Fawlty Towers
Classic ‘70s sitcom Fawlty Towers barrels into the West End as a brand-new play, written by John Cleese. Join aspirational hotelier Basil Fawlty as he tries - and fails - to make his seafront hotel one of the most fashionable places to stay… all while losing his temper at his staff and guests! With iconic moments from the TV show recreated live on stage, this is a must-see for fans and anyone who enjoys slapstick comedy and sharp-tongued wit. Check in and laugh until you cry at the Apollo Theatre.
Special Offer
Booking from 14 January 2025 until 1 March 2025
Retrograde
What would you sacrifice if your big break was the reward? Based on a true story, Retrograde takes us back to 1950s Hollywood, when rising star Sidney Poitier is faced with an impossible choice: denounce a man he admires, or lose out in a world built for powerful white executives. Starring Ivanno Jeremiah as Sidney Poitier, Ryan Calais Cameron’s (For Black Boys) latest “exceptional” (The Guardian) play transfers to the West End’s Apollo Theatre for a strictly limited season.
FIND TICKETS
Booking from 8 March 2025 until 15 June 2025
Box Office Contacts
| Box Office: | +44 (0) 330 333 4809 |
| Access Booking: | +44 (0) 330 333 4815 |
| Group Booking: | 0330 333 4809 |
| Stage Door: | 020 7851 2711 |
History
Located on Shaftesbury Avenue, the Apollo Theatre is one of London's most characteristic venues. Opening in 1901 with an American musical, The Belle of Bohemia, the theatre became well-known for hosting a string of musical comedies throughout the early 1900's. In 1908, a four-year run of Follies cemented the venue's success. Following that, the Apollo hosted variety shows up until the end of the First World War.
Throughout the 1920's, the Apollo began to host plays, including a 1928 production of R.C. Sherriff's The Journey's End, starring Laurence Olivier. Since then, works from prolific playwrights such as Noel Coward, Terence Rattigan and Ivor Novello have entertained audience.
The Apollo Theatre has upheld its tradition for staging plays rather than large-scale musicals, due to the intimate stage and auditorium. Notable productions include Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem (2010, 2011-2012), starring Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook, followed by The Madness of King George III (2012), starring David Haig and Long Day's Journey Into Night (2012). Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry starred in all-male productions of Richard III and Twelfth Night (2012), which ran in rep.
In 2013, the acclaimed stage adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time transferred to the venue from the National Theatre. On December 19th 2013, the play came to an abrupt end when the Balcony of the seating collapsed. Closed for restructuring until March 2014, the Apollo Theatre reopened with a Royal Court transfer of Let the Right One In. Following a hugely successful run at London's St James Theatre, new musical Urinetown (2014) transferred to the theatre in September, playing an extended run until January 2nd 2015.
2015 opened with a limited run of the Donmar Warehouse transfer of My Night With Reg, which ran for three weeks. Following that, Kristin Scott Thomas starred in a revival of The Audience, which achieved previous success at the Gielgud Theatre in 2013. Further productions included the West End premiere of Dear Lupin and Edinburgh Fringe Festival favourite Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, which was extended due to popular demand. Mischief Theatre's festive farce Peter Pan Goes Wrong flew into the theatre for a Christmas period, embarking on a tour in 2016.
2016 saw a year of action-packed theatre, opening with a transfer of Jessica Swale's rollicking comedy Nell Gwynn, starring Gemma Arterton. Later, the show picked up an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. Further productions included a summer run of Horrible Histories: The Best of Barmy Britain and a London premiere of new British musical The Go-Between, starring Michael Crawford. Despite receiving lukewarm reviews, the musical continued until October 15th 2016. Christmas saw festive favourite Peter Pan Goes Wrong swoop back into the theatre for a strictly limited season, closing January 29th 2017.
Kick-starting the 2017 season, Patrick Marber's highly-acclaimed new production of Tom Stoppard's Travesties plays, starring Tom Hollander. Following this, performances include renowned performer Mikhail Baryshnikov in one man show Brodsky/Baryshnikov and Olivier Award-winning actress Eve Best in Terence Rattigan's comedy Love in Idleness, opposite Anthony Head and Edward Bluemel, directed by the legendary Trevor Nunn. Late 2017 saw Hollywood stars Sienna Miller and Jack O'Connell take to the stage in a revival of Tennessee Williams' domestic drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae's smash-hit new musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie later transferred to the venue in November 2017 following a successful premiere in Sheffield. Running in the daytime, August 2019 saw the return of Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part 4. Over the Christmas period, family-friendly show The Snail and the Whale played.
The Apollo Theatre closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened in October 2020 with social distancing measures in place, before closing its doors again in December 2020. Comedian Adam Kay brought his acclaimed one-man show This is Going to Hurt to the theatre, alongside the long-running musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie. The hit musical paused its West End run in September 2021, expecting to return to the theatre in 2022.
During the summer of 2021, the Horrible Histories gang brought the fifth instalment of their acclaimed Barmy Britain series to the theatre.
In October, Mischief Theatre's Olivier Award-nominated show Magic Goes Wrong transferred to the theatre for a four-month run. 2022 saw a much-anticipated revival of Jez Butterworth's landmark play Jerusalem, starring original cast members Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook. Later in 2022, Upstart Crow returned to the West End starring David Mitchell. For Christmas 2022, Potted Panto played in London for another festive season.
In 2023, illusionist Derren Brown brought his anticipated Showman tour to London for a three-month season, followed by Ryan Calais Cameron's play For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy. Hit supernatural thriller 2:22: A Ghost Story transferred to the venue in May, starring Jaime Winstone and Sophia Bush. In October 2023, the musical adaptation of The Time Traveller's Wife, with songs by Joss Stone and Dave Stewart, transferred from Storyhouse Chester.
In spring 2024, Mischief Theatre's latest comedy, Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle transferred to the Apollo Theatre for a six-week season followed by John Cleese's Fawlty Towers stage adaptation in May, which continues to run into 2025. Horrible Histories returned to London's West End with Terrible Tudors. Later in the year beloved TV presenter, Maddie Moate, made her West End debut with Maddie Moate's Very Curious Christmas. In spring 2025, Ryan Calais Cameron's latest play Retrograde transfers to the Apollo.
Throughout the 1920's, the Apollo began to host plays, including a 1928 production of R.C. Sherriff's The Journey's End, starring Laurence Olivier. Since then, works from prolific playwrights such as Noel Coward, Terence Rattigan and Ivor Novello have entertained audience.
The Apollo Theatre has upheld its tradition for staging plays rather than large-scale musicals, due to the intimate stage and auditorium. Notable productions include Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem (2010, 2011-2012), starring Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook, followed by The Madness of King George III (2012), starring David Haig and Long Day's Journey Into Night (2012). Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry starred in all-male productions of Richard III and Twelfth Night (2012), which ran in rep.
In 2013, the acclaimed stage adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time transferred to the venue from the National Theatre. On December 19th 2013, the play came to an abrupt end when the Balcony of the seating collapsed. Closed for restructuring until March 2014, the Apollo Theatre reopened with a Royal Court transfer of Let the Right One In. Following a hugely successful run at London's St James Theatre, new musical Urinetown (2014) transferred to the theatre in September, playing an extended run until January 2nd 2015.
2015 opened with a limited run of the Donmar Warehouse transfer of My Night With Reg, which ran for three weeks. Following that, Kristin Scott Thomas starred in a revival of The Audience, which achieved previous success at the Gielgud Theatre in 2013. Further productions included the West End premiere of Dear Lupin and Edinburgh Fringe Festival favourite Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, which was extended due to popular demand. Mischief Theatre's festive farce Peter Pan Goes Wrong flew into the theatre for a Christmas period, embarking on a tour in 2016.
2016 saw a year of action-packed theatre, opening with a transfer of Jessica Swale's rollicking comedy Nell Gwynn, starring Gemma Arterton. Later, the show picked up an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. Further productions included a summer run of Horrible Histories: The Best of Barmy Britain and a London premiere of new British musical The Go-Between, starring Michael Crawford. Despite receiving lukewarm reviews, the musical continued until October 15th 2016. Christmas saw festive favourite Peter Pan Goes Wrong swoop back into the theatre for a strictly limited season, closing January 29th 2017.
Kick-starting the 2017 season, Patrick Marber's highly-acclaimed new production of Tom Stoppard's Travesties plays, starring Tom Hollander. Following this, performances include renowned performer Mikhail Baryshnikov in one man show Brodsky/Baryshnikov and Olivier Award-winning actress Eve Best in Terence Rattigan's comedy Love in Idleness, opposite Anthony Head and Edward Bluemel, directed by the legendary Trevor Nunn. Late 2017 saw Hollywood stars Sienna Miller and Jack O'Connell take to the stage in a revival of Tennessee Williams' domestic drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae's smash-hit new musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie later transferred to the venue in November 2017 following a successful premiere in Sheffield. Running in the daytime, August 2019 saw the return of Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part 4. Over the Christmas period, family-friendly show The Snail and the Whale played.
The Apollo Theatre closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened in October 2020 with social distancing measures in place, before closing its doors again in December 2020. Comedian Adam Kay brought his acclaimed one-man show This is Going to Hurt to the theatre, alongside the long-running musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie. The hit musical paused its West End run in September 2021, expecting to return to the theatre in 2022.
During the summer of 2021, the Horrible Histories gang brought the fifth instalment of their acclaimed Barmy Britain series to the theatre.
In October, Mischief Theatre's Olivier Award-nominated show Magic Goes Wrong transferred to the theatre for a four-month run. 2022 saw a much-anticipated revival of Jez Butterworth's landmark play Jerusalem, starring original cast members Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook. Later in 2022, Upstart Crow returned to the West End starring David Mitchell. For Christmas 2022, Potted Panto played in London for another festive season.
In 2023, illusionist Derren Brown brought his anticipated Showman tour to London for a three-month season, followed by Ryan Calais Cameron's play For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy. Hit supernatural thriller 2:22: A Ghost Story transferred to the venue in May, starring Jaime Winstone and Sophia Bush. In October 2023, the musical adaptation of The Time Traveller's Wife, with songs by Joss Stone and Dave Stewart, transferred from Storyhouse Chester.
In spring 2024, Mischief Theatre's latest comedy, Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle transferred to the Apollo Theatre for a six-week season followed by John Cleese's Fawlty Towers stage adaptation in May, which continues to run into 2025. Horrible Histories returned to London's West End with Terrible Tudors. Later in the year beloved TV presenter, Maddie Moate, made her West End debut with Maddie Moate's Very Curious Christmas. In spring 2025, Ryan Calais Cameron's latest play Retrograde transfers to the Apollo.
