Queens Theatre

Queens Theatre

51 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 6BA

Queens Theatre Safety Policy

Health & safety measures
  • Paperless or print at home tickets
Visitor measures
  • Cash free venue - contactless payments only

Getting here

Closest Tube Station

Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square

Closest Train Station

Charing Cross

Originally The Queen's Theatre, the Sondheim Theatre is a popular venue on Shaftesbury Avenue in London's West End. When the theatre opened on 8th October 1907, it was a twin to the Hicks Theatre, now the Gielgud Theatre. Both the theatres followed W. G. R. Sprague's design.

The All-new Sondheim Theatre

In September 1940, a German bomb struck the façade of Sondheim Theatre. This event led to the auditorium's Edwardian interior yet modern exterior, unlike its Twin whose outer appearance has hardly changed. The venue hosted talents like Noel Coward, George Bernard Shaw, Edith Evans, Miranda Richardson, Kenneth Branagh, Alex Guinness, Miranda Richardson, Jane Lapotaire, Nigel Hawthorne, Maggie Smith, and Fiona Shaw. The Queen's Theatre became the Sondheim Theatre in 2019, reopening on 18th December.

Hits at the Sondheim Theatre

Before naming it the Queen's Theatre, the original plan was to call it the Central Theatre. The first production at the theatre was Madeleine Lucette Ryley's comedy The Sugar Bowl. However, the show failed to acquire good reviews and only staged 36 performances. However, the venue received glorious reviews. The good days of the theatre started in 1914 when it staged Montague Glass' Potash and Perlmutter.

The Sondheim Theatre was home to Cameron Mackintosh's production of Les Misérables from April 2004 to July 2019. The musical remained there for 18 years before moving to the neighbouring Palace Theatre. In October 2005, it celebrated its 20th anniversary and surpassed Cats as the longest-running musical of all time a year later. Cameron Mackintosh declared in 2019 that the original Les Misérables production would end on 13th July as the theatre required a thorough restoration. The venue received its new name in honour of lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim.

Among the recent productions at the theatre are The Hobbit by Glyn Robbins (28th November 2001 – 9th February 2002); Mysteries, an adaptation by Speir Opera (26th February 2002 – 18th May 2002); The Rocky Horror Show by Richard O'Brien (23rd June 2003 – 5th July 2003), and The RSC's The Taming Of The Shrew by William Shakespeare (15th January 2004 – 6th March 2004).

The Shift from Queen's to Sondheim

When the German bomb destroyed the façade and lobby areas, the ongoing production was Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, starring Celia Johnson, Margaret Rutherford, and Owen Nares. The devastation was widespread and shut the auditorium until a £250,000 renovation was carried out by Westwood Sons & Partners two decades later. While the venue retained its Edwardian touch, the exterior and lobbies were rebuilt into what stands today. It reopened with a solo performance of John Gielgud in Shakespearean speeches and sonnets, Ages Of Man. The Sondheim Theatre became a Grade II listed building thanks to English Heritage in 1972. In late 2009, the theatre underwent a major renovation which increased the seating capacity with new seats and boxes set at dress circle level.

Queens Theatre Seating Plan

The Queens Theatre Seating Plan

The Sondheim Theatre has a capacity of 1,074 across 3 levels: Stalls, Dress Circle, and Upper Circle.

Les Miserables is the current production at Queens Theatre. The latest booking period for Les Miserables at Queens Theatre started 18/12/2019 19:30:00 and runs until 29/03/2025 19:30:00. Tickets for Les Miserables start at £31 and are available to book now.

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We recommend using public transport to get to the theatre. The nearest underground station to the Sondheim Theatre is Piccadilly Circus tube station (Bakerloo/Piccadilly Lines). Shaftesbury Avenue and Regent Street bus stops are also near the theatre. They host multiple bus lines: (Shaftesbury Avenue) 12, 14, 19, 38; (Regent Street) 6, 13, 15, 23, 88, 94, 139, 159, 453 and Night Buses (Shaftesbury Avenue) 14, N19, N38; (Regent Street) 6, 12, 23, 88, 94, 139, 159, 453, N3, N13, N15, N109, N18, N136. If arriving by train the nearest railway station is Charing Cross Station. If driving to the theatre, the nearest car parks are in Brewer Street and the Q-Park (which offers Q-Park Theatreland Parking) China Town in Newport Place.

Wheelchair access to the auditorium is through the fourth side door on Wardour Street. - Please make yourself known to a member of staff on arrival at the main entrance of the venue. There will be an Access Host who will be able to offer assistance and show you to your seating location.

The Schönberg Loge has step-free access and is able to accommodate up to two wheelchairs with companions. The door to the Loge is suitable for wheelchairs which are maximum 1m in length and 80cm wide (may not be suitable for very low seated wheelchairs).

Wheelchair transfer seating is also available in the Dress Circle on the aisle of Row D (seats D2 or D29) with companion seats along the row as required.

Limited Mobility: 18 steps from the foyer up to the rear Dress Circle. 21 steps from the foyer down to the Stalls. 39 steps from the foyer to up the Grand Circle (this area is quite steep).

The theatre has a capacity of 1,074. For more information, check out the Sondheim Theatre seating plan.

The Sondheim Theatre is owned and operated by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres.