Listings for Duke Of York's Theatre

Description

Situated on St.Martin’s Street behind the Garrick theatre, the Duke of York’s Theatre is in the very heart of the West End and attracts an array of both classic and contemporary shows regularly. For example, the Duke of York’s Theatre has welcomed productions such as The Dresser, Eh Joe, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Arcadia, Ghost Stories, Gooodnight Mr Tom, King Lear, Little Shop of Horrors, Jumpy, the Judas Kiss, The Moderate Soprano The Girl on the Train, Touching the Void, the Doctor and many more.

A Grade II listed building, the Duke of York’s Theatre boasts a beautiful exterior as well as an impressive interior. Since 1992, it has been owned and managed by the Ambassador Theatre Group, who own over 50 theatre venues in the UK. It is in fact the London headquarters of the Ambassador Theatre Group, and also has the producing offices of their subsidiary Sonia Friedman Productions.

Duke of York’s Theatre Seating

A relatively small auditorium, the Duke of York’s Theatre has a capacity of 626 seats which is split across three levels: the Stalls, the Royal Circle and the Upper Circle. Ticket prices vary depending on where you choose to sit in the theatre.

Seating Plan Map

Seating Plan

Despite being a small theatre, the Duke of York's Theatre is divided into the Stalls, the Royal Circle and the Upper Circle, with the majority of the seating in the Stalls.

The Stalls

As by far the largest section of the theatre, the Stalls has a capacity of 359 seats and is by far the largest section of the theatre with the greatest variety of seats which provide an immersive theatrical experience.

The Royal Circle

The second tier in the Duke of York’s theatre, the Royal Circle has a capacity of 117 seats, making it the smallest area of the theatre but you can find some excellent seats in this section of the theatre.

The Upper Circle

As the section of the theatre furthest away from the stage, the Upper Circle has a capacity of 150 seats and there are some seats with restricted viewing. 

Seats with best visibility

The Duke of York's Theatre is an old auditorium, there are several seats with reduced visibility in the theatre as there are several obstructions, notably in the Upper Circle as this area is furthest away from the stage. It is recommended that you thoroughly research seating beforehand. 

• Premium Seating: if you are looking for the best seats in the house, then these can certainly be found in the Stalls, particularly in row E and F. Cheaper tickets, however, can be found in the front of the Stalls as the large stage causes some restricted viewing. Excellent seats can be found at the front of the Royal Circle, where you can enjoy unrestricted views. 
• Good Value for Money: You can find some cheaper tickets on the Row H Bench of the Upper Circle, but still enjoy excellent views. Towards the rear of the Royal Circle and to the sides, you can find some slightly cheaper tickets.
• Discounted tickets: the Upper Circle has much cheaper tickets, despite obstructed and reduced visibility viewing. There are also more reasonable tickets towards the back of the Royal Circle.

Duke of York’s Theatre Contact and Opening Times

Duke of York’s Theatre Contact Numbers

Telephone Booking*: 0844 871 7623

Group Bookings*: 020 7206 1174

Access Bookings: 0800 912 6971

Opening Hours

Monday to Saturday: 10am - 7.30pm

Useful information

Getting there

The Duke of York’s Theatre is located in the centre of theatreland and is therefore easily accessible by both public transport and by car. Given that it is located in London’s Congestion Charge zone, it is advisable that you take public transport. Central London’s Congestion Charge Zone charges £11.50 between 7am and 6pm. The Duke of York’s Theatre address is:

St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4BG

• Tube: the nearest tube station to the Duke of York’s Theatre is Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly), which is about a 5 minute walk away from the theatre. Alternatively, you can take the tube to Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line) or Charing Cross Road (Northern, Bakerloo), which are also a very short walk away from the theatre.
• Train: if you are taking the train, then the nearest train station to the Duke of York’s Theatre is Charing Cross train station, which is only a 10 minute walk away from the theatre. Charing Cross station has many different national rail services.
• Bus: there are many bus lines (24, 29, 176) which stop at St Martin’s Place (Stop K), which is a few minute walk away from the Duke of York’s Theatre. Alternatively, you can use the Trafalgar Square Bus Stop, where bus routes 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 23, 53, 87, 88, 91, 139, 159 and 453 stop.
• Car: the Duke of York’s Theatre is part of the Q-Park scheme, granting you 50% off your parking ticket. Simply validate your parking ticket at the box office and then you can receive this discount. The closest car parks included in the scheme are located in Chinatown and Trafalgar Square, a 10 minute walk from the theatre. Before the discount is applied, parking costs £22 and 4 hours is £29.50.

Access

If you have any access enquiries before your visit or need to organise any special requirements, then please call the Duke of York’s Theatre access line on 0844 871 7677 (calls cost 7p/pm) or email: doybox@theambassadors.com.

You may also be able to benefit from the buy one get one free tickets for patrons and one companion, please call the access number for more information.

The theatre also regularly holds Audio Described and Captioned performances, please ring the theatre for more details on this.

Getting Inside the theatre

There is an accessible entrance to the Duke of York’s Theatre located on St Martin’s Lane. The entrance has step-free access from the street to the foyer and there is also a drop-off point directly next to the entrance.

Inside the theatre

The most accessible section of the theatre is the the Royal Circle, which has level access and two Wheelchair spaces. There are also transfers available, however it is advised that you bring a companion. Staff can store wheelchairs during the performance.

There is an at-seat service available for customers with limited mobility. However, please let the theatre know before your visit so they can help organise this service.  

Wheelchair Space Measurements

Royal Circle Right (when looking at the stage): 85.5cm / 33 ¾ inches wide.

Royal Circle Left (when looking at the stage): 91cm / 35 ¾ inches wide.

Duke of York’s Theatre History

The Duke of York’s Theatre opened on 10th September 1892 and was originally named the Trafalgar Square Theatre. Designed by the architect Walter Emden, the theatre was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who owned the theatre until she passed away in 1935. By 1894, the theatre became known at the Trafalgar Theatre and was then renamed the Duke of York’s Theatre in honour of the future King George V.

One of the earliest comedies was Go Bang which showed in 1894, followed by Jerome’s Miss Hobbs and David Belasco’s Madame Butterfly. It was also the Duke of York’s Theatre where JM Barie’s Peter Pan made its premiere on the 27th December 1904.

During the late 1970s, the Duke of York Theatre’s freehold was bought by Capital Radio and then it closed again in 1979 for refurbishment. It was then bought by the Ambassador Theatre Group in 1992 who then proceeded to host a range of successful shows.

Photos of Duke Of York's Theatre

Featured videos

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