Garrick Theatre

Garrick Theatre

Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0HH

Garrick Theatre Safety Policy

Health & safety measures
  • Regular visible cleaning of all touchable surfaces before and after performances
  • Paperless or print at home tickets
  • Pre-order food and drinks online
  • Availability of hand sanitiser

Getting here

Closest Tube Station

Charing Cross Underground Station, Leicester Square

Closest Train Station

Charing Cross

The Garrick Theatre opened on 24 April 1889 with The Profligate, a play by Arthur Wing Pinero. In its early years, it specialised in the performance of melodrama, and today the theatre is a receiving house for a variety of productions. The theatre is named for David Garrick, considered the most influential Shakespearean actor.

The Garrick Theatre was designed by Walter Emden, with CJ Phipps brought in as a consultant to help with the planning on the difficult site, which included an underground river. Originally The Garrick had 800 seats on 4 levels, but the gallery (top) level has since been closed and the seating capacity reduced to 656.

Having become mostly associated with comedies or comedy-dramas, recent productions at the Garrick Theatre London include No Sex Please We're British, which subsequently transferred to the Duchess Theatre in August 1986. On 24th October 1995 the Royal National Theatre's multi-award winning production of JB Priestley's An Inspector Calls opened at The Garrick, having played successful seasons at the Royal National Theatre's Lyttelton and Olivier theatres as well as the Aldwych Theatre and a season on Broadway.

Sydney Grundy's long-running French-style comedy A Pair of Spectacles opened at The Garrick Theater in February, 1890. Mrs Patrick Campbell starred five years later in Pinero's The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith. Afterwards, the theatre suffered a short period of decline until it was leased by Arthur Bourchier, whose wife, Violet Vanbrugh, starred in a series of successful productions ranging from farce to Shakespeare.[3] In 1900, the theatre hosted J. M. Barrie's The Wedding Guest. Rutland Barrington presented several stage works at the Garrick, including his popular "fairy play" called Water Babies in 1902, based on Charles Kingsley's book, with music by Alfred Cellier, among others. The only piece actually premiered by W. S. Gilbert here was Harlequin and the Fairy's Dilemma a "Domestic Pantomime" (1904).

In 1921, Basil Rathbone played Dr. Lawson in The Edge o' Beyond at The Garrick Theatre London, and the following year Sir Seymour Hicks appeared in his own play, The Man in Dress Clothes. In 1925 Henry Daniell played there as Jack Race in Cobra and appeared there again as Paul Cortot in Marriage by Purchase in March 1932.

The Garrick Theatre: Threats and Renovation

A proposed redevelopment of Covent Garden by the GLC in 1968 saw the theatre under threat, together with the nearby Vaudeville, Adelphi, Lyceum and Duchess theatres. An active campaign by Equity, the Musicians' Union, and theatre owners under the auspices of the Save London Theatres Campaign led to the abandonment of the scheme. The gold leaf auditorium was restored in 1986 by the stage designer Carl Toms, and in 1997 the front façade was renovated.

In 1986, The Garrick Theatre was acquired by the Stoll Moss Group, and, in 2000, it became a Really Useful Theatre when Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group and Bridgepoint Capital purchased Stoll Moss Theatres Ltd. In October 2005, Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer purchased the Garrick Theatre, and it became one of five playhouses operating under their company name of Nimax Theatres Ltd, alongside the Lyric Theatre, Apollo Theatre, Vaudeville Theatre and Duchess Theatre.

More recent productions are listed below and include No Sex Please, We're British (1982), which played for four years at the theatre before transferring to the Duchess Theatre in 1986. On 24 October 1995, the Royal National Theatre's multi-award winning production of J. B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls opened here, having played successful seasons at the Royal National Theatre's Lyttelton and Olivier theatres as well as the Aldwych Theatre and a season on Broadway.

THE GARRICK THEATRE PRODUCTIONS

1978 - Ira Levin's thriller Deathtrap began a long run until 1981.

1982 - No Sex Please, We're British transferred from The Strand Theatre and remained until 1986.

1986 - Judi Dench and Michael Williams in Mr and Mrs Nobody.

1989 - Rupert Everett and Maria Aitken in another Coward, The Vortex; and Timberlake Wertenbaker's Our Country's Good transferred from the Royal Court Theatre.

1990 - Short seasons of Bent with Ian McKellen and Michael Cashman and Frankie Howerd At His Tittermost are followed by the first major West End transfer from the newly-managed Almeida Theatre with The Rehearsal by Jean Anouilh.

1993 - John Godber's On the Piste and Steven Berkoff's One Man.

1995 - The Live Bed Show with Paul Merton and Caroline Quentin, the Abbey Theatre production of Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars and Clarke Peters in Unforgettable - The Nat King Cole Story, precede the arrival of the Royal National Theatre's An Inspector Calls, which began its second prolonged season in the West End.

2002 - The hit British premiere production of This is Our Youth plays two seasons either side of a successful run of The Lieutenant of Inishmore.

2003 - The fourth cast of This is Our Youth, followed by Jus' Like That!', Ross Noble and Wait Until Dark.

2004 - Ricky Gervais workshopped his latest stand-up venture, Politics, followed by a revival of David Mamet's Oleanna and The Solid Gold Cadillac, starring Patricia Routledge and Roy Hudd.

2005 - The Anniversary with Sheila Hancock, Elmina's Kitchen by Kwame Kwei-Armah, On The Ceiling with Ralf Little, You Never Can Tell with Edward Fox

2006 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starring Christian Slater and Alex Kingston, Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell starring Tom Conti, Amy's View starring Felicity Kendal

2007 - Young British actress Billie Piper makes her stage debut in a new production of Christopher Hampton's Treats, Bad Girls: The Musical, Absurd Person Singular

2008 - Peter Pan - El Musical, Derren Brown's Mind Reader – An Evening of Wonders, and Zorro

2009 - A Little Night Music transferred from the Menier Chocolate Factory, The Mysteries - Isango Portobello Theatre Company, Arturo Brachetti's Change

2010 - The Little Dog Laughed starring Tamsin Greig, Rupert Friend, Gemma Arterton and Harry Lloyd, All the Fun of the Fair, a jukebox musical based on the songs of David Essex, When We Are Married starring Maureen Lipman and Roy Hudd

2011 - The Hurly Burly Show a contemporary burlesque revue starring Miss Polly Rae, and in May Pygmalion will be transferring from Chichester Festival Theatre starring Rupert Everett, Kara Tointon and Dame Diana Rigg

2011 - Chicago transfers from the Adelphi Theatre

2012 - Loserville, by Elliot Davis and James Bourne, starring Aaron Sidwell and Lil Chris.

 

The Garrick Theatre: Current Production

2013 - Rock of Ages transfers from the Shaftesbury Theatre.

 

Garrick Theatre Seating Plan

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy is the current production at Garrick Theatre. The latest booking period for For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy at Garrick Theatre started 13/04/2022 19:30:00 and runs until 04/05/2024 19:30:00. Tickets for For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy start at £25 and are available to book now.

Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon is the current production at Garrick Theatre. The latest booking period for Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon at Garrick Theatre started 17/03/2024 14:30:00 and runs until 28/04/2024 18:00:00. Tickets for Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon start at £15 and are available to book now.

Garrick Theatre is located in London. The full address is Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0HH.

Musical

Bonnie & Clyde

Jordan Luke Gage and Frances Mayli McCann return with Bonnie & Clyde for 11 weeks only!

Musical

City of Angels

Rosalie Craig, Nicola Roberts and Vanessa Williams star in City of Angels in the West End

Musical

TuckShop West End

The first ever Drag season Live in the West End

Musical

Emojiland

Witness this exploration of the faces that live inside of our phones, and what it means.

Play

Bitter Wheat

David Mamet's new play brings John Malkovich to the London stage in this topical new drama

Play

Brainiac Live!

After touring the planet, Brainiac Live! takes up residency at the Garrick Theatre. Tickets for this odd science show are on sale now!

Concert

Frank Skinner Showbiz

Frank Skinner: Showbiz transfers to the West End

Dance

Cirque Berserk

Real Circus - made for the Theatre!

Play

Don Quixote

The RSC’s joyous, music-filled Don Quixote transfers to the West End for a limited season at the Garrick Theatre from 27 October.

Dance

Rip It Up

The Rip It Up boys are back in town at the Garrick Theatre, London

Musical

Death Drop Back in the Habit

Death Drop is back to slay in the West End!

Play

Adam Kay: This Is Going to Hurt

Adam Kay returns to the West End with This is Going to Hurt

Play

The Comedy Store Players

London's longest running improv show The Comedy Store Players is back in the West End

Play

Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho

Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho

Musical

Billionaire Boy

David Walliams' Billionaire Boy in the West End

Dance

Here Come The Boys

The show that everyone has been waiting for! Here Come The Boys; Aljaž, Pasha, Robin, Graziano and Karim!

Play

Twelve Angry Men

Musical

Christmas with Lee Mead

Play

Arturo Brachetti: Change

Play

When We Are Married

Play

Jus' Like That

Play

Wait Until Dark

Musical

Look At Them Shine

Play

Treats

Play

Twelve Angry Men

Starring Tom Conti, Jeff Fahey, William Gaminara and Robert Vaughn

Musical

Rock of Ages

Play

Elminas Kitchen

Musical

Caroline O'Connor: Showgirl Within

Play

Suggs: My Life Story in Words and Music

Musical

Rock Of Ages

Musical

Bad Girls - The Musical

Play

Snow White and the Seven Designers

Musical

Respect La Diva

Play

Adam Kay: This Is Going to Hurt (Secret Diaries Of A Junior Doctor)

Adam Kay offers a rare glimpse into a day in the life of an NHS junior doctor in his tell-all show This is Going to Hurt

Play

Ross Noble - Unrealtime

Musical

You Won't Succeed On Broadway

Musical

Go!Go!Go! Show

Play

Micky Flanagan

Play

Potted Potter

Play

Anniversary, The

Play

Toby Hadoke's Doctor Who Double Bill

Play

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Musical

Little Night Music

Musical

Sooty Christmas Show

Play

On The Ceiling

Musical

Peter Pan El Musical

Musical

Mysteries, The

Play

This Is Our Youth

Musical

All The Fun Of The Fair

Play

Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell

Musical

Loserville

Play

Little Dog Laughed, The

Play

Amy's View

Play

Absurd Person Singular

Play

You Never Can Tell

Musical

Let It Be

★★★★★ ‘The Beatles show you never got to see!’ Smooth Radio

Play

Solid Gold Cadillac

Concert

Dr Ranj - Scrubs to Sparkles

Dr Ranj and Gethin Jones

Play

Great Expectations

Book tickets for Great Expectations starring Eddie Izzard (and Eddie Izzard, and Eddie Izzard) at London's Garrick Theatre today!

Play

The Crown Jewels

Forget the Tower of London, The Crown Jewels in the Garrick Theatre is the one to see!

Musical

Young Frankenstein

Mel Brooks' monster hit is bringing audiences to life.

Musical

The Chamber Musical Sessions

The Chamber Musical Sessions

Musical

The Scottsboro Boys

Play

Maggie & Ted

Maggie and Ted are at it again, this time at London's Garrick theatre!

Musical

The Drifters Girl

Felicia Boswell stars in The Drifters Girl at London's Garrick Theatre

Play

The Miser

“Suspect everybody! Take into custody the whole town and suburbs,” cries the Miser as his hoard is stolen.

Play

Harlequinade & All On Her Own

Play

The Entertainer

John Osborne's iconic play starring one of Britains's most talented actors!

Play

Death Drop

Sissy that walk to the Garrick Theatre for a "Dragatha Christie Murder-Mystery"!

Musical

The Gruffalo’s Child

Join the Gruffalo’s Child on her adventures in this adaptation of the beloved picture book

Musical

Lee Mead – Some Enchanted Christmas Evening

Play

Red Velvet

Musical

The Last Five Years

The ups and downs and back-and-forths of young love, this musical has it all.

Play

The Painkiller

Play

This House

Politics, politics and once again politics. This House at the Garrick!

Musical

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical

Each show different from the last. Tickets for Showstopper! The Musical guarantee a new experience every time.

Play

Orlando

The retelling of Virginia Woolf's Orlando at Garrick Theatre

Play

Hamnet

Bear witness to the greatest untold tragedy of William Shakespeare, the death of his son.