Sondheim Theatre
The Sondheim Theatre (formerly the Queen's Theatre) is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue on the corner of Wardour Street in the City of Westminster, London. It opened as the Queen's Theatre on 8 October 1907, as a twin to the neighbouring Hicks Theatre (now the Gielgud Theatre) which had opened ten months earlier. Both theatres were designed by W. G. R. Sprague. The theatre was Grade II listed by English Heritage in June 1972.[1]
This article is about the West End theatre. For the Broadway theatre, see Stephen Sondheim Theatre.Address
Shaftesbury Avenue
London, WC2
United Kingdom
1137 on 3 levels
In 2019 the theatre's name was changed from the Queen's to the Sondheim Theatre (after Stephen Sondheim) after a 20-week refurbishment. The theatre reopened on 18 December 2019.
2019 Refurbishment[edit]
In 2019, Cameron Mackintosh announced that the original production of Les Misérables would close on 13 July 2019 while the theatre underwent a £13.8 million restoration, but would return in a new production from 18 December 2019, when the Queen's Theatre would be renamed as the Sondheim Theatre in honour of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.[5]
The theatre was extensively refurbished during the 20-week period.[6] The Edwardian auditorium was recreated from the 1950s reconstruction with the addition of a curved rail and new boxes at dress circle level, named after Maggie Smith and Judi Dench. Overhangs and ceilings on each tier were also redecorated with a recurring Sprague-inspired cherub design in carved plaster and "fifteen colours and seven shades of gold".[7] In total, approximately 70% of the plastering in the building was redone and a new, custom-made chandelier was hung.
The stage was lowered 30cm to be closer to the audience, and the famous revolving stage used in Les Misérables was also notably removed. 32 additional toilets were installed in a void space next door to the theatre. Additional space on every floor from the basement up was also reclaimed from a former electricity substation leased to the electric board in 1907. This allowed for more space on stage as well as additional dressing rooms on several floors, now fitted with showers. Finally, new seating was installed to improve audience comfort and sight-lines.[8]
Following completion, the Sondheim Theatre re-opened on 16 January 2020 for its first performance of Les Miserables in the 2009 touring staging.