Theatre Tickets - Lyceum Theatre London

History of the Lyceum Theatre London

Lion King tickets

The Lyceum Theatre, located in Wellington Street near the exclusive area of Covent Garden has a complex and varied history dating back to 1772 when a public building by the same name stood adjacent to the theatre’s current location. The original Lyceum building was utilised for a variety of weird and wonderful purposes, including a circus, a hot air balloon exhibition and a chapel. The first Madame Tussaud waxworks were also displayed there in 1802.

Theatrical performances and operas were held in the original Lyceum building in the latter part of it’s life, and it was subsequently demolished and rebuilt in 1815 with a new theatre designed by Samual Beazley. Unfortunately, the reconstructed theatre, which was the first London theatre to utilise gas lighting, had a short life having been destroyed by fire in 1830.

A new building was constructed on the site of the present day theatre in 1834, which was named the ‘Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House’. A variety of operas and plays were held at the new theatre including Shakespearean works, and the first ever production of Dracula.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, new fire regulations were put in place which deemed the Theatre Royal Lyceum unsafe. In order to comply with the new regulations, costly alterations would have been necessary, and it was again decided to rebuild the structure. In 1904, the interior of the old Lyceum was completely rebuilt with only the façade and portico of the original building being retained. With it’s ornate Rococo style interior design and furnishings, the building remains largely unchanged since this time.

The Lyceum Theatre was under threat on a number of occasions during the 20th Century. In 1939 the building was purchased by the London City Council with a view to demolishing the building for the purpose of road improvements, and in 1968 the Greater London Council proposed a redevelopment of Covent Garden which again would have necessitated demolition of the theatre. Fortunately, both of these plans were ultimately abandoned, and the theatre’s future was secured in 1972 when it was listed as a Grade 2 building.

Theatrical activity diminished during the 60’s, 70’s and early 80's when the Lyceum Theatre was used predominantly as a venue for pop concerts, and was host to numerous well known acts including Bob Marley, The Who, Led Zeppelin, U2 and Culture Club.

The theatre was closed and boarded up in 1986 and remained dark until it was restored and refurbished throughout in the early 90’s. The building was re-opened in 1996 in an official ceremony led by HRH The Prince of Wales, and played host to the revival of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s classic, Jesus Christ Superstar.

Fortunately, The Lyceum’s future now looks very promising, playing host to one of London’s most successful and popular theatre productions ever, The Lion King.

Currently Playing at the Lyceum Theatre

The Lyceum Theatre is home to the magnificent Disney spectacle The Lion King. This London musical about the young lion cub, Simba continues to break box office records, with the musical and visual wonders continuing to astound packed audiences night after night!

Lion King tickets sell out well in advance. Maximise your chances of obtaining tickets for this groundbreaking musical by booking with Concierge Desk - we offer availability for performances sold out with many other ticketing web sites.

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