Aldwych Theatre

Aldwych Theatre London

The Aldwych Theatre was built alongside the Waldorf Theatre, now called the Novello Theatre. They were both designed by W.G.R Sprague and opened for the first time in 1905 with a production of Blue Bell, with ornate decorations in the Georgian style. The theatre was listed Grade II in 1971.

The interior is modelled on the French and Georgian Baroque styles very popular during the time and is almost identical to its twin theatre The Strand Theatre, featuring similar facades and possessing a similar audience capacity.

During the First World War the theatre was taken over to house members of the Australian Army and afterwards became known as the home of great English farce, adopting the moniker Aldwych Farces, mostly written by playwright Ben Travers. Notably the actress Vivien Leigh appeared at the theatre in 1949 in A Streetcar Named Desire - directed by her husband, the legendary Sir Laurence Olivier.

The Aldwych Theatre was played host to none other than Peter Hall, artistic director of the then little known Shakespeare's Memorial Theatre Company - later to become the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961. The RSC remained in residence at the theatre resurrecting the fortunes of the great bard with a fine cast of aspiring and talented actors until 1982.

Since then the theatre has continued to enjoy a rich history of productions such as Whistle Down the Wind and Fame and most recently Dirty Dancing.

What's on at Aldwych Theatre