Northumberland Avenue
London
WC2N 5DE

The Playhouse Theatre is located in the heart of London, near the famous Trafalgar Square with its towering bronze lions guarding Nelson’s Column and an array of London hotels. It originally opened as the Royal Avenue Theatre in 1882 and hosted comic operas and burlesques in its early years. It soon began presenting dramas, and in 1905 was rebuilt to Blow and Billerey’s designs. During work on the new building, part of the roof of the neighbouring Charing Cross railway station collapsed onto the theatre, causing it to be repaired. It opened as the Playhouse Theatre in 1907 and continued to host successful plays such as W. Somerset Maugham’s Home and Beauty.

In 1951, the BBC took over the theatre and turned it into a studio for live performances. Legendary bands such as The Beatles, Queen and The Rolling Stones performed here. The BBC left the theatre in 1976 where it went into a state of disrepair, but in 1987 it was restored and opened again with the musical Girlfriend.

Recently, the theatre has been host to many successful musicals such as La Cage Aux Folles from 2008 until January 2010.

At Playhouse Theatre London, we have detailed the show at the Playhouse in our What’s On section, which is currently new musical Dreamboats and Petticoats. We also give handy information about the location of the theatre including a map of the area, seating plans, how to buy Dreamboats and Petticoats tickets and a selection of nearby hotels near Playhouse Theatre.