The Duke of York's Theatre

Theatre History

The History of The Duke of York's Theatre

The Duke of York's Theatre was designed by Walter Emden for Frank Wyatt and his wife Violet Melnotte and opened with the production Wedding Eve on the 10th September 1892. Capital FM Radio bought the freehold in 1970 and refurbished the building in 1979 before selling to the Ambassadors Theatre Group in 1992.

Since first opening the Duke of York's Theatre has been associated with some of the most popular productions in London. Actors from Glenda Jackson to Al Pacino have graced the stage and renowned playwrights including Willy Russell, Richard Harris and Stephen Poliakoff have had productions played here. In fact Puccini was believed to have seen the original performance of David Belasco's Madame Butterfly at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1900 before later adapting the production in to one of his most popular operas. The Puccini adaptation was later performed at the theatre by the Carl Rosa Opera Company to high acclaim.

Although the Duke of York's Theatre in recent years has become closely associated with mainstream theatre and fringe productions, the building at one time helped to launch ballet to British audiences with Markova and Dolin both performing here. Recently, the Duke of York's Theatre helped to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and has been the location for two Olivier award winning productions; Stones In His Pockets and The Weir.