Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Philip Vile

The major restoration of the Grade I listed Theatre Royal Drury Lane, one of the world’s most important theatres. The project has involved seven years of research, analysis, design and craftsmanship.

NEW LONDON AWARDS 2022

Shortlisted in the CULTURE category
The Grade 1 listed Theatre Royal Drury Lane has been home to theatre since 1663. The current theatre dates from 1812 although auditorium was rebuilt in 1922. Haworth Tompkins was commissioned by LW Theatres to breath new life into this important landmark by:

restoring the listed fabric
removing the later accretions to reinstate the original 1812 front of house spaces.
opening up Vinegar Yard to create an extension to the Foyer
improving circulation so all audience members access the auditorium via the main Foyer (previously access to the upper seating tier was via stairs accessed for the street)
improving accessibility so disabled visitors can access to all levels of the theatre
improving the building services to radically reduce energy consumption
improving site lines and facilitating alternative formats - flat floor, thrust and in the round
upgrading the theatre technical Infrastructure

A key ambition was to open the building to the public all day providing tours, cafés and bars.

Vote for this project in the ‘People’s Choice Award’. The voting deadline is 1 November 2022.

Project information

Status

Built

Borough

Westminster

Estimated completion

July 2021

Location

42 Tavistock St, London WC2E 7PB, UK

Team Credits

Contractor

GTCM