Theatre Group tour of Theatre Royal Drury Lane (3 September 2026)

There were so many of us (around 40) so we had to split into two groups to do this very interesting tour. I was on the second and we had a very competent and interesting guide as was the guide for the first group. The history of the theatre spans over 350 years and four successive buildings. The current theatre was built in 1812 and recently (2019) closed for a £60 million renovation. The result is an exquisite example of elegant Georgian symmetry. The tour lasted about an hour and a quarter and full of facts, figures, myths and legends - far too many to remember them all. Among the many ghosts the theatre claims to have is the man in grey and we were treated to a sighting of him! There was some seating available at most of the stops so anyone who needed it was able to take the weight of their feet for a few minutes now and again, which I think is worth noting if you would like to do this tour but find it difficult to be on your feet for long periods. I didn’t have the opportunity to ask too many people whether they thought it an enjoyable experience, but those I did all had a positive reaction. 

Contributed by Pat Ward