Peacock Theatre

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The Peacock Theatre is located on Portugal Street in London’s West End. It is a 999-seat theatre owned by the London School of Economics. Sometimes used for theatres, public talks, conferences, and open days, the University also has a lease with Sadler’s Wells, which brings in commercial companies to host dance performances, ballet, pop concerts, and awards ceremonies. The theatre has been around since the 17th century, formerly known as Gibbon’s Tennis Court, and later the Vere Street Theatre. It was actually the first known theatre in London to feature a woman in a performance (Othello, 1660). Buy your Peacock Theatre tickets online at StubHub today.

History of the theatre

The original theatre from the 17th century was destroyed by a fire in 1809. At the beginning of the 20th century, Oscar Hammerstein II commissioned an architect, Bertie Crewe, to build a Beaux-Arts style theatre on London’s West End. It opened on 13 November 1911 as the London Opera House with a capacity of 2,660. As an Oopera house however, the theatre struggled to compete with the Royal Opera House; and in 1914-15, it became the National Theatre of England. In 1916, a man named Oswald Stoll purchased the theatre and renamed it after himself. Until the 1950s, the Stoll Picture Theatre showcased a cine variety, including shows such as Kismet (1942), Stars on Ice (1942), Porgy and Bess (1952), and Joan of Arc (1954). The Stoll Picture Theatre closed in 1957 and was demolished for the construction of an office building.

The theatre as we know it today

When the London School of Economics bought the theatre, it became known as The Peacock Theatre. The University partnered with the Sadler's Wells theatre company, who began using it as a dance venue for the company. Notable shows at the theatre include The Rat Pack, which played in 2002, and Doldrum Bay, which premiered there in 2003. The venue is currently used by the University, which hosts events during the day, as well as the Sadler’s Wells range of productions for which you can buy Peacock Theatre tickets to. A fun fact about the theatre is that it is home to one of the West End’s most unusual ghost stories. Legend has it that during one of Paul Raymond’s shows in the 1970s, a dolphin called Flipper was kept in a tank beneath the stage where it lived forever and died of neglect. While this myth is not true, there were in fact two dolphins, ‘Pennie’ and ‘Pixie’, who were stored in a tank inside the theatre for the running of "The Royalty Folies". Both dolphins however, survived and were moved to a dolphinarium following the show. Get your Peacock Theatre tickets online at StubHub today!