Vaudeville Theatre

Vaudeville Theatre

404 Strand, London WC2R 0NH

Vaudeville Theatre Safety Policy

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

Getting here

Closest Tube Station

Charing Cross Underground Station, Covent Garden, Embankment

Closest Train Station

Charing Cross

The Vaudeville Theatre is a well-known West End theatre located in the City of Westminster. Just like its name, the venue mostly staged musical revues, and vaudeville shows back in the day.

The Vaudeville Theatre

First opened in 1870, C. J. Phipps designed the theatre like several others in London, while George Gordon decorated it. They celebrated the grand opening with For Love Or Money, which was a comedy by Andrew Halliday, along with a famous burlesque called Don Carlos.

In 1926, the present theatre building opened. Nimax Theatres Limited owns the 690-seat venue. The theatre is just as magnificent looking inside as it is outside. It has a rectangular shape and elaborate decorations with gold patterns. It highlights an elegant burgundy ceiling with a Georgian touch.

The Theatre's History

The 1870 frontage of the present structure was originally two simple house fronts and didn't look close to being as attractive as it does now. The owners chose to invest in a better façade two decades later. They also improved the interior of the building. They included a fresh new ceiling while decreasing the tightly set up 1,000 seats to a more spacious 740. However, the Gatti family bought the theatre only a year later.

The Gatti family owned the Vaudeville for a spectacular 77 years and, under their ownership, showed popular revues and comedies. The family made more changes – the old horseshoe-shaped interior changing to a rectangular shape in 1925. The modification also involved reducing the seating capacity by another 100.

In 1968, the Vaudeville Theatre along with several other nearby venues like the Duchess Theatre, Lyceum Theatre, Garrick Theatre and Adelphi Theatre faced a threat when the GLC decided to refurbish them. However, the Musicians' Union, the actors' union Equity, and the owners of the buildings set up the powerful "Save London Theatre Campaign". Thankfully, the campaign shut down the project for good, saving the theatres in the process.

The Gatti family finally sold the theatre in 1969. Bought by Sir Peter Saunders, Peter Rice took up the task of fully renovating the venue's interior in 1970. Two years later, the English Heritage designated the theatre as a Grade II building. Max Weitzenhoffer bought the building in 2003, and in 2005, Nimax Theatres Limited purchased it.

The Theatre's Most Renowned Shows

The Vaudeville Theatre has staged numerous shows to date. In the 1950s, the smash-hit musical "Salad Days" began playing at the theatre, putting up 2,288 performances! Later, there was a 1996 revival starring Kit And The Widow, followed by She Knows You by Jean Fergusson, which received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination in 1998. In the same year, Kat And The Kings bagged the Olivier awards for Best Actor in a Musical and Best New Musical. Another long-running show was Caught In The Net, a Ray Cooney farce running for ten months in 2001.

Vaudeville Theatre Seating Plan

The Vaudeville Theatre Seating Plan

The Vaudeville Theatre has a capacity of 690 across 3 levels: Stalls, Dress Circle, and Upper Circle.

Six is the current production at Vaudeville Theatre. The latest booking period for Six at Vaudeville Theatre started 29/09/2021 20:00:00 and runs until 03/11/2024 19:00:00. Tickets for Six start at £39 and are available to book now.

Six - Singalong is the current production at Vaudeville Theatre. The upcoming booking period for Six - Singalong at Vaudeville Theatre starts 12/05/2024 19:00:00 and runs until 25/08/2024 19:00:00. Tickets for Six - Singalong start at £39 and are available to book now.

Public transport is recommended. The nearest tube stations are Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line), Charing Cross (Northern/Bakerloo Lines), Embankment (District/Circle Lines). If arriving by rail the nearest station is Charing Cross Railway Station. The theatre is easily reached from the Bedford Street (Stop J) bus stop which is serviced by lines 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 87, 91, 139 and 176. If driving to the theatre, the nearest car parks are in China Town and Trafalgar Square. There is also an NCP underground car park in Parker Street.

Play

De Profundis

One of the greatest love letters ever written by Oscar Wilde

Play

Constellations

Four new casts. One Relationship. Infinite Possibilites.

Dance

BalletBoyz: Them/Us

BalletBoyz comes to the West End's Vaudeville Theatre with their much acclaimed show Them/Us

Play

In a Forest, Dark and Deep

Musical

The Worst Witch

The Worst Witch disappears from the West End 8 September, book your tickets now!

Play

Outside the Box Comedy

Outside the Box Comedy in London's West End one night only!

Musical

Wilde Creatures

Oscar Wilde's hauntingly beautiful tales told with original live music, imaginative storytelling and a generous dash of comedy.

Play

BYO Baby Comedy

Grown Up Comedy, Babies Welcome!

Play

Flying Karamazov Brothers

Play

Emilia

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s new play Emilia transfers to the West End from Shakespeare’s Globe

Concert

James Acaster: Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999

James Acaster reflects on the best year of his life and the worst year of his life

Musical

Intermissions Live

Intermissions Live is back starring Alice Fearn!

Musical

Just Jim Dale

★★★★ "A triple threat and a first rate showman!” - Time Out New York

Play

The Selfish Giant

A new folk opera from multi-award-winning composer, Guy Chambers

Musical

Rise and Fall of Little Voice, The

Musical

Public Domain

Public Domain: It's like a real life Black Mirror, with music.

Play

Swallows and Amazons

Play

The Enby Show

The Enby Show comes to the Vaudeville for one night only!

Play

The Importance of Being Earnest

David Suchet stars as Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde’s much loved masterpiece.

Musical

Stomp

Play

Paul Merton Out Of My Head

Play

The Ladykillers

Play

Potted Sherlock

Play

Hobson's Choice

...sometimes it is just Hobson's choice. Starring brilliant Martin Shaw as Henry Horatio Hobson at the Vaudeville this autumn.

Play

Oppenheimer

Play

Deep Blue Sea, The

Musical

The West End Men

Play

What The Butler Saw

Play

The Ladykillers

The award-winning adaptation of the classic Ealing comedy The Ladykillers, returns to the West End

Musical

Forbidden Broadway

Play

An Ideal Husband

Last chance to see Freddie Fox star in Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy alongside his father.

Play

Prisoner of Second Avenue

Play

Female of the Species

Play

Pam Ann - Flying High

Play

Potted Panto

Play

Di And Viv And Rose

Play

Betty

Play

Master Class

Play

An Audience with David Suchet

Play

Stepping Out

8 people, 8 characters and 8 life stories... Liza Minnelli led the cast in 1991, now the the baton goes to Amanda Holden.

Play

Duet For One

Play

Volcano

Play

Broken Glass

Play

Swimming with Sharks

Musical

Megan Mullally

Play

The Duck House

'The Duck House proves genuinely hilarious' The Telegraph

Play

Woman In Mind

Play

Ed Byrne - Different Class

Musical

Alyssa, Memoirs of a Queen!

Experience the magic of Alyssa Edwards as she sashays into the West End

Play

Groan Ups

Groan Ups Mischief Theatre's newest show has come to the West End's Vaudeville Theatre!

Play

Old Rope Comedy

See if the comedians can make it through a set without touching the old rope.

Play

True West

Sam Shepard's acclaimed drama returns to the West End starring Game of Thrones' Kit Harington.

Musical

Drag Queens of Pop

The Drag Queens of Pop come to the Vaudeville Theatre for one night only!

Play

Legends of Lockdown - Live!

From social media to the West End one night only!

Play

The Boys in the Band

“Life’s a goddam laugh riot!”

Musical

Billie The Kid

This new British musical is unlike anything you've seen or heard before!

Play

A Woman of No Importance

The master of comic melodrama, Oscar Wilde, is back in the West End!

Play

Hand To God

Play

Mischief Movie Night

Starring them, directed by you, Mischief Movie Night is a guaranteed comedy blockbuster!

Musical

The Simon and Garfunkel Story Special

Experience the stories and songs of Simon and Garfunkel.

Play

Bill Bailey : Limboland

Play

Dawn French: 30 Million Minutes

The Queen of British comedy performs her first ever and critically acclaimed solo show!

Play

Lady Windermere's Fan

Don't miss your chance to catch this Oscar Wilde comedy.

Musical

Songs For a New World

Jason Robert Brown's hit Songs for a New World returns to London's West End in February 2021 after a hit run at the Palladium!

Play

Dead Funny

The deadly comedy Dead Funny is making its West End return - with top cast!

Musical

West End Musical Celebration

West End Musical Celebration is heading to the Vaudeville Theatre this Winter!