Theatre Royal Drury Lane Tour

 

The Times Saturday Review ran a two page spread in April about the £60 Million refurbishment of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, so when I found that LWTheatres were running tours from September, I was first in the queue. Then the Daily Mail included these great pictures of the refurbishment in progress.

The tour is not cheap at £18.50. I arrived early for the 12.00 pm start and took some photos of the exterior. Everything is in pristine condition.

Below is the Augustus Harris Memorial Fountain that was unveiled in 1897. (Thanks to Arthur Lloyd co.uk).  

There were about a dozen of us on the tour that was conducted by two "actors"? whose interaction made for some good fun. We gathered in the Rotunda that is a copy of the Pantheon in Rome.

At floor level foyer are three statues with William Shakespeare taking pride of place. Lloyd Webber wants a Shakespeare season here when Frozen - The Musical closes. I didn't know he was a fan of the Bard,

Most of the tour took place in the public areas, the most interesting place was the Grand Salon that sits opposite the entrance to the Royal Circle, where else.

We were up and down the main staircase with their various artworks.

However, we never saw backstage, and were rushed through the back of the Grand (Upper) Circle to view the auditorium as some rehearsals were taking place on the stage. But even at this high level, the views would be fine.

I had to rely on photos from The Mail to get the best impression of the auditorium.

The tour presentation actually concentrated on the history of the theatre (what else did I expect?) and hardly anything on the refurbishment. Here I again relied on The Times and the Mail. The original marble floors have been restored and there is a 60 feet basement under the stage where scenery can rise if needed. 

But I did see the mahogany kiosks in the foyer. The wood came from Barbados from trees blown down in a hurricane. 

So whilst I would have liked to see backstage, and spent time in the auditorium, this will have to wait until I go to a performance. That is something to look forward to. 

There was time for a walk around a quiet Covent Garden and a toastie and cappuccino in Cafe Nero. Then it was off to Kings Cross and Coal Drops Yard.