Lyric Theatre (Shaftesbury Ave)

First opening in 1888, the Lyric Theatre is Shaftesbury Avenue’s oldest surviving theatre, and is best-known for hosting Michael Jackson tribute show Thriller Live. Originally designed by architect C.J. Phillips, the Lyric Theatre was built under producer Henry J Leslie as a venue for operetta. Its premiere production was a transfer of the comic opera Dorothy from the Prince of Wales Theatre. With a seating capacity of 967, the theatre has a Renaissance design. In 1933, Thomas Bostock redecorated the venue interior, re-opening it with a production starring Laurence Olivier. In the years following, prolific writers such as Terence Rattigan and Alan Ayckbourn premiered their plays. In 1974, the Lyric became part of the Stoll Moss Theatres group empire, staging musicals such as Gigi and By Jeeves. In 2000, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group purchased Stoll Moss, taking complete ownership of the venue and hosting several productions produced by Bill Kenwright. 2005 saw veteran producers Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer purchased the Lyric Theatre, which remains a Nimax Theatre to this day.

Past productions

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  • 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES
  • Telephone: 0330 333 4812
  • A proscenium theatre, seats 967.
  • Opened 1888
  • Official website

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