Cambridge Theatre, London

Venue Address:

32-34 Earlham Street,
London,
WC2 9HU

Important Information:

The entrance to the theatre is from the Seven Dials roundabout.

Year Built:

1930

Capacity:

1249

Venue Facilities

Air conditioned
Bar
Disabled toilets
Infrared hearing loop
Toilets
Wheelchair accessible

Venue Information

A cosy comfortable theatre, yet one that at 1,200 seats can host its fair share of visitors, the Cambridge Theatre possesses a modest stage that can pull off simple musicals or intense plays.

Travel

Nearest Tube Station:

Leicester Square

Tube Lines:

Piccadilly, Northern

Directions From Tube:

(5mins) Take Cranbourn Street away from Leicester Square until St Martin’s Lane, where you head left 100 metres to a small roundabout where the theatre can be seen.

Bus Numbers:

(Shaftesbury Avenue) 14, 19, 38; (Tottenham Court Road) 24, 29, 176

Night Bus Numbers:

(Shaftesbury Avenue) 14, N5, N19, N20, N38; (Tottenham Court Road) 24, 176, N29, M41, N279

Nearest Rail Station:

Charing Cross

Nearest Car Park:

Chinatown (6mins)

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Cambridge Theatre

32-34 Earlham Street, London, WC2 9HU

History

Built amidst a flood of five other theatres being erected in 1930, the Cambridge Theatre has hosted a number of hits – and plenty of stars – throughout the years. Opening with a revue (a popular genre of satire and skits in the 1930s), it was used for concerts and travelling trade shows in its early life.

By 1950, it underwent a bold redecoration that replaced its elegant gold and silver colour scheme with red painted walls, an elaborate candelabra and sparkling chandeliers. An unpopular style choice, it was restored to its original lighting and a softer cream design when it was under new management in 1987.

In terms of productions, the Cambridge Theatre was lucky enough to have numerous stars tread its boards – Audrey Hepburn made her stage debut as a chorus girl in 1950, while Tommy Steele, Bruce Forsyth and Ingrid Bergman all made their impressions during the ‘60s. A similar star-filled run occurred in the 1980s with Joan Collins, Peter O’Toole and Lulu all taking their turns to share the spotlight.

No history of the Cambridge Theatre would be complete without its numerous successes, notably musicals – its production of Return to the Forbidden Planet won the Olivier for Best Musical in 1989. It was also the first West End theatre to stage both Chicago and Fame The Musical, oth famous for their film adaptations. And, of course, one cannot forget the 2003 production of Jerry Springer The Opera featuring adulterers dressed as babies, a war of words between Satan and Jesus, and tap-dancing Ku Klux Klan members.

Inside Track

The Cambridge Theatre has had a wacky history, reinventing itself as needed – it’s been a cinema, an opera house and a magic show venue!

The first London production of Chicago opened its doors here in 1977 – only to come back once again after moving from its Adelphi Theatre revival in 2006.

The theatre, originally adorned with gold and silver décor, was painted red in 1950, before being refurbished in 1987 back to how it looked at first.

Seat Plan

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Nearest Restaurants

Make the most of your trip on the town with a delicious meal before the show. Check out our top recommendations below. All these restaurants are just a stone’s throw away from your theatre. So you can relax before enjoying a slice of world class entertainment. Simply add your theatre tickets to your basket and select the restaurant of your choice.