Playhouse Theatre
Northumberland Avenue, London, WC2N 5DE
Playhouse Theatre Beliggenhet
Reiseinformasjon
Nærmeste undergrunnsstasjon
- Embankment
- Charing Cross
Nærmeste jernbanestasjon
- Charing Cross
Undergrunnslinjer
- Bakerloo
- Circle
- District
- Northern
Dagbusser
- (Whitehall) 3, 12, 24, 53, 88, 91, 159, 453; (Strand) 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 29, 87, 139, 176
Nattbusser
- (Whitehall) 12, 53, 88, 159, 453, N2, N3, N5, N18, N20, N44, N52, N91, N97, N109, N136, N381; (Strand) 6, 23, 139, 176, N9, N11, N13, N15, N21, N26, N29, N47, N87, N89, N155, N343, N550, N551
Ofte stilte spørsmål om Playhouse Theatre
Hvordan kommer jeg meg til Playhouse Theatre?
Playhouse ligger i Northumberland Avenue, WC2N 5DE, tett under jernbanebuene ved gatens elveende. Embankment ligger knapt ett minutt unna og Charing Cross tre til fem, noe som gjør dette til et av Londons enkleste teatre å nå; flere bussruter stopper innen ti minutters gange. Sjekk hvilken inngang billetten din oppgir, for bygget har mer enn én.
Er Playhouse Theatre tilgjengelig?
Delvis, og grensene er verdt å kjenne. Trinnfri adgang når bare Stalls-salen; det tilrettelagte toalettet ligger i hovedfoajeen på samme plan. Det finnes én ikke-overflyttbar rullestolplass med ledsagersete og én overflyttingsplass, med av og til ekstra kapasitet, så spør ved bestilling framfor på kvelden. Hørselsstøtte er det appbaserte Mobile Connect-systemet, anbefalt for Stalls. Førerhunder er velkomne, og personalet passer gjerne hunden under forestillingen. Alt over Stalls nås via trapper — 32 trinn til fremre del av Dress Circle, 59 til baren der og 85 til Upper Circle.
Når bør jeg komme til Playhouse Theatre?
Du kan komme tidlig hit: salen åpner 75 minutter før forestillingen, langt tidligere enn de fleste West End-hus. Tretti minutter er minimum til veskekontroll og til å finne plassen, men den ekstra tiden er verdt å ta om plassen din er i etasjen over, for Dress Circle ligger 32 trinn opp og Upper Circle 85.
Er det kleskode i Playhouse Theatre?
Ingen er fastsatt. Ha på deg noe du er komfortabel i; teatret ber bare om at hatter ikke brukes i salen, der de sperrer utsynet bakover. Et tynt lag er lurt — bygget ligger delvis under jernbanebuene, og de nedre planene kan kjennes kjøligere enn gaten. Liker du å kle deg for en kveld ute, er du i godt selskap.
Kan jeg ta bilder inne i Playhouse Theatre?
Ikke under forestillingen — ingen bilder, ingen filming. Før, etterpå og ved applausen kan du gjerne. Den viktorianske salen er verdt et bilde, og foajeene fortjener også et blikk; når en oppsetning bygger om rommet, som skjer her fra tid til annen, hører det du fotograferer nettopp til den perioden.
Hvilke plasser bør jeg velge i Playhouse Theatre?
Vei trappene like mye som utsynet. Stalls nås uten trinn fra foajeen, noe som med god margin gjør dem til det enkleste planet. Over det er stigningen reell: 32 trinn til fremre del av Dress Circle, 59 til Dress Circle-baren og 85 til Upper Circle. Stalls plasserer deg også nærmest en scene som noen oppsetninger forlenger ut i rommet, så de er det tryggere valget om du vil være nær handlingen.
Playhouse Theatre history
From the outside
The Grade 2 listed Playhouse Theatre features a striking exterior that curves gently around Northumberland Avenue into Craven Street. Inside there are a series of beautiful paintings and a glorious flowery safety curtain, plus scary-looking lights shaped like horse’s skulls.
Playhouse Theatre architecture and history
First called the Royal Avenue Theatre, and soon after wards being renamed the Avenue Theatre, the current gorgeous building was designed by Blow and Billerey and opened back in 1882. Specifically designed to house comic operas and burlesques at first, it soon followed the fashion of the day and turned its face towards serious theatre, with the famous George Bernard Shaw creating his first play especially for the venue. W. Somerset Maugham premiered his work there and classics by Tennessee Williams, Ibsen and Chekhov all took the stage to considerable acclaim.
Twenty five years after its opening the building was being renovated when part of Charing Cross railway station collapsed on top of it. Six of the workers were killed, which delayed the re-opening until 1907, at which point it was renamed the Playhouse Theatre.
In the 1950s the BBC bought the theatre for radio and live TV recordings, which included the hit comedy series Steptoe and Son. During the 1960s it was used for live gigs and hosted performances by household names like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
The BBC left in 1976 and the building was deserted, threatened with demolition. But the decision to add an extra storey saved its life, being rented out to businesses to provide essential extra revenue. Thanks to this innovation the Playhouse Theatre opened again in 1987and has hosted a wide variety of shows, from musicals to Shakespeare plays, ever since.
Amazingly, the complex machinery under the stage is original.
Jeffrey Archer owned the theatre from 1988 to 1992. In 2003 Maidstone Productions became the new independent owners, with the famous Broadway producers Ted and Norman Tulchin putting on a dazzling string of hit productions. These days it is owned by the Ambassador Theatre group.
Past shows at the Playhouse Theatre
Over the years the delightful Playhouse theatre has been home to Gladys Cooper, The Almeida Theatre Company, The Peter Hall Company and more. Hit shows have included Gagarin Way, The Unexpected Man, Dinner with Friends (which won the coveted Pulitzer Prize), and Turgenev's Fortune's Fool on Broadway with Alan Bates and Frank Langella, both of whom won Tony awards for their performances. Recent productions include Richard Eyre's Vincent in Brixton.
Playhouse Theatre access
You’ll find wheelchair spaces in the stalls, rows G and J, with space for a companion. Plus six transfer spaces. You can store your scooter or wheelchair in the rear of the stalls.
Playhouse Theatre tickets
We’re a trusted destination for a wide variety of seat types and prices, with excellent availability on the full range of Playhouse Theatre tickets.