Walking Tour: The Origins of West End Theatre

This walking tour will tell the story of the origins of West End theatre, beginning at the sites of the long-lost tennis court theatres around Lincoln’s Inn Fields and making the short walk to Covent Garden, a walk that some acting companies had to make on the same afternoon when performing in both sites. Among the Covent Garden theatres, participants will learn the history of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London’s oldest theatre site still in use. Attention will be given to landmark firsts: the first sites, first playwrights, and the revolutionary first actresses on the British stage.

About

This event is part of the Cultures of London Event Series organised by researchers at Northeastern University London. The event will be run by Dr Peter Maber, Head of Faculty and Associate Professor in English and Creative Writing.

This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 7–16 November 2024. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org.

Access Information

This is a walking tour around the historic streets of London’s West End, taking in the development of London’s historic theatre district. Every effort will be made to ensure a step-free route or an alternative route for wheelchair access where necessary. The tour will involve approximately 20 minutes of walking with the remainder of time spent standing. No seating can be guaranteed. Unfortunately we are unable to provide hearing loops or additional audio description but we will provide printed materials to aid with understanding.

Host or Publisher Cultures of London