The Entertainer brings to an end the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s inaugural season at the Garrick. The seven plays have been varied and challenging and there were no easy hits amongst them. The casting was generally excellent with a few unusual calls (the 77-year- old Derek Jacobi as Mercutio for example). I missed The Winter's Tale (tickets like gold dust) but saw and enjoyed the rest. To finish with The Entertainer was a fitting climax not just to the season but to Branagh’s starring role … [Read more...]
Garrick Theatre London Tickets for Noises Off
The Drifters Girl
The Queen of British Soul and West End leading lady BEVERLEY KNIGHT stars in the world premiere of a brand new musical – THE DRIFTERS GIRL.
Coming to the West End Autumn 2020, discover the remarkable story of THE DRIFTERS, one of the world’s greatest vocal groups, and the truth about the woman who made them.
Booking from 1st October 2020 to 13th February 2021
Garrick Theatre
Charing Cross Road
London, WC2H 0HH
Nearest Tube: Leicester Square
Tube Lines: Piccadilly, Northern
Directions from nearest tube: (2 minutes) Go along Charing Cross Road parallel to Leicester Square until you reach the theatre on your left.
Railway Station: Charing Cross
Bus Numbers: (Charing Cross Road) 24, 29, 176; (Strand) 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 87, 91, 139
Night Bus Numbers: (Charing Cross Road) 24, 176, N5, N20, N29, N41, N279; (Strand) 6, 23, 139, N9, N11, N13, N15, N21, N26, N44, N47, N87, N89, N91, N155, N343, N551
Car Park: Leicester Square, Whitcomb Street
Within Congestion Zone: Yes
Venue Facilities: Air-conditioned, Bar, Disabled toilets, Infrared hearing loop, Toilets and Wheelchair accessible
The Garrick Theatre London
The Garrick Theatre was designed by Walter Emden, and C J Phipps as a consultant to help with the planning on this site which included an underground river.
The theatre was built for W S Gilbert, who was responsible for the book and lyrics of all Savoy Operas with Sir Arthur Sullivan. The theatre opened on 24th April, 1889 and was named after David Garrick, an 18th Century actor. The theatre has retained its Victorian aspects. Sir John Hare produced and starred in The Profligate with Johnston Forbes Robertson and Lewis Waller in 1889.
When first built the theatre had 800 seats on four levels, but since then the gallery has been closed and the seating capacity reduced to 656. The gold leaf auditorium was restored in 1986 by the designer Carl Toms and in 1997 the front facade also had a facelift. The theatre has largely been associated with comedies or comedy-dramas.
Recent productions include a No Sex Please We’re British, which then transferred to the Duchess Theatre in August 1986. On 24th October 1995 the Royal National Theatre’s multi-award winning production of J B Priestley’s An Inspector Calls opened here, having played successful seasons at the RNT’s Lyttelton and Olivier theatres as well as the Aldwych Theatre and a season on Broadway.
Casting announced for West End transfer of This House
‘This country is being kept alive on aspirin when what it needs is electric bloody shock therapy.’ Casting has been announced for the West End transfer of James Graham’s critically acclaimed political drama This House. Phil Daniels, Kevin Doyle, David Hounslow, Ed Hughes, Lauren O’Neil, Nathaniel Parker, Steffan Rhodri, Malcolm Sinclair and Sarah Woodward lead the cast which also includes Christopher Godwin, Peter Landi, Matthew Pigeon, Giles Taylor, Tony Turner and Orlando … [Read more...]
Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s Romeo and Juliet
The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's Romeo and Juliet, was broadcast live to cinemas on 7th July 2016. More than 1200 cinemas worldwide saw the production starring Lily James, Derek Jacobi, Richard Madden and Meeri Syal. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and Rob Ashford, Romeo and Juliet plays at the West End’s Garrick Theatre until 13th August 2016. The broadcast of Romeo and Juliet follows that of The Winter’s Tale on 26th November 2015, which topped the UK cinema box office when it … [Read more...]
Romeo and Juliet – Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company – Review
Romeo and Juliet has a story which has "mileage". In Opera, Ballet, the Concert Hall, the Musical Theatre and (no doubt) on ice as well. It's about man's folly. The Shakespeare tragedies usually are. The follies of revenge, or ambition , or jealousy or power or madness. Here, to an extent , we address the follies of youth. But in fact the star-crossed lovers, whilst perhaps foolish in the depth and urgency of their passion, are actually among the saner characters in … [Read more...]
The Painkiller is utterly joyous at The Garrick Theatre – Review
This adaptation of The Painkiller is so side-splittingly amusing that it is almost in danger of being better called ‘The Pain Causer’. It’s an extraordinary transformation from its original French version by Francis Veber into this British farce. A note in the programme from director and adaptor Sean Foley explains it was Veber’s insistence that an English language version of his ‘Le Contrat’ to be staged in London should not be a stuffy line-by-line translation of the … [Read more...]