The Garrick Theatre
Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H OHH

Nearest underground:
Leicester Square (Northern Line, Piccadilly Line)

Nearest rail:
Charing Cross

Named after the great 18th Century actor David Garrick, the stately Garrick Theatre has stood on the fringes of Covent Garden and just a stones throw from Trafalgar Square since 1889.  Its construction was hampered when its foundations hit an underground river, but now underground trains run beneath it.  Along its frontage of Portland and Bath stone stand elegant first floor columns and inside, cupids, caryatids and gold leaf embellishments adorn the red and cream auditorium.  This was restored in 1986 by stage designer Carl Toms, and the exterior had a facelift the following year.  

From the early part of the last century the Garrick became known for farce and during the 1940s many of the ex-Aldwych farceurs located themselves here.  Its last long-running farce was No Sex Please We’re British, which transferred here in 1982.  Comedy remained the dominant genre for much of the previous century although its last very successful and award-winning production was J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, which transferred here in 1995 and ran for five years. 

What's on at Garrick Theatre

< back