has become well-known as a venue for exciting dramatic productions with big name performers, with notable shows including Ghost Stories, Journey’s End, Backbeat and All New People. In 2012 it became the home to a series of transfers from The Royal Court Theatre including Posh, Jumpy and Constellations. After 2013's productions of The Judas Kiss, Passion Play and A Doll's House the theatre became the home of new Olivier winning comedy Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense, which played for just under a year.
In 2018, Duke of York's received the West End transfers of the Almeida productions Ink, Mary Stuart and Summer and Smoke. It also homed David Hare's The Moderate Soprano as well as Jonathan Munby’s King Lear starring Ian McKellen.
2019 saw the West End transfer of Laura Wade's Home, I'm Darling open, followed by Duncan Macmillan's adaptation of Ibsen's Rosmersholm, the stage adaptation of popular thriller The Girl on the Train, Florian Zeller's The Son and true story Touching the Void.
Past shows
- Blithe Spirit, opened 05 Mar 2020, closed 11 Apr 2020
- Touching the Void, opened 09 Nov 2019, closed 29 Feb 2020
- Peppa Pig's Best Day Ever, opened 29 Nov 2019, closed 05 Jan 2020
- The Son, opened 24 Aug 2019, closed 02 Nov 2019
- The Girl on the Train, opened 22 Jul 2019, closed 17 Aug 2019
- Rosmersholm, opened 22 Apr 2019, closed 20 Jul 2019
- Home, I'm Darling, opened 26 Jan 2019, closed 13 Apr 2019
- Summer and Smoke, opened 10 Nov 2018, closed 19 Jan 2019
- King Lear, opened 11 Jul 2018, closed 03 Nov 2018
- The Moderate Soprano, opened 05 Apr 2018, closed 30 Jun 2018
- Mary Stuart, opened 13 Jan 2018, closed 31 Mar 2018
- Ink, opened 09 Sep 2017, closed 06 Jan 2018
- Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, opened 09 May 2017, closed 02 Sep 2017
- The Glass Menagerie, opened 26 Jan 2017, closed 29 Apr 2017
- The Dresser, opened 05 Oct 2016, closed 14 Jan 2017
- How The Other Half Loves, opened 07 Jul 2016, closed 01 Oct 2016
- Doctor Faustus, opened 09 Apr 2016, closed 25 Jun 2016
- The Father, opened 24 Feb 2016, closed 26 Mar 2016
- Goodnight Mister Tom, opened 11 Dec 2015, closed 19 Feb 2016
- Peppa Pig's Surprise, opened 18 Dec 2015, closed 17 Jan 2016
- Farinelli and the King, opened 14 Sep 2015, closed 05 Dec 2015
- Hetty Feather, opened 06 Aug 2015, closed 06 Sep 2015
- Hay Fever, opened 29 Apr 2015, closed 01 Aug 2015
- The Nether, opened 30 Jan 2015, closed 25 Apr 2015
- Neville's Island, opened 10 Oct 2014, closed 03 Jan 2015
- Jeeves and Wooster, opened 30 Oct 2013, closed 20 Sep 2014
- A Doll's House, opened 08 Aug 2013, closed 26 Oct 2013
- Passion Play, opened 01 May 2013, closed 03 Aug 2013
- The Judas Kiss, opened 09 Jan 2013, closed 06 Apr 2013
- Constellations, opened 09 Nov 2012, closed 05 Jan 2013
- Jumpy, opened 16 Aug 2012, closed 03 Nov 2012
- Posh, opened 11 May 2012, closed 04 Aug 2012
- All New People, opened 22 Feb 2012, closed 28 Apr 2012