Lyceum Theatre
The current Lyceum Theatre is an amalgamation of styles and eras. The ‘English Opera House’ as the Lyceum was then known burnt down in 1830 and construction of the new ‘Theatre Royal Lyceum & English Opera House’ began in 1834, the only part of the original building left is the main portico pillared entrance. In 1878, Henry Irving took over as the Theatre Manager and appointed Mr Bram Stoker as his Business Manager. Bram Stocker is famous for writing ‘Dracula’ which was written within the walls of the Lyceum during 1897 and Irving provided real life inspiration for the character. In 1904, the theatre was re-built as it currently is by Bertie Crewe. The theatre played host to a range of melodramas until the Lyceum was bought by London City Council in 1939 who had plans to demolish the building along with the Aldwych, Novello, Vaudeville and Adelphi theatres to make way for road improvements. The theatre closed in 1939 with a landmark performance of Hamlet starring Sir John Gielgud in the title role. Luckily, the road improvement plans collapsed and the theatre re-opened after the war as the ‘Lyceum Ballroom’. Over the years many big bands and stars performed on the Lyceum stage including The Who, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Prince, who played his first UK gig here in 1981.The Lyceum Theatre was Grade II listed in 1978 to prevent further demolition plans and from 1996 was given a new lease of life by the Apollo Leisure Group after a £15 million refurbishment. Since that time the theatre has played host to shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Oklahoma! and is currently home to Disney’s The Lion King.
Shows
Children under the age of three are not admitted. Children aged three years and older are admitted providing they can sit in their seats and not to be a distraction for other members of the audience. However, this show is not recommended for children under the age of five. Everyone must have a valid ticket. Accompanying adults will be asked to remove any noisy children. If any discounts are available for children, the maximum age to qualify is 16 years. The Theatre is unable to supply booster cushions, but patrons may bring their own, as long as these do not cause a hazard or inconvenience to other theatre users
Seating Plan
