Player Kings

Player Kings tickets
Ian McKellen stars as Shakespeare’s famous knight John Falstaff in a dynamic new version of Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, adapted and directed by Olivier Award winner Robert Icke. This exciting new play breathes new life into the story of ailing Henry IV, his son Prince Hal, and the boastful knight as they face a new war with France whilst England is divided. After playing King Lear, Hamlet and Richard III, McKellen’s latest role is set to be the theatre event of the year. Player Kings is at the Noel Coward Theatre for a strictly limited season.
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Booking from 3 April 2024 until 22 June 2024

Dr. Strangelove

Dr. Strangelove tickets
Steve Coogan stars in the world premiere of the iconic Dr. Strangelove, adapted for the stage by Armando Iannucci this year. Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s jet-black comic masterpiece about a U.S. General who goes rogue and sets off a nuclear crisis is brought to the West End by BAFTA and Emmy Award winner Iannucci and Olivier Award-winning director Sean Foley, with Coogan’s masterful performance at the heart of this satire of mutually assured destruction. Stop worrying and love this show - it’s on at the Noel Coward Theatre for a strictly limited season.
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Booking from 8 October 2024 until 21 December 2024

Box Office Contacts

Box Office:+44 (0) 844 482 5151
Access Booking:+44 (0) 344 482 5137
Group Booking:0344 482 5100
Stage Door:020 7759 8010

History

Originally dubbed the New Theatre, the venue was built by Sir Charles Wyndham as a pair with Wyndham's Theatre and first opened in 1903, with a production of Rosemary starring Charles Wyndham and his wife, Mary Moore. Early years saw the theatre host a range of dramatic texts, including Coward's first play I'll Leave it to You (1920) and George Bernard Shaw's St. Joan (1924).

Throughout the 1930's John Gielgud's prolific career was launched at the New Theatre, starring in and directing plays including Richard of Bordeaux (1933) and Romeo and Juliet. During the Second World War, surrounding theatres were affected by the Blitz, with the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells in-house companies seeking refuge at the New Theatre, making it their home until the 1950's.

One of the theatre's most successful productions was Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! (1960), which played for an impressive 2,618 performances. Further notable productions included London Assurance (1972), starring Judi Dench, the Olivier Award-winning Children of a Lesser God (1981) and A Month in the Country (1994), starring Helen Mirren and John Hurt.

During the 2000's, a range of productions passed through the theatre, including Endgame (2004), starring Michael Gambon and Lee Evans, Suddenly Last Summer (2004), starring Diana Rigg and an Indian production of Twelfth Night, which played to packed-out audiences, before the Royal Shakespeare Company moved in with their season, including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, King Lear and Hecuba (2004-2005), starring Vanessa Redgrave.

After a three-month dark period, the theatre was bought by Delfont Mackintosh, opening with flop Ducktastic! (2005). Following productions featured Harold Pinter's Celebration (2005), A Christmas Carol (2005), starring Patrick Stewart and Blackbird (2006). In 2006, award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q transferred to the theatre, playing for three years before transferring to the Gielgud Theatre.

Following the departure of Avenue Q, the theatre hosted Calendar Girls (2009-2010), Enron (2010), Deathtrap (2010-2011), starring Simon Russell Beale, Million Dollar Quartet (2011-2012), Noel Coward's Hay Fever (2012), starring Olivia Colman, Gatz (2012), the RSC's Julius Caesar (2012), Much Ado About Nothing (2012), starring Meera Syal and a Russian-language Uncle Vanya (2012).

Director Michael Grandage brought his multi-award winning season to the Noel Coward Theatre, featuring stellar productions including Privates on Parade (2012-2013), starring Simon Russell Beale, Peter and Alice (2013), starring Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw, Martin McDonagh's The Cripple of Inishmaan (2013), starring Daniel Radcliffe, A Midsummer Night's Dream (2013), starring Sheridan Smith and David Walliams and Shakespeare's Henry V (2013-2014), starring Jude Law.

After this hugely acclaimed season, popular musical The Full Monty (2014) sashayed into the venue, followed by Imelda Staunton in Good People (2014) and a year-long run of Tom Stoppard's Shakespeare in Love (2014-2015), an RSC transfer of Death of a Salesman (2015), starring Anthony Sher, and magic show Impossible (2015), which wowed audiences with its mind-blowing tricks.

Michael Grandage returned to the venue in 2015 with Anna Ziegler's Photograph 51, starring Nicole Kidman. Kidman went on to win multiple awards for her role as Rosalind Franklin, who helped to discover the double helix in DNA. Awards included the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress, the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actress in a Play and the play earned the WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play.

Productions since have included Dickens' A Christmas Carol (2015-2016), starring Jim Broadbent, new British musical Mrs Henderson Presents (2016), starring Tracie Bennett, Emma Williams and Ian Bartholomew and the return of magic show Impossible (2016). The year rounds off with a Chichester Festival Theatre transfer of Cameron Mackintosh's critically-acclaimed revival of Half a Sixpence, starring newcomer Charlie Stemp.

After announcing closure in October 2017, Half a Sixpence was replaced by James Graham's latest political comedy Labour of Love, starring Martin Freeman and Sarah Lancashire.

2018 opened with a transfer production of the Old Vic's critically acclaimed Bob Dylan musical Girl From the North Country, followed by another transfer of Chichester Festival Theatre's Quiz, by James Graham. The Michael Grandage Company also bring a new season to the stage in 2018, with the Noel Coward Theatre hosting Aidan Turner in Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore. The Young Vic's popular two-parter The Inheritance arrived at the theatre at the end of 2018.

2019 saw film All About Eve adapted into a play directed by Ivo Van Hove and starring Gillian Anderson and Lily James. A rare revival of Tennessee Williams play The Night of the Iguana played from July 6th, starring Clive Owen and Lia Williams. In the autumn, highly-anticipated Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen arrived at the theatre, starring newcomer Sam Tutty.

The theatre closed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and remained closed until July 2021. The theatre reopened with performances of comedy show The Comeback. Popstar Lily Allen made her West End debut in the premiere of spooky new play 2:22 A Ghost Story.

Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen returned to the theatre in October 2021, and closed in October 2022. It was succeeded by a West End transfer of the acclaimed play Best of Enemies, starring Zachary Quinto and David Harewood. In 2023, the theatre hosted The Great British Bake Off Musical, followed by Patriots starring Tom Hollander. In the second half of the year, the theatre welcomed Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane, followed by The Motive and the Cue starring Johnny Flynn and Mark Gatiss.

In 2024, Ian McKellen is back on stage as Falstaff in Robert Icke's Player Kings, based on Shakespeare's Henry IV.

Past Shows

The Motive and the Cue
The Motive and the Cue
(closed 23 Mar 2024)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
(closed 25 Nov 2023)
Patriots
Patriots
(closed 19 Aug 2023)

 
The Great British Bake Off Musical
The Great British Bake Off Musical
(closed 13 May 2023)
Best of Enemies
Best of Enemies
(closed 18 Feb 2023)
Dear Evan Hansen
Dear Evan Hansen
(closed 22 Oct 2022)

 
2:22 A Ghost Story
2:22 A Ghost Story
(closed 16 Oct 2021)
The Comeback
The Comeback
(closed 25 Jul 2021)
The Comeback
The Comeback
(closed 3 Jan 2021)

 
All About Eve
All About Eve
(closed 11 May 2019)
The Inheritance Part 1
The Inheritance Part 1
(closed 19 Jan 2019)
The Inheritance Part 2
The Inheritance Part 2
(closed 19 Jan 2019)