Duchess Theatre

Theatre History

The History of The Duchess Theatre

Promoted by Arthur Gibbons the Duchess Theatre opened in 1929 with a performance of Tunnel Trench, featuring Emlyn Williams. Over the years a number of productions both well known and relatively unknown have been performed at the Duchess, including Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit and the Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Herbal Bed.

Renowned for being one of the youngest theatres in London with the smallest proscenium arch, the Duchess Theatre again made its name in theatre history by holding the shortest run for a production - The Intimate Revue closed before it even completed its first performance! Since then the theatre has become synonymous with respected dramatists including J. B. Priestley and T. S. Eliot who both had productions play at the Duchess. Priestley in particular monopolised the early years of the Duchess Theatre with his productions when he joined the Duchess management team in 1934, around the same time his wife was thought to introduce a theme to the decor.

Currently owned by the Nimax Theatre Group, at one time the Duchess Theatre was controlled by the Playhouse Theatre which took control for two and half years whilst awaiting the construction of a new building. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatre Group took ownership of the Duchess Theatre in 2000 before selling to the current owners in 2005.