The Lyric, Shaftesbury Avenue's oldest theatre was opened in 1888, just two years after the street itself was completed. An indistinct red brick building, it lacks the grandeur of the neighbouring Gielgud and Apollo, but has a charm and unassuming beauty that are all its own. The auditorium is also unconventional, with u-shaped balconies offering fine unrestricted views and bringing the audience closer to the action than in many large theatres. Though designed as a home for comic opera, the Lyric's major successes have been with serious drama. The Kenneth Branagh/Emma Thompson partnership had one of its first major successes in 1989 with Osborne's Look Back in Anger. Alan Bennett's Habeas Corpus premiered here, starring Alec Guinness and with Bennett in drag as Mrs Swabb, the cleaning lady. Other successes include the premier of Alan Ayckbourn's How the Other Half Loves (1973) and high-energy musical Five Guys Named Moe.
What's on at
Lyric Shaftesbury Avenue
Thriller - Live 2nd January 2009 - 3rd January 2010 Michael Jackson's untimely death may have propelled this musical into...
Thriller - Live
Lyric Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7ES
Until 3rd January 2010
Michael Jackson's untimely death may have propelled this musical into orbit; Thriller - Live became a... More
Discover the newly refurbished Shaftesbury Hotel in the heart of London's Theatreland. Each of the 62 fully air-conditioned bedrooms boasts luxury fittings, state of the ...More
The main attraction of this traditional Victorian hotel is that it has many of London's famous landmarks, including Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, within minutes’ ... More
There can't be many bedraggled Irish stand-ups who have been named "the greatest comedian, living or dead" by French newspaper Le Monde so Dylan Moran, ...More
Soho, the set of streets and alleyways between Oxford Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Charing Cross Road and Regent Street is one of the most cosmopolitan parts ... More
As music and video giants go, Virgin's Megastore in Piccadilly (formerly Tower Records) is perhaps the most accommodating and rewarding choice. The gigantic store ... More
There was much excitement among the critics when this Italian restaurant opened at the beginning of 2009. Giles Coren writing in the Times gave it ... More
English [Out There!] takes a very hands-on approach to learning English. The course places an emphasis on using what you have learned. Students are taken ... More
Thai food is the cuisine of the moment - green curries, red curries, satays, are everywhere. To the uninitiated,it's very difficult to recreate at home. ... More
In the shadow of both Centrepoint and St Giles-in-the-Fields Church, hidden from most tourists and residents alike, lies this beautiful West End garden. Originally a ... More
If you're not up for the hectic atmosphere of Waxy O'Connors it might be worth slipping across the street to her infinitely more tranquil Little ... More
This
was once a sleazy Soho strip club, as the name suggests, and it really
shows. Deep reds are the dominant colour, with mirrors, booths and
velvet curtains ... More
A favourite with young royals - Princes Harry and William, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been spotted here... all at the same time. And where ... More
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Michael Jackson's untimely death may have propelled this musical into orbit; Thriller - Live became a tribute show overnight with the obvious decision that the ... More
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The Lyric, Shaftesbury Avenue's oldest theatre was opened in 1888, just two years after the street itself was completed. An indistinct red brick building, it lacks the grandeur of the neighbouring 
![English [Out There!]](/lycos/assets/MN089802_85x142.jpg "English [Out There!]")
