Apollo Theatre London
The Apollo Theatre, named after the Greek God of Art, Music and Poetry, opened its doors for the first time in 1901. It has 775 seats arranged with one stalls area and three balconies with the 3rd balcony having the steepest rake in the West End.
It is a Grade II listed building designed by theatre architect Lewin Sharp. Due to the death of Queen Victoria a few months before the theatre became the first to be completed in the Edwardian era.
The Apollo was designed specifically as a musical theatre venue and therefore opened with a spate of musical comedies such as Kitty Grey (1901) and Veronique (1904). Tom Jones was produced here (1908) and Hobson’s Choice (1916). In 1928 Sir Laurence Olivier starred in RC Sherriff’s classic wartime anthem for doomed youth, Journey’s End.
Since then many of Britain’s writing greats have since had their work staged at the Apollo including Ivor Novello, Terence Rattigan and Noel Coward.
The longest running production to have taken place in the theatre was called Boeing Boeing which ran for four years before transferring to the Duchess Theatre in 1965.
The cream of British acting talent has also appeared on stage at the Apollo. Peter O’Toole famously starred in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell (1989). Penelope Wilton starred in The Deep Blue Sea (1993). James McAvoy appeared in Three Days of Rain (2009). Mark Rylance starred in Richard III (2012).
Recently the Apollo suffered a major disaster when a section of the ornate plasterwork of the ceiling gave way and collapsed on unfortunate members of the stalls audience during a production of the hit play The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night Time.
Over 58 people were taken to hospital in an accident which prompted a major overhaul of West End theatres safety procedures and checks to ensure the on-going ability of these grand old auditoriums to house some of the finest dramatic works in the world today.
What's on at Apollo Theatre
