Duchess Theatre

The Duchess Theatre on Catherine Street presents a broad, handsome frontage with a lovely curved arch at the entryway. Inside, the auditorium covers four levels and holds 482 seats, most of which are in the stalls and dress circle. Owned and run by the prestigious Nimax Theatres organisation, it benefits from a smart split-level lounge bar. This is one of theatreland’s smallest and newest theatres, designed by the theatre-loving architect Ewen Barr and created especially to get around the old law of ancient lights. The current interior was created in Art Deco’s heyday, supervised by Mary Wyndham Lewis, J. B Priestley’s wife. The venue has the dubious honour of hosting the West End’s shortest ever run, The Intimate Revue, which closed before the first performance was over. But since then a feast of excellent productions has taken the stage. In 2009 audiences flocked to see Plague over England and in 2011, Sir Michael Gambon in Krapp's Last Tape. And in 2011 Mike Leigh’s Ecstasy drew huge crowds. Get your Duchess Theatre tickets here!