Savoy Theatre

The Savoy Theatre is located on famous London thoroughfare the Strand, next to the historic Savoy Hotel. The venue originally opened in 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte, specifically to perform Gilbert and Sullivan light operas. Some of the duo's most popular shows, such as The Mikado premiered at The Savoy and it became famous as the first public building in the world to be lit by Incandescent electric lights and in one way or another it has been blazing ever since.

In June, 1929, the Victorian auditorium was demolished and, 135 days later “a gleaming palace had sprung up”, a magic miracle of modernism built by Rupert D’Oyly Carte with Frank Tugwell as the architect. The Theatre re‑opened with a revival of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, designed by Charles Ricketts and conducted by Dr Malcolm Sargent. In 1990 the auditorium suffered major fire damage but was reopened in 1993, refurbished to the original 1929 vision. Now, the auditorium and public areas exist as a perfect representation of the original building, but with modern amenities available.

Today the Savoy Theatre London is part of the Ambassador Theatre Group and is  best-known for hosting a variety of successful musicals, including Gypsy, starring Imelda Staunton, Legally Blonde which opened in 2009 to wide critical and public acclaim, followed by the Tina Turner musical Soul Sister, a revival of Cabaret, the fabulous Dreamgirls and the Broadway hit Mean Girls, featuring all of the best moments from the film, along with fantastic original songs in one of the coolest shows in London!

Seating

For the best overall view of the stage seats in the mid-front of the Stalls provide excellent views along with seats in the Dress Circle. For good value seats the Savoy Theatre offers Day Seats, which involve queuing at the theatre before 10am to buy front row tickets for a discounted price. Alternatively, some bargains can be found in the back row of the Dress Circle or Upper Circle.

Facilities

There are four bars in the theatre – Stalls, Dress, Mezzanine and Grand Circle. There is no level access to the bars but drinks can be brought to seats. Or add the VIP experience to a visit by pre-booking the Ambassador Lounge and enjoy a show with bespoke service. The theatre has a cloakroom where theatregoers can leave large coats and small bags and the theatre is fitted with an ‘air-cooling’ system.

Access

The Savoy Theatre offers a range of accessibility services for D/deaf and disabled customers. All upcoming Audio Described, Captioned, BSL Interpreted and Relaxed performances are listed on the Assisted Performances page. Accessible toilet facilities are available and assistance dogs are welcome. The theatre also has space for wheelchairs Further Information and Questions are available in the Access Section.

Venue details