Corporate Magazine May 2017

In the Spotlight
Since 1663 the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
has been entertaining the masses! It was here
people first heard both the National Anthem and
Rule Britannia and, with its two royal boxes, the
theatre has welcomed every monarch since
the Restoration.
The present day building was opened in 1812
and was financed by a 'committee of renters'
recruited by the brewer Samuel Whitbread, with
Lord Bryon as chairman of the board. The great
clown Joseph Grimaldi would give his farewell
benefit performance here and Dan Leno and
Herbert Campbell triumph in a series of
spectacular pantomimes.
Throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries, the
theatre became famous for staging spectacles;
chariot races in Ben Hur, an earthquake in
The Hope, underwater fights, the flooding of
Paris, sinking ships, a train crash and Alpine
avalanches to name a few!
More recently, Drury Lane was home to the
all-singing, all-dancing spectacular Shrek the
Musical with Nigel Lindsay, Richard Blackwood,
Nigel Harman and Amanda Holden, followed by
another family favourite, Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory. Cameron Mackintosh's production of Miss
Saigon, with a scene stealing actual helicopter,
complete with throbbing sound effects and wind
from its propellers which audiences could actually
feel, holds the record for the theatre's longest
running production, with 4,263 performances,
and the helicopter landed at almost every one
of them!
The empire style auditorium has 2,154 seats
across four levels; stalls, Royal Circle, Grand Circle
and Balcony. The distinctive green colouring of the
seats blends with the gold features highlighted in
the plaster decoration and the names of important
people from the theatre's history are emblazoned
in panels across the Royal Circle.
The theatre's Novello Room, named after the
matinee idol and composer Ivor Novello who saved
the fortunes of the theatre in the 1930s, is decorated
with posters and photographs from the period, is
suitable for meetings for up to ten delegates
while The Grand Saloon is large and versatile,
accommodating up to 350 guests for a reception
or 200 for theatre style events. Fully licensed and
equipped with a kitchen, it's a fabulous backdrop
for conferences, presentations and receptions.
The South Room and The North Room are both
smaller than The Grand Saloon, but equally luxurious
and perfect for more intimate occasions, from dinners
to meetings, training days and auditions for up to
30 people.
Day Rates from
£29.50
01775 843410 Lines open Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 5.30pm 16