Apollo Theatre
Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1V 7HD

Nearest underground:
Covent Garden (Picadilly Line) and Temple (District and Circle Lines)

Nearest rail:
Charing Cross

The first playhouse of the Edwardian era, the Apollo opened in February 1901 and innovated by the inclusion of an orchestra pit (inspired by the musician Wagner’s orchestral setups) and the absence of the heavy pillars which marred views in other theatres at the time. Although having 796 seats made it more suitable for straight plays, the Apollo managed to specialise in musical comedies. From 1908-1912 it was home to Harry Gabriel Pelissier’s The Follies and later to thrillers and a run of bedroom farces in the 1970s. Records were broken in 1962 when Marc Camoletti’s Boeing-Boeing showed an incredible 2,035 times before transferring. More recently it had hits with Keith Waterhouse’s Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell, starring Peter O’Toole and Richard Harris’s Dead Guilty.

Its façade, designed by Lewen Sharp, is in the French Renaissance style and two pairs of angels gaze down onto Shaftesbury Avenue. It was almost named The Mascot, after a badge of German gypsies featuring a flying lizard and lions, that can still be seen on the right of the main entrance today.

What's on at Apollo Theatre

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