Shows & Events at the Prince Edward Theatre
How to find the Prince Edward Theatre
Prince Edward Theatre
Old Compton Street, London, W1D 4HS
Box office opening times:
From 2 hours and 30 minutes before the start of the show, until 15 minutes after curtain up. On matinee days the box office remains open in between performances.
Central Box Office at the Sondheim Theatre
Buy tickets for productions across all 8 of our theatres!
Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 6BA.
Open Monday - Saturday: Midday - 6pm.
Please note: You may not
bring any food or drink purchased elsewhere to our theatres. All our theatre bars serve drinks
and snacks, but not hot food.
Our theatres sell products which may contain allergens. Allergen information is available upon request from all bars or other staff selling refreshments around the venue.
Getting to the Prince Edward Theatre
By Train or Tube
The nearest train station is Charing Cross.
The nearest tube stations are Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road.
By Bus
The nearest bus stops are serviced by numbers 19, 38, 14, 176, 29 and 24.
By Car
If you are driving, you can take advantage of the Q-Park Theatreland parking scheme with 50% off car parking after midday for up to 4 hours.
There is also parking available at Meters at Soho Square (approx 200m) and NCP at Brewer Street.
For your comfort and security, you will be subject to additional checks on your visit so please leave plenty of time to arrive at the theatre.
We appreciate your patience and understanding while these are taking place.
PLEASE NOTE: Pedicabs are unlicensed, unsafe, and can charge excessive fares. For your personal safety always use licenced forms of transport.
Accessibility at the Prince Edward Theatre
For information on Hearing Enhancement Aids, Assistance Dogs, Autism and Social Stories and details of our currently available Access Performances, please refer to our main Accessibility page using the button below:
Parking
The theatre itself has no parking facilities but there are disabled bays nearby on Greek Street and Frith Street. For more information visit the City of Westminster website.
Toilets
A step-free, adapted toilet is located in the rear of the stalls and is accessed via a lift in the main foyer on Old Compton Street. Patrons who require step free access need to book tickets in the stalls. Our access host will happily advise and guide should you require help.
Wheelchairs
For patrons needing to remain in their wheelchair, step-free access to the auditorium is via the lift in the main foyer. Stalls Box 1 is able to accommodate up to three wheelchair users (maximum wheelchair width 78cm).
Seats for patrons able to transfer from their wheelchairs are located in Stalls Z12-13, X12-13 and V12-13, also accessible via the lift in the main foyer.
Please make yourself known to a member of staff on arrival at the main entrance and our Access Host will be available to offer assistance and show you to your seating location.
We are able to store a maximum of 2 wheelchairs and one scooter per performance.
For any Access enquiries please contact our dedicated team on 0344 482 5137 or email us at access@delfontmackintosh.co.uk
Experiences at the Prince Edward Theatre
Facilities at the Prince Edward Theatre
Lost Property
If you have any enquiries regarding lost property at Prince Edward Theatre please email customer services.
Lost property will be kept at the theatre for one month.
Facilities
The theatre has five licensed bars. The Mozart Bar at street level, the Dress Circle Bar (with external balcony), the Stalls Bar, the Soft Drinks Bar at Stalls level and a further bar at Grand Circle level.
Cloakrooms
The cloakroom is able to accept coats and small bags for a small charge. We are
unable to accept larger bags or suitcases.
However, we also work with Stasher who offer bag storage in many hotels and shops across London (all
within close walking distance to our theatres).
HOW TO BOOK LUGGAGE STORAGE WITH STASHER
Bookings must be made online. Use the code "SHOWTIME" for a discount.
Lithium-polymer and lithium-ion batteries, for example for electric bikes, may only be stored in the cloakroom in a fireproof bag.
Regrettably, theatres cannot charge batteries, including electric wheelchairs.
Prince Edward Theatre History
Production Highlights
1929: The Emporium draper's shop was demolished and work began on a new theatre, designed by Edward Stone and built by Griggs and Son, with an art deco auditorium by Marc Henri and Laverdet decorated in warm shades of fuchsia and gold.
1930: The Prince Edward Theatre opened on 3 April with Rio Rita, a musical comedy by Harry Tierney.
Rio Rita (1930)
1933: Four-week season by Josephine Baker, billed as 'The Idol of Europe'.
Josephine Baker (1932)
1935: Acquired by a syndicate who also owned the French Casino in New York and the Casino in Miami. Reopened on 2 April 1936 as the London Casino, a cabaret restaurant. The first stage show was Folies Parisiennes followed by Bal Tabarin, La Revue d'Elegance and Folies de Minuit. Initially it took more money than any other place of entertainment in London, but eventually the lavish scale on which they operated led to serious financial problems.
1942: Converted to the Queensberry All Services Club for the rest of the war. From here Variety Band Box was broadcast to British Forces stationed overseas every Sunday afternoon. Among the names who appeared were Vera Lynn, Vic Oliver, Tommy Trinder, Stephane Grappelli, Jack Hilton, Tommy Handley, Mantovani, Glenn Miller, George Formby, Flanagan and Allan, Richard Murdoch and Joe Loss.
1946: Restored to theatrical use under the management of Tom Arnold and Emile Littler with Pick-Up Girl, produced by Peter Cotes.
Folies Superbes (1938)
1947: Mother Goose, the first in a series of pantomimes that became an annual feature at the theatre, was put on with Stanley Holloway as Squire Skinflint. Subsequent Christmas seasons included Cinderella with Arthur Askey as Buttons, Aladdin with Julie Andrews and Jack and Jill with Michael Bentine and Charlie Chester.
Queensberry Club (1942)
1947: First in a series of International Variety shows presented by Bernard Delfont that brought Chico Marx, Max Wall, Max Miller, The Inkspots (famous for the song 'Whispering Grass'), and Mistinguett ('The Idol of France') to the London Casino.
1949: Latin Quarter, Robert Nesbitt's 'luxury musical', was presented each year until 1952. One band greeted the audience in the foyer, another on stage and a third in the orchestra pit. Posies of fresh violets were placed on the seats and balloons were suspended from the ceiling.
Read more about the theatre and its history...
1953: Over the Moon, revue by Vivian Ellis starring Cicely Courtneidge.
1953: Wish You Were Here, a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Harold Rome, was set in a holiday camp and had a filled swimming pool on stage.
1954: Converted for large screen Cinerama and remained in use as a cinema until 1974 during which period it showed films such as How the West Was Won, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and King Kong.
1978: The theatre reopened on 21 June, under its original name of the Prince Edward, with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's ground-breaking musical Evita starring Elaine Paige, Joss Ackland and David Essex which ran until 1986.
Mary Poppins (2004)
1992: The theatre was completely refurbished under the management of Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Limited. The stage was enlarged, the auditorium remodelled and redecorated and new side boxes added.
Anything Goes (1990)
1993: Reopened on 3 March with the Gershwins's Crazy for You which ran for three years.
1999: MAMMA MIA!, the feel-good show with its entertaining story based on the songs of Abba, was a smash hit, taking record box office advances. It ran at the Prince Edward for five years before moving to the Prince of Wales, where it ran for a further 13 years and in September 2012 transferred to the Novello.
2004: The first stage version of P L Travers's ever-popular stories about the magical nanny, Mary Poppins opened in December. Presented by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, it entranced both adults and children alike and ran for over 1,000 performances.
2008: Following its huge success on Broadway Jersey Boys The Story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons opened on 18 March and amongst many other awards won the 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
2014 Miss Saigon returned to the West End with a spectacular new production to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its original opening at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
2016 Disney’s dazzling production of Aladdin flew into the West End on its magical flying carpet.
2019 Mary Poppins flew back into the Prince Edward.