About Duke of York's Theatre
Duke of York's Theatre on St Martin's Lane opened in 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, one of the first theatres built on this stretch between Trafalgar Square and Seven Dials, and took its present name in 1895 in honour of the future King George V, who agreed to the change. Its red-brick and stone facade and its three-tier horseshoe auditorium of around 640 seats have altered little in more than a century, giving it the feel of a classic Victorian playhouse.
The theatre has a notable place in stage history: it was here that J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan was first performed in 1904. Since then it has housed acclaimed productions such as King Lear and welcomed many famous names to its stage, among them Sir Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Michael Gambon and Jeremy Irons. It is operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group, and its scale has long made it a favoured home for straight drama, new writing and carefully cast revivals rather than large musicals.
Duke of York's Theatre St Martin's Lane: an intimate house for plays
With the audience close to the performers on every level, the Duke of York's rewards actor-led work, and its programme in 2026 runs from Tom Stoppard's Arcadia through the summer to a new production of Rent opening in late September. The Circle Bar also hosts occasional pre-show live music sessions.
What to expect on a visit
The box office is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 7.30pm and Sunday from 11am to 2.30pm, and tickets are sold online, by telephone and in person through ATG. Leicester Square and Charing Cross stations are a few minutes' walk, and the restaurants and bars of St Martin's Lane are on the doorstep. The London Coliseum stands almost opposite, and other Covent Garden theatres are listed here.
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Reviews
I am not a regular theatre go-er but would describe my experience at the Duke of York's Theatre as average and as expected. The theatre is relatively small and narrow, spanning mulitple floors. It's a bit of a maze finding the toilets and they aren't big enough considering how many people are admitted at any one time. I entered the theatre 50 minutes before the show as I had a backback and didn't want to cause any issues on entry. This meant I spent some time in their bar, and paid £9.60 (!!!) for a bottled Camden Hells lager that's usually sold for £3 anywhere else. My advice is to stay in a nearby pub until 10-20 mins before your show starts and go straight to your seats. I watched Stereophonic here, and thought the set was great. The music and acting was brilliant, too. I would say, though, the play dragged on and definitely doesn't need to be 3-hours long. I would also say that the 'failed attempts' at perfecting the songs in the show reduced the impact and enjoyment of when the songs were played in full, albeit not a reflection of the theatre itself. Lastly, I got the impression that there are lots of restricted view seats in this theatre. I sat in the ground floor stalls central to the stage so I had no issues, but I saw lots of people leaning over the edges of the upper levels as they weren't able to see the stage, and I'm sure this had knock-on affects to people behind them. So, pay that little bit extra for good seats and enjoy the show, or risk being di
Lovely Victorian theatre just a minute from Trafalgar Square. St Martins Lane is much quieter than other neighbouring roads, so pleasant experience approaching the theatre. Friendly staff, good seating, with capacity around 640. Good stage visibility from the stalls.
Went to see the Wednesday matinee performance of “Woman in Mind” with Sheridan Smith and tried out the Ambassador Lounge which hosts 14 guests pre, interval and post show for an extra fee. Ingenious idea. Dedicated wait staff. Separate room away from the main areas and a short flight of stairs to the main stalls. Perfect! Better still. You can leave all your bags and coats there. Private area with tables and comfy seats and separate bathroom. So you turn up before the show and have a drink/snacks, pick up your program and then return during interval again. After the show you can pick up your belongings. Would definitely recommend paying the extra fee to access the AL when booking your tickets for this theatre. Service was excellent.