Now that is a theatre revival! After work that took two years (and price £60m), curtain’s up at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s historic Theatre Royal in London
That is one in every of London‘s most well-known theatres, a beating coronary heart of leisure for greater than 400 years.
Generations of stars have graced the stage of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, however time took its inevitable toll on the present Georgian constructing and it was in dire want of a revamp.
Final night time, after a two-year renovation challenge costing £60million by its proprietor Andrew Lloyd Webber, the spectacular transformation was unveiled at a reception hosted by him and his spouse Madeleine.
After a troubled time for theatres in the course of the pandemic, Lord and Woman Lloyd-Webber hope ‘The Lane’ – as it’s affectionately recognized – will lead the revival of the trade. A manufacturing of Disney’s Frozen The Musical is because of open subsequent month.
Generations of stars have graced the stage of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, however time took its inevitable toll on the present Georgian constructing and it was in dire want of a revamp
The revamp has restored the constructing to the splendour of its design by Benjamin Wyatt when it was in-built 1812 because the fourth theatre on the positioning. No element has been left unattended, proper all the way down to the gold leaf decor brushed on by hand.
However it has additionally seen the theatre re-imagined for the twenty first century as an entertaining vacation spot with new bars and eating places to convey it to life for all.
Lord Lloyd-Webber mentioned: ‘I imagine the Lane is now one in every of London’s most heat and exquisite auditoriums, and essentially the most versatile historic theatrical area wherever on the planet.’
It has additionally seen the theatre re-imagined for the twenty first century as an entertaining vacation spot with new bars and eating places to convey it to life for all
Exhibits staged there over time embrace Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! within the Forties and My Honest Woman (1958-63) with Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. Charles II’s mistress Nell Gwyn offered oranges on the theatre earlier than discovering fame on its stage as an actress.
Among the many new treats on provide within the constructing is the Cecil Beaton cocktail bar serving drinks named after a few of the costume designer’s topics together with Eliza Doolittle and Peter Pan.
The Rotunda has been restored preserving its most historic components, together with the King’s facet and Prince’s facet entrances – which have been the results of a disagreement between George III and the then Prince of Wales, later George IV.
The bottom ground shall be open from at the moment and the Grand Saloon is because of open later within the 12 months providing a Regency-inspired afternoon tea.
The revamp has restored the constructing to the splendour of its design by Benjamin Wyatt when it was in-built 1812 because the fourth theatre on the positioning
The bottom ground shall be open from at the moment and the Grand Saloon is because of open later within the 12 months providing a Regency-inspired afternoon tea
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