Theatre Royal Haymarket
1720: Little Theatre (nearby) 1767: Theatre Royal | |
The theatre in 2008, showing Edward Bond's The Sea | |
| Address | Suffolk Street, Haymarket London, SW1 United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°30′31″N 0°7′53″W / 51.50861°N 0.13139°W |
| Public transit | Piccadilly Circus |
| Owner | Access Entertainment |
| Operator | Access Entertainment |
| Type | West End theatre |
| Capacity | 888 on 4 levels |
| Production | The Deep Blue Sea |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 4 July 1821 (current structure) |
| Rebuilt | 1879: proscenium and removal of pit 1904: auditorium 1994: major refurbishment |
| Years active | 1720–present |
| Architect | John Nash |
| Website | |
| www.trh.co.uk | |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | The Haymarket Theatre (Theatre Royal) |
| Designated | 14 January 1970 |
| Reference no. | 1066641 |
The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote acquired the lease in 1747, and in 1766 he gained a royal patent to play legitimate drama (meaning spoken drama, as opposed to opera, concerts or plays with music) in the summer months. The original building was a little further north in the same street. It has been at its current location since 1821, when it was redesigned by John Nash. It is a Grade I listed building, with a seating capacity of 888. The freehold of the theatre is owned by the Crown Estate.
The Haymarket has been the site of a significant innovation in theatre. In 1873, it was the venue for the first scheduled matinée performance, establishing a custom soon followed in theatres everywhere. Its managers have included Benjamin Nottingham Webster, John Baldwin Buckstone, Squire Bancroft, Cyril Maude, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, and John Sleeper Clarke, brother-in-law of John Wilkes Booth, who quit America after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Famous actors who débuted at the theatre included Robert William Elliston (1774–1831) and John Liston (1776–1846).