Adelphi Theatre

Theatre History

The History of The Adelphi Theatre

The Adelphi Theatre is located in a Grade II listed Art Deco building on The Strand in London's West End.
There has been a theatre on the site since 1806 and like the majority of London theatres has been known by many names. In fact at one point the theatre was renamed the Century Theatre and public opinion was so strong that after only six months the theatre had to be changed back to its original, current name, the Adelphi.

The current theatre as it stands today was redesigned by Ernest Schaufelberg to accommodate a larger audience and to modernise an otherwise failing building. The structural walls and the entrance at the back of the theatre are all that survive from the old building.

Over the years the Adelphi Theatre has been home to a whole host of productions from Noel Coward plays to Ivor Novello comedies. In the 1950's the theatre was known for housing popular revues, starring up to the minute stars from radio and theatre and it was only in recent years under the guidance of Lloyd Webber's production company, The Really Useful Group that the theatre branched in to box office hits.