Her Majesty's Theatre
A theatre has stood on the site of Her Majesty's Theatre since 1705. But this incarnation of Her Majesty’s Theatre opened in 1897, and was the project of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree. Today’s building was designed by C J Phipps and commissioned by the actor Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who had a flat built into the design for the theatre – a flat for himself that in 1904 he would repurpose as a drama school, now known as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art – RADA. Tree’s management of Her Majesty’s Theatre saw the venue become known as a playhouse rather than an operatic house, with productions of Shakespeare’s works as well as adaptations of novels.
The Her Majesty's Theatre auditorium, designed in the style of Louis XIV, is appropriately scaled to house musicals as well as straight plays. Throguhout the 20th century, a host of musicals have played at Her Majesty's Theatre, including Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, Bye Bye Birdie, West Side Story, On The Twentieth Century, Fiddler on the Roof and Bugsy Malone. The theatre’s current tenant is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, which opened in October 1986 and is the theatre’s longest running production. Her Majesty's Theatre is currently owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatres Group.
Her Majesty's Theatre Seating Information
The auditorium has four levels – Stalls, Royal Circle, Grand Circle and Balcony.
Views from the Stalls are very good, though pillars in Row N to obstruct the view from certain seats. Other than the front row, the legroom is good throughout the Stalls.
The Royal Circle generally offers good views of the stage, though pillars supporting the Grand Circle do restrict views from certain seats, which are priced reflectively. The overhang of the Grand Circle will affect the view from seats in Row E onwards.
Whilst the legroom in the Grand Circle really isn’t great, the Balcony is set behind the Grand Circle meaning that the view of the stage is not obstructed by an overhang.
The Balcony does feel quite a long way from the stage, and the legroom is slim, but the sharp rake of the seating ensures good views.