Adapted by Patrick Barlow. From an original concept by Simon Corble & Nobby Dimon.

John Buchan’s THE 39 STEPS – memorably filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935 – continues its sensational run at the Criterion Theatre.

Literally nothing has been cut from this HILARIOUS AND SPECTACULAR version of Britain’s most spell-binding thriller – legendary scenes include THE CHASE ON THE FLYING SCOTSMAN, THE ESCAPE ON THE FORTH BRIDGE, THE FIRST THEATRICAL BI–PLANE CRASH EVER STAGED, THE RATHER PROVOCATIVE ‘BEDROOM’ SEQUENCE and the death-defying (or nearly!) FINALE AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM!

With four actors playing a minimum of ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE ROLES, THE 39 STEPS proves to be the most astonishing THEATRICAL TOUR DE FORCE of this, or any other, decade



Winner: Best New Comedy – Olivier Awards
Winner: Best New Comedy – whatsonstage.com Awards

Monday to Saturday at 8pm
Tuesday Matinee 3pm
Saturday Matinee 4pm

The 39 Steps runs approximately 1 hour 50 mins including interval

List of London Theatres

The majority of London's commercial "theatre land" is situated around Shaftesbury Avenue, the Strand and nearby streets in the West End. The theatres are receiving houses, and often feature transfers of major productions from the Royal National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company. (See the article "West End theatre", and see also the category Theatre companies in London).

The following list also includes the major non-commercial theatres in London, many of which are to be found beyond the West End.

• Adelphi Theatre
• Aldwych Theatre
• Ambassadors Theatre
• Apollo Theatre
• Apollo Victoria Theatre
• Arts Theatre
• Cambridge Theatre
• Churchill Theatre
• Coliseum Theatre
• Comedy Theatre
• Criterion Theatre
• Dominion Theatre
• Donmar Warehouse
• Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
• Duchess Theatre
• Duke of York's Theatre
• Fortune Theatre
• Garrick Theatre
• Gielgud Theatre
• Haymarket Theatre
• Her Majesty's Theatre
• Institute of Contemporary Arts
• Jermyn Street Theatre
• Landor Theatre
• London Coliseum
• London Palladium

• Lyceum Theatre
• Lyric Theatre
• Mermaid Theatre
• New London Theatre
• Noël Coward Theatre
• Novello Theatre
• Palace Theatre
• Phoenix Theatre
• Piccadilly Theatre
• Players' Theatre
• Playhouse Theatre
• Prince Edward Theatre
• Prince of Wales Theatre
• Queen's Theatre
• Royal Opera House
• Royal Court Jerwood Theatre
• Savoy Theatre
• Shaftesbury Theatre
• Soho Theatre
• St Martin's Theatre
• Vaudeville Theatre
• Victoria Palace Theatre
• Whitehall Theatre (Trafalgar Studios)
• Windmill Theatre
• Wyndham's Theatre

London Theatre - Apollo Theatre

The one listed West End theatre the London Apollo Theatre is a Grade II, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. architected by architect Lewin Sharp for owner Henry Lowenfield, and the fourth legitimate theatre to be created on the street, its doors opened on 21 February 1901 with the American musical comedy The Belle of Bohemia. The production was followed by John Martin-Harvey's season, including A Cigarette Maker's Romance and The Only Way, an adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities.

The first London theatre built in the Edwardian period, the Apollo was refurbished by Schaufelberg in 1932, and a private foyer and ante room was installed to the Royal Box. The shaped work on the stone fascia is by T. Simpson, the building is of plain brick to the neighbouring streets. The theatre has a first floor central loggia. Inside there is a three galleried auditorium with elaborate plasterwork. The theatre seats 796, and the balcony on the 3rd tier is considered the steepest in London.

The Stoll Moss Group bought the Apollo Theatre in 1975 and sold it to Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Really helpful Group and Bridgepoint Capital in 2000. Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer bought the theatre and many others in 2005, creating Nimax Theatres, which still owns the theatre.

London Theatres - List of West End Theatres

Theatre	Current show	Capacity	Opening date	Closing date
Adelphi Theatre	The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas	1500	September 24 2009*	January 2 2010
Aldwych Theatre	Dirty Dancing	1200	September 28 2006	Open-ended
Ambassadors Theatre	Stomp	330	October 4, 2007	Open-ended
Apollo Theatre	Ross Noble	796	September 14 2009	October 24 2009
Apollo Victoria Theatre	Wicked	2208	September 27 2006	Open-ended
Arts Theatre	Catwalk Confidential	350	September 9 2009	October 3 2009
Cambridge Theatre	Chicago	1231	April 27 2006	Open-ended
Coliseum Theatre	Repertory theatre	2358
Comedy Theatre	Prick Up Your Ears	796	September 30 2009*	Open-ended
Criterion Theatre	The 39 Steps	588	September 20 2006	Open-ended
Dominion Theatre	We Will Rock You	2163	May 14 2002	Open-ended
Duchess Theatre	Endgame	479	September 18 2009*	December 2 2009
Duke of York's Theatre	Speaking in Tongues	640	September 18 2009*	December 12 2009
Fortune Theatre	The Woman in Black	432	June 7 1989	Open-ended
Garrick Theatre	Yiimimangaliso - The Mysteries	656	September 11 2009	October 3 2009
Gielgud Theatre	Avenue Q	937	June 1 2009	Open-ended
Her Majesty's Theatre	The Phantom of the Opera	1216	October 9 1986	Open-ended
London Palladium	Sister Act	2286	7 May 2009	Open-ended
Lyceum Theatre	The Lion King	2100	September 24 1999	Open-ended
Lyric Theatre	Thriller - Live	967	February 1 2009	Open-ended
New London Theatre	War Horse	1100	April 3rd 2009	Open-ended
Noël Coward Theatre	Calendar Girls	872	April 4 2009	Open-ended
Novello Theatre	An Inspector Calls	1050	September 22 2009*	November 14 2009
Palace Theatre	Priscilla Queen of The Desert	1400	March 10 2009	Open-ended
Piccadilly Theatre	Grease	1232	July 24 2007	Open-ended
Phoenix Theatre	Blood Brothers	1012	November 21 1991	Open-ended
Playhouse Theatre	La Cage Aux Folles	786	October 20 2008	Open-ended
Prince Edward Theatre	Jersey Boys	1618	March 18 2008	Open-ended
Prince of Wales Theatre	Mamma Mia!	1160	June 9 2004	Open-ended
Queen's Theatre	Les Misérables	989	April 3 2004	Open-ended
Royal Opera House	Repertory opera and ballet	2262
Savoy Theatre	Dreamboats and Petticoats	1150	July 22 2009	October 31 2009
Shaftesbury Theatre	Hairspray	1400	October 11 2007	Open-ended
St Martin's Theatre	The Mousetrap	550	March 25 1974	Open-ended
Theatre Royal, Haymarket	Breakfast at Tiffany's	888	September 29 2009*	January 9 2010
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane	Oliver!	2196	January 14 2009	Open-ended
Trafalgar Studios 1	Othello	380	September 11 2009	December 12 2009
Trafalgar Studios 2	Kurt and Sid	100	September 9 2009	October 3 2009
Vaudeville Theatre	Ed Byrne	690	September 7 2009	October 3 2009
Victoria Palace Theatre	Billy Elliot	1550	May 11 2005	Open-ended
Wyndhams Theatre	The Shawshank Redemption	759	September 13 2009	Open-ended

London Theatre - Billy Elliot

Despite the impact of the film I’m not sure if that really prepares you for the power of seeing the story lives on stage. Billy Elliot the Musical takes that story and adds some more dramatic the supernatural turning a heart warming and heart breaking tale into something even more poignant. Just in case you don’t know the story, Billy is a young boy rising up in Durham at the time of the miners’ strike in the early 1980s. The show charts the battles Billy goes through to attain his dream of being a ballet dancer. The motherless 11 year old Billy swaps boxing gloves for ballet shoes. The story of his fight back takes place against the backdrop of the bitter family and community strife experienced during the 1980s coal miners’ struggle to save their pits and jobs.

London Theatre - Victoria Place

There was a theatre on this site since 1832, at first known as Moy’s Music Hall, well before the coming of the railways. This was then renamed in 1863 and became The Royal Standard Music Hall. In 1886, when Victoria Street and Victoria Station were constructed, the theatre was destroyed and the rebuilt Royal Standard Music Hall became "the most comfortable Hall of entertainment in London... no expense has been spared."

The entrance of electricity and other early 20th century theatrical technology meant that severe changes were needed. The oldest licensed music hall in London was finished. Again in 1910, no cost was spared and Frank Matcham's Victoria Palace cost the massive sum of £12,000 to build.


The theatre retains much of its original character, even more so since the auditorium, front of house and dressing rooms have recently been refurbished.

The grey marble foyer with its gold mosaic and white Sicilian marble pillars is much as it was in 1911. Outside, the facade, canopy and cupola have recently been restored to their former glory.

The auditorium holds 1550 seats and is fully air-conditioned. It features a magnificent sliding roof, a simple precursor of air-conditioning. Originally the Stalls, Dress Circle and Grand Circle each had their own entrance and their own box office selling pre-printed tickets from a paper plan.


The Victoria Palace changed into the new millennium with an courageous building programme; enlarging the Foyer, WC facilities and rising the dressing room space, whilst maintaining all the feel and character of a historic building.

In 2006, a replica of the original statue of Pavlova was reinstated to its original place above the cupola of the Victoria Palace and her gold-leafed figure once again gleams above us.

London Theatre - We Will Rock You

The story We Will Rock You written by Ben Elton, music and lyrics by the band Queen, will have every adolescent of the 70’s and 80’s who ever owned a record by them reminiscing down memory lane. With great hits like “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Radio GaGa”, and “I Want To Break Free”, this is a show that all Freddie Mercury fans will love. However, there is small here for the fans of musical theatre.

The plot is middling to say the least and the comedy is contained in simple one-line gags that barely raise a titter. The story is based in the far-away future at a time when musical instruments have been barred and kids are no longer able to make their own music. Instead they are subjected to Global Soft’s computer simulated virtual boy and girl bands, playing mindless dull boring tracks. Global Soft, the corporate giant that now controls the planet’s music industry has destroyed youth culture, turning all the boys and girls into cyber zombies whose only mission in life is to consume the company’s products.

Individualism is seen as a virus that intimidates to wipe out Global Soft’s market domination, and so the company’s police are used to control any kids that do not obey and to destroy their artistic creativity. However, like all oppressive regimes they have their adversary. In this case it is the “Bohemians”, teenagers who keep alive the legend of rock music and live subversive lifestyles outside Global Soft’s control. The Bohemians are awaiting their Messiah, the “Dreamer” who will remember the music of the past and will also locate the musical instruments that were hidden away by the rock band “Queen” who apparently anticipated the death of Rock and with it the enslavement of the world’s youth.

The Killer Queen, an evil dominatrix, is Global Soft’s Chairwoman who is strong-minded to stop the Dreamer and find and destroy Queen’s musical instruments. Will she succeed or will the Dreamer, Galileo, save Rock and the world’s youth from her evil corporate domination?


Not a great show, unless you happen to be a fan of Queen.

London Theatres - Dominion Theatre

The Dominion Theatre is a theatre in London situated on Tottenham Court Road close to St Giles' Circus and Centre Point Tower. The building was made in 1928 and became a cinema in 1930. It is no longer used for movie premieres. It chiefly hosts live stage shows and concerts. It has a seating capacity of 2,182.

Tangerine Dream's album Logos was proofed there in 1982, and contains a tune called "Dominion" in compliment.

Since the early 1990's the venue has played host to a exclusive version of Jesus Christ Superstar, David Ian and Paul Nicholas' new production of Grease, Scrooge - The Musical, Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, Disney's Beauty & The Beast, a return of Grease and Notre-Dame De Paris amongst others.

In 2003, the hit stage musical We Will Rock You, a musical based on the songs of Queen made by Queen guitarist Brian May and British comedian Ben Elton opened.

From 2007, it is extensively wondered that the venue will play host to the London transfer of a new stage musical of The Lord of the Rings.

The Dominion Theatre Ownership

The Dominion has had a range of owners during its history. It has been activated by The Rank Organisation and Apollo Leisure from 1988 to 1999. In 1999 Apollo Leisure was taken over by SFX Entertainment and in 2001 SFX Entertainment was bought by Clear Channel Entertainment, part of the US based multinational. It is now part of Live Nation - ClearChannel's entertainments spin-off organisation.

London Theatres - Today's West End

Today's West End opened in the 19th Century when many of the impressive and gorgeous theatre buildings still reputation today were upright and theatregoing became extremely fashionable among the middle and upper classes. The base of the West End was at last put in place towards the end of the century when Shaftesbury Avenue was made and theatres were soon construct along it.

New West End theatres continued to be built throughout the early years of the 20th Century, while the post war years saw the opening of London’s two great, modern, centres of theatre: the National Theatre and the Barbican. Although the rise of alternative entertainments such as the cinema and the cost of maintaining such extravagant buildings posed a constant challenge, West End theatre has continued to flourish in the modern era.

The prospect of many West End theatres has been constructed more secure through their purchase by major commercial theatre organisations such as the Ambassador Theatre Group, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group and Cameron Mackintosh’s Delfont Mackintosh Group.

London theatre - Dury Lane

The first West End venue began in 1663 when the first of quite a lot of theatres was started on Drury Lane. This venue played host to the earliest West End stars such Nell Gwyn and Charles Hart until it was shattered by fire in 1672. A new theatre, called the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane was designed by Christoper Wren and opened on the same site in 1674. This second theatre stay alived for the next 120 years during which time several other theatres, such as the Theatre Royal Haymarket and the Theatre Royal Covent Garden (now the Royal Opera House) were made and the notion of West End theatre evolved.

David Garrick
One of the many managers of the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane was the legendary David Garrick, another actor/manager/impresario who dominated West End and London theatre throughout the 18th Century. Garrick came to London in 1737 as a wine seller, but was soon distracted by the lure of the theatre, and in 1741 he played his first great role, Shakespeare’s Richard III. Over the next 30 years, Garrick had a huge influence on London theatre. His impact on West End (and world) theatre is remembered through the Garrick Club and the Garrick theatre.

The Society of London Theatre

As theatre in London raise as a main industry, the need for a central, control organisation became obvious. The Society Of West End Theatre Managers, now recognized as the Society Of London Theatre (SOLT), was made by Sir Charles Wyndham in 1908 to fulfil just such a role. As a trade organisation, the Society symbolizes the producers, theatre owners and managers of the main business and grant-aided theatres in central London.

The Society today
Today the Society merges its long-standing roles in such areas as industrial relations and legal advice for members with a agitation role for the industry, together with a wide variety of audience-development programmes to promote theatregoing.

SOLT creates the Official London Theatre Guide, the definitive guide to what’s on in London theatre, and hosts www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk, which is documented as one of the UK’s leading arts websites. SOLT also organises the Laurence Olivier Awards, London theatre's most important awards, and organises Kids Week and Get Into London Theatre, annual promotions aimed at making the world of theatre accessible to all.

About London Theatres

London is a huge city for people who be in love with the theater. The West End alone has more than 40 theaters, and other theaters, large and small, dot London's map.
At whatever time, London productions might range from showy Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals to close two-person dramas. London theater-goers can often watch some of the world's most acclaimed actors trod the boards.

London's status as a theater-rich city can be traced hold up and admiration for the arts during the Elizabethan era. It was the time of the great English playwright Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare.
Elizabeth's time in power saw the building of the first permanent theaters in London; these included The Theatre (1576), the Rose (1587), the Swan (1595), and the theater that would most notably be linked with Shakespeare, the Globe.
While people from many areas of life may have enjoyed the plays, theater folks had a bit of an unsavoury standing, and London establishment forbidden performances within the city.
The Globe, which was made in 1599, was situated in Southwark because the district was outside the reach of the city fathers.

One of London's latest theaters surely has the oldest roots.

After many years of training and fundraising, a remaking of the original Globe, officially named Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, opened in 1997.
Built only yards away from the location of the original Globe, the new theater was the first London structure to include a thatched roof in more than 300 years. Building codes had not allowed such roofs since the Great Fire of London in 1666.
The Globe's season runs May to October; some theatre are staged with all-male casts as they were in Shakespearean times.
While often not the original buildings (fires and the London Blitz took their toll), some of London's present theaters draw their origins back to royal charters and licenses.

Four diverse buildings have served as the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane; the first opened with the blessing of King Charles II in 1663.

The Theatre Royal Haymarket (or Haymarket Theatre) was based in 1720.
Three different theaters have stood at Covent Garden's Royal Opera House, which first opened in 1728.

located on the South Bank next to Waterloo Bridge, the National Theatre (the honorific "Royal" was donated by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988) can have as many as eight plays running in repertory in its three theaters—the Olivier (named after the company's first artistic director, Sir (later Lord) Laurence Olivier), the Lyttelton, and the Cottesloe.

London Theatre Picture Gallery

Brief History of London Theatre

The first playhouse in London was made at Shoreditch in 1576 and had the completely suitable name of The Theatre. previous to this, plays had been done in unplanned venues such as courtyards, inn-yards or spacious private homes. When the lease on The Theatre ran out in 1597, its productive owner Richard Burbage transported its timber across the Thames and used it to make the first (of three) Globe theatre on the South Bank. The Globe opened in 1599 with a company led by Burbage, who recognized himself as the first of London’s great actor/impresarios. Burbage was the first gentleman to play Hamlet, King Lear and Othello. The famous venues for theatres in London are Dury Lane, David Garrick, Today's West End,