There was a tavern called The Great Mogul here at the end of the 17th century, and in the 18th century it was a meeting place for glee clubs and other singing performances.

In the 1900s, the building here was known as the New Middlesex Theatre of Varieties and then the Winter Garden, and featured such performers as Fred and Adele Astaire, Sophie Tucker, and Sir Alec Guinness. In 1959 the theatre was closed and the property was developed into several different areas, one of which is now the New London Theatre.

The sleek and modern design borrowed a great deal from continental theatre design, and everything in the theatre from seats to stage and even walls can be moved, giving it an almost limitless flexibility in terms of staging.

The theatre reopened in 1973 with the performance of “The Unknown Soldier and his Wife”, a play written by and starring Peter Ustinov.

In 1981 “Cats” opened here and had a remarkably long run, closing in 2002. The theatre was purchased by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatre Company and is still managed by them today.

The New London Theatre has become known for its long running productions, hosting hits like “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “King Lear”, and “The Seagull”.

In recent years, performances by The Blue Man Group have been an extremely popular attraction at the theatre. As of 2010, “The War Horse” (pictured) has been at the New London, it is an adaptation of the novel by Michael Morpurgo about a boy and his horse who are caught up in World War I.

The New London Theatre in London is a great place to enjoy a show.

New London Theatre

Address: Drury Lane, Covent Garden, WC2B 5PW

Telephone: 08708 900141

Photo courtesy: stusmith_uk

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