The Lyceum Theatre
Wellington Street,
London,
WC2E 7DA
Tube: Covent Garden
Box Office: 0870 243 9000
The current show at the Cambridge Theatre is The Lion King
Get tickets for The Lion King here:
The Lyceum Theatre on Wellington Street, London has a long and distinguished history.
The first Theatre with the Lyceum name was built on a site just adjoining the present Theatre’s in 1794 with its main entrance on the Strand, this was long before Wellington Street itself was built.
Left – Engraving of the first Lyceum Theatre in 1809 when its entrance was on 254 the Strand – From ‘The Lyceum’ by A. E. Wilson 1952.
Once the new street had been built however, a new Theatre was built on the present site to replace the original Lyceum . This opened in 1834 and was for a long time managed by Sir Henry Irving. The Lyceum was famous for its association with Irving and Ellen Terry who were associated with the Theatre until their last performance in 1902.
‘The Lyceum Theatre, Wellington-street, Strand – Has recently passed into the hands of Mr. Irving, who has for some years past been the leading actor and principal attraction there. It is one of the prettiest houses in London, and, while large enough to enable the poetical drama, even in the case of the heaviest Shaksperean play, to be effectively mounted, is not too large for the requirements of a modern audience.
It may be noticed that evening dress is more commonly in vogue in the stalls and dress-circle here than at other theatres, but there is no absolute rule. It is worth notice, too, that the Lyceum, occupying a perfectly isolated position with a street on each of its four sides, offers special facilities for egress in case of alarm, whilst the saloon and lobby accommodation is on an unusually handsome scale, only equalled by that at Drury Lane.’ – Charles Dickens’s (Jr.), Dickens’s Dictionary of London, 1879
The original architect of the Wellington Street Lyceum was Samuel Beazley but in 1882 the prolific Theatre Architect C.]. Phipps partially reconstructed the building and made many improvements. In 1884 Phipps also altered the Circle Fronts and oversaw their redecoration.
The theatre has been home to the musical version of The Lion King since 1999.