About the Novello Theatre
Now playing: Mamma Mia! From £21 Book tickets
The Novello opened on 22 May 1905 as part of the Aldwych redevelopment, designed by W. G. R. Sprague as one of a matching pair with the Aldwych Theatre at the other end of the crescent. It is Grade II listed and run by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres.
It has been called four things. It opened as the Waldorf, became the Strand Theatre in 1909, spent two years as the Whitney from 1911, and was the Strand again from 1913 until 2005, which is how most of London still thinks of it. The current name dates from the 2005 refurbishment and honours Ivor Novello, composer, actor and one-time resident of a flat upstairs.
Under its old name this was a theatre of very long runs. Arsenic and Old Lace ran here from 1942 to 1946, 1,337 performances in all, and Sailor Beware! reached 1,231 from 1955. No Sex Please, We're British opened here in June 1971, was panned by the critics, and ran until September 1987, later at the Garrick and the Duchess, for a total of 6,761 performances, which still makes it the longest-running comedy in British theatrical history.
It has also been bombed mid-performance. During a Zeppelin raid on 13 October 1915, nineteen bombs fell on the Strand and one hit the pit entrance. The Scarlet Pimpernel was on stage that night, with Fred Terry in the lead.
After the 2005 refurbishment it reopened on 8 December 2005 with the first of three Royal Shakespeare Company seasons, the last of which included the 2008 Hamlet with David Tennant. Noises Off was the last play here before MAMMA MIA! arrived in 2012.
Notable past productions
- The Scarlet Pimpernel (1915), playing on the night the theatre was bombed
- Anna Christie (1923), the first Eugene O'Neill play seen in the West End
- Arsenic and Old Lace (1942 to 1946), 1,337 performances
- Sailor Beware! (1955), 1,231 performances, and the play that made Peggy Mount a star
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1963), its UK premiere, with Frankie Howerd
- No Sex Please, We're British (1971), opened here and ran for 16 years in all
- The Real Thing (1982), Tom Stoppard's play, premiered here with Felicity Kendal and Roger Rees
- Buddy (1995), the Buddy Holly musical, which ran for seven years
- Hamlet (2008), the RSC production with David Tennant
- Betty Blue Eyes (2011), the musical of Alan Bennett's A Private Function
- Noises Off (2012), the last play before MAMMA MIA!
Other venues of similar size
- Aldwych Theatre, around 1,200 seats over three levels, the Novello's twin at the other end of the crescent
- His Majesty's Theatre, 1,216 seats on Haymarket, and like the Novello stacked over four levels
- Prince of Wales Theatre, 1,135 seats on Coventry Street, and MAMMA MIA!'s home from 2004 to 2012
About FAQs
What was the Novello Theatre called before?
The Strand Theatre, from 1913 until 2005, and before that briefly the Whitney and the Waldorf. It became the Novello in 2005.
Why is it called the Novello Theatre?
After Ivor Novello, the composer and actor, who lived in a flat above the theatre. Delfont Mackintosh gave it his name when they refurbished the building in 2005.
Who runs the Novello Theatre?
Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, which runs eight West End theatres. It also runs the Novello's Box Office and its access team.