Description
Book SynopsisThe world’s oldest theatre site in continuous use, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane has been at the heart of Covent Garden for more than 350 years. Audiences have flocked to the Lane to see the greatest stars of the day in spectacular productions ranging from Shakespeare to pantomime, from thrilling dramas to ground-breaking musicals.
The present theatre was built in 1811, after a devastating fire destroyed the previous incarnation, and the Lane has now been restored to its original Georgian glory by Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd Webber. The world-class theatrical and performance space is today an entertainment and cultural destination alive throughout the day.
This souvenir guide tells the story of the Lane from its bawdy beginnings in Restoration London to its newly restored elegance, unearthing the secrets of a theatre that has survived tragedy and fire, royal scandals, ghosts and even murder, while keeping audiences enthralled for centuries.
Table of ContentsA Star Reborn: Foreword by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Timeline
Killigrew’s Theatre: Charles II and the first Theatre Royal
Shakespeare at Drury Lane
Garrick’s Theatre: An acting revolution
A Royal Theatre
Sheridan’s Theatre: ‘A wilderness of a place’
Backstage Theatrics
A Working Theatre
Superstitions and Traditions
Whitbread’s Theatre: Georgian elegance, Victorian spectacle
The Home of Pantomime
Show-Stopping Musicals
My Fair Lady
Lloyd Webber’s Theatre: A theatre transformed
Craft at the Lane
A Theatre for the 21st Century
