The Apollo Theatre is one of the most famous West End theatres, sat directly on Shaftesbury Avenue. The theatre frequently receives many major transfers.
The Apollo opened in February 1901, becoming the fourth theatre to be constructed on the street. It is a Grade II listed building, with a capacity of 775 seats spread over three tiers, with the uppermost tier being the steepest of any in a London theatre. Named after the Greek god of the arts, this theatre was designed by Lewin Sharp with the outside façade having been created by T. Simpson.
Interestingly, owing to the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901, it is the first theatre to be completed in the Edwardian Period. From 1975 Stoll Moss Group Owned the theatre until it was sold to Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group in 2000. It is currently owned by Nimax Theatres who purchased the venue in 2005.
After the ceiling partially collapsed in 2013 during a production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time, the theatre reopened in 2014, with work having been done on the roof to rebuild it after the incident.
Throughout its life, the theatre has been host to a variety of noteworthy productions and actors including Richard II and Twelfth Night starring Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry in 2012, and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof featuring Sienna Miller in 2017.