Shaftesbury Theatre

Shaftesbury Theatre
New Prince's Theatre, 1911–1914
Prince's Theatre, 1914–1963
Shaftesbury Theatre exterior with Mrs. Doubtfire signage
The Shaftesbury Theatre in 2023, showing Mrs. Doubtfire
Map
AddressShaftesbury Avenue
London, WC2
United Kingdom
Coordinates51°30′58″N 00°07′33″W / 51.51611°N 0.12583°W / 51.51611; -0.12583
Public transitLondon Underground Tottenham Court Road
OwnerThe Theatre of Comedy Company
DesignationGrade II
TypeWest End Theatre
Capacity1,416
ProductionMrs. Doubtfire
Construction
Opened26 December 1911; 112 years ago (1911-12-26)
ArchitectBertie Crewe
Website
shaftesburytheatre.com

The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. It opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, with a capacity of 2,500. The current capacity is 1,416. The title "Shaftesbury Theatre" belonged to another theatre lower down the avenue between 1888 and 1941. The Prince's adopted the name in 1963.

The theatre, the last to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue, was originally intended to house popular melodramas, but has presented a wide range of productions, including Shakespeare, farce, opera, ballet and revue. Companies based at the theatre for London seasons have included the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, the Ballets Russes, Sadler's Wells Opera, Sadler's Wells Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet and the dance companies of Uday Shankar and Pearl Primus.

The theatre has presented many musicals that premiered on Broadway, from Funny Face in the 1920s to Pal Joey and Wonderful Town in the 1950s, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hair in the 1960s, and more recently Hairspray, Memphis, Motown and Mrs Doubtfire.

The theatre was at risk of demolition in the early 1970s to make way for new roads or for commercial development, but the Save London's Theatres campaign rescued it, and it was given listed building protection in 1974. The actor, playwright and impresario Ray Cooney led a new organisation, The Theatre of Comedy, backed by a substantial group of actors and writers, which leased and then bought the theatre as a home for British comedy. The Theatre of Comedy remains (2023) the owner of the theatre, but the emphasis of programming has shifted from farces and comedies to musicals.