Duke of York’s Theatre Brief History
Opening on 10th September 1892, with Wedding Eve, The Duke of York’s Theatre was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife Violet Melnotte. It was originally named the Trafalgar Square Theatre, and subsequently to Trafalgar Theatre, and the following year to The Duke of York’s Theatre in honour of the future King George V.
During 1900, Jerome K Jerome’s Miss Hobbs and David Belasco’s Madame Butterfly were staged, which was watched by Puccini, who subsequently turned it into the well-known opera, of the same name.
During the late 1970s the theatre was purchased by Capital Radio and it closed in 1979 for refurbishment, opening in February 1980 with the first production under Capital Radio being Rose, starring Glenda Jackson.
The Ambassador Theatre Group bought the theatre in 1992 coinciding with The Royal Court’s production of Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden. There followed a number of successful productions including Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, celebrating its 21st Birthday in the immensely successful Royal Court Classics Season in 1995.
The Duke of York’s played host to the Royal Court and the highly acclaimed co-production of The Weir, running for over two years and winning the 1999 Olivier Award for Best New Play. It also had the sell-out run of Stones In His Pockets, the winner of the 2001 Olivier awards for Best Comedy and Best Comedy Actor.
Duke of York’s Theatre Seating Plan
Duke of York’s Theatre
St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4BG