Theatre Royal Haymarket

Theatre Royal Haymarket

18 Suffolk Street, London SW1Y 4HT

Getting here

Closest Tube Station

Charing Cross Underground Station, Piccadilly Circus

Closest Train Station

Charing Cross

The Theatre Royal Haymarket or Haymarket Theatre is a theatre on The Haymarket in London which dates back to 1720. The original building was a little further north in the same street. It has been at its current location since 1821, when it was redesigned by John Nash. Its current capacity is 888.

The Haymarket has been the site of a couple of significant innovations in theatre. In 1873, it was the venue for the first scheduled matinée performance, establishing a custom soon followed in theatres everywhere. Six years later, its auditorium was reconstructed and the stage was enclosed in the first use of the picture frame proscenium.

Theatre Royal Haymarket History

The Theatre Royal Haymarket's first major success was a 1729 production of Samuel Johnson's Hurlothrumbo, or The Supernatural, which ran for 80 nights -- a record surpassing John Gay's The Beggar's Opera and not to be matched until The Dragon of Wantley. In the 1720's, the Haymarket was an alternative to the patent theatres in every sense. When there was an actor's revolt at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1719, for example, the actors walked out to go to the Haymarket. They returned when they won their demands. In the eight to ten years before the Licensing Act of 1737, the Haymarket Theatre was an alternative to John Rich's Covent Garden theatre and the opera-dominated Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Hurlothrumbo was just one play in that series of anti-Walpolean satires. Henry Fielding staged his plays at the Haymarket Theatre, and so did Henry Carey. Hurlothrumbo would be followed by Tom Thumb, The Dragon of Wantley, Pasquin and others. Additionally, refugees from Drury Lane's and Covent Gardens's internal struggles would show up at the theatre, and thus Charlotte Charke would act there in a parody of her father, Colley Cibber, one of the owners and managers of Drury Lane. The Theatrical Licensing Act, however, put an end to the anti-ministry satires, and it all but entirely shut down the theatre.

In 1862, the theatre was host to a 400-night run of Our American Cousin, with Edward Southern as Lord Dundreary. The play's success brought the word "dreary" into common use. 

In 1893, Oscar Wilde premiered A Woman of No Importance, his first comedy. The play returned for a 2003 production directed by Adrian Noble and starring Rupert Graves, Samantha Bond, Prunella Scales and Rachael Stirling. 

The theatre underwent a major refurbishment in 1994. In May 2004 it closed for two nights after parts of the ceiling fell down during a performance. About 13 people suffered mainly cuts and bruises when plaster fell into the auditorium during the "When Harry Met Sally..." Show. Since then, the theatre has played host to a short-lived run of Becket directed by John Caird followed in January 2005 by the world premiere of Victoria Wood's new musical Acorn Antiques - based upon the TV series of the same name. This starred Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston, Neil Morrissey, Sally Ann Triplett and Josie Lawrence and ran until 21 May 2005. The Genius Of Ray Charles - a new American musical followed in the Summer of 2005 running for eight weeks to 13 August 2005. More recently, Bill Kenwright's new production of A Few Good Men played to packed houses starring Rob Lowe, Suranne Jones, John Barrowman and Jack Ellis.

In June 2018, the theatre was purchased by Access Entertainment for a rumoured £45 million. Access Entertainment is a global division of Leonard Blavatnik's Access Industries that invests in television, film and theatre acquisitions. Blavatnik is a Ukrainian-born entrepreneur and owner of Warner Music Group, and he currently ranks third in the Sunday Times Rich List with a net worth estimated at £15.3 billion. 

Theatre Royal Haymarket Seating Plan

The Theatre Royal Haymarket Seating Plan

The Theatre Royal Haymarket has a capacity of 893 over 4 levels: Stalls, Royal Circle, Upper Circle, and Gallery/Balcony.

A View From The Bridge is the current production at Theatre Royal Haymarket. The latest booking period for A View From The Bridge at Theatre Royal Haymarket started 01/11/2023 19:30:00 and runs until 03/08/2024 19:30:00. Tickets for A View From The Bridge start at £28 and are available to book now.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the current production at Theatre Royal Haymarket. The latest booking period for The Picture of Dorian Gray at Theatre Royal Haymarket started 13/03/2024 19:30:00 and runs until 11/05/2024 19:30:00. Tickets for The Picture of Dorian Gray start at £46 and are available to book now.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea is the current production at Theatre Royal Haymarket. The latest booking period for The Tiger Who Came to Tea at Theatre Royal Haymarket started 28/06/2018 10:00:00 and runs until 01/09/2024 13:30:00. Tickets for The Tiger Who Came to Tea start at £13 and are available to book now.

The Theatre Royal Haymarket is easy to access using public transportation. The nearest tube stations to the Theatre Royal Haymarket are Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo/Piccadilly Lines) and Charing Cross Station (Bakerloo/Northern Lines). The nearest train station is Charing Cross Station. The Theatre Royal Haymarket is serviced by bus lines 3, 6, 12, 14, 15, 22, 23, 38, 88, 94, 159, and 453. The nearest car parks to the theatre are the Q-Parks at Leicester Square and Trafalgar.

Concert

An Evening with Jason Robert Brown and Special Guests

An Evening with Jason Robert Brown and Special Guests

Concert

Ben Forster: Me, Myself and Musicals

Ben Forster brings his solo show to the West End's Theatre Royal Haymarket as part of the Sunday Encounters season

Play

Waiting for Godot

Play

Tartuffe

Peaky Blinders' Paul Anderson makes his West End debut!

Play

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Love and desire and reality versus fantasy are all put under scrutiny in this witty Shakespeare's play.

Play

Much Ado About Nothing

Gender roles, infidelity and deception... all will be questioned in one of William Shakespeare's most popular plays.

Play

Life and Fate

The legendary Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg returns to London this spring.

Play

Fatal Attraction

‘Bunny boilingly brilliant!’ Sunday Mirror

Concert

Gosh! It’s Dame Judi Dench in conversation with Gyles Brandreth

Gosh! It’s Dame Judi Dench in conversation with Gyles Brandreth

Musical

The Band

TAKE THAT! The Band is finally coming to London this Christmas.

Musical

Singular Sensations: Barbara Cook

Play

Brand

Play

When Harry Met Sally

Play

Sea, The

Musical

Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks

Play

Tempest

Play

Taken At Midnight

★★★★ 'Penelope Wilton gives a profoundly moving performance' The Sunday Times

Concert

Misha Glenny: McMafia

Crime Expert and Author of McMafia Misha Glenny for one night only

Concert

Carlos Acosta in Conversation with Mike Parkinson

Carlos Acosta comes to the stage at the Theatre Royal Haymarket for one night only

Play

The Rivals

Concert

Patti Lupone in Conversation with Edward Seckerson

Patti Lupone comes to the Haymarket fresh from her acclaimed run in Company at the Gielgud!

Musical

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Concert

Simon Schama: The Wordy Tour

Simon Schama is armed with words and ready to take the West End stage by storm in this special one-off event.

Play

A Man For All Seasons

Play

Country Wife, The

Play

Elephant Man, The

Play

Pinter’s People

Play

Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead

Play

Becket

Play

Last Confession, The

Musical

Genius of Ray Charles, The

Play

Daytona

‘A beautiful performance from Maureen Lipman’Time Out

Play

Private Peaceful

Private Peaceful

Dance

Revolution

Musical

Marguerite

Play

Antony and Cleopatra, RSC

Play

Lion In Winter

Play

On The Waterfront

Play

Lady From Dubuque, The

Play

A Few Good Men

Musical

Singular Sensations: Michael Ball

Play

Treasure Island

Play

Rose Rage

Play

Flare Path

Play

Girl With A Pearl Earring

Musical

Singular Sensations: Michael Feinstein

Play

One Man, Two Guvnors

‘The funniest show in the western world’ Daily Mail

Play

Harvey

Harvey at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, starring Maureen Lipman and James Dreyfus

Play

Queen Anne

Written by Helen Edmundson, directed by Natalie Abrahami and starring Emma Cunniffe and Romola Garai!

Musical

Where is Peter Rabbit?

Where is Peter Rabbit? springs back into the West End this summer featuring the voice of Myleene Klass!

Concert

Michael Morpurgo 75th Anniversary Tour

Acclaimed children's author Michael Morpurgo reveals all in this special one-off event, Michael Morpurgo 75th Anniversary Tour

Concert

An Evening with Charles Dance

An Evening with Charles Dance

Play

Venus in Fur

VENUS IN FUR: an intoxicating dark comedy of desire, fantasy and the innate love of fur.

Concert

Dame Patricia Routledge: Facing The Music – A Life in Musical Theatre

Meet the legendary Dame Patricia Routledge in Facing The Music – A Life in Musical Theatre

Concert

Anne Reid interviews Derek Jacobi

Anne Reid interviews Derek Jacobi live on the West End stage for the first time ever!

Play

Peppa Pig's Adventure

Peppa Pig and pals are back in London's West End with a new camping adventure.

Play

Accidental Death of an Anarchist

When a young anarchist dies in police custody, the Maniac rains hell on the police force!

Play

Great Britain

★★★★ 'A timely look at the tangled relationship between the press, politicians and the police. It’s barbed and very funny’ Evening Standard

Concert

Kerry Ellis: An Evening of Music and Memories

Kerry Ellis: An Evening of Music and Memories

Play

Noises Off

Felicity Kendal stars in the West End transfer of Noises Off at Theatre Royal Haymarket!

Play

The Libertine

With an appetite for excess, it seems no one can tame him... or can SHE? Based on true story, The Libertine stars Dominic Cooper

Play

Breakfast At Tiffany's

Pixie Lott stars as Holly Golightly in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket

Play

Sand in the Sandwiches

“I adored this show, a magical heavenly tribute to Betjeman” - The Daily Mail

Play

Mr Foote's Other Leg

Play

McQueen

Play

Love Letters

A romantic love story of two pen pals is told in the modern stage play classic Love Letters, coming to the West End this Spring!

Musical

Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas

Join Frank, Sammy and Dean as they celebrate Ella Fitzgerald on London's West End!

Play

Peppa Pig: Best Day Ever!

Have the Best Day Ever with Peppa Pig this Christmas!

Play

Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?

Damian Lewis returns to the West End to star in the darkly comic masterpiece

Play

Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out

Have a Fun Day Out with Peppa Pig this Christmas at Theatre Royal Haymarket!