Duke of York's Theatre

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 020 7492 9930 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 Judus 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 and Mary Stuart. It went on to home David Hare's The Moderate Soprano as well as Jonathan Munby’s King Lear starring Ian McKellen.