Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Souvenir guide to the world’s oldest theatre site in continuous use, now restored to its original Georgian glory by Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd Webber. The 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.A Star Reborn: Foreword by Andrew Lloyd WebberTimeline Killigrew’s Theatre: Charles II and the first Theatre Royal Shakespeare at Drury LaneGarrick’s Theatre: An acting revolution A Royal TheatreSheridan’s Theatre: ‘A wilderness of a place’ Backstage TheatricsA Working Theatre Superstitions and TraditionsWhitbread’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