Her Majesty's Theatre history

Her Majesty’s Theatre is a Grade II listed building. It was once managed by the legendary actor Herbert Beerbohm Tree and the premises' name changes with every new British monarch. When Prince Charles takes the throne, it'll no doubt become the 'His Majesty's'.

The theatre has hosted a wide variety of performances since its opening in 1705, staging everything from Italian opera to drama and musicals. Classic operas were performed at the theatre throughout the 19th Century, including productions of The Magic Flute in 1811, London’s first performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in 1817, Beethoven’s Fidelio in 1851 and Wagner's The Ring Cycle in 1882.

The theatre has also been the home of significant premiers of new plays, George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion and Chu Chin Chow by Oscar Asche as well as works by famous playwrights like J. M. Synge, J. B. Priestly and Noel Coward.

Following the disruption of two World Wars, the theatre reinstated itself by staging popular musicals including Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story in 1958 and the London Premier of Fiddler on the Roof in 1967, which ran for more than 2000 performances.

In 1986 the premier of the world's longest running and successful musical ever opened at the theatre; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. Winning several prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards, The Phantom has gone from strength to strength and celebrates its 30th anniversary at the theatre in 2016. It's the perfect home for The Phantom of the Opera because of its former status as an opera house as well as its glorious Gothic architecture.