Harold Pinter Theatre
Named to honour Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter, the Harold Pinter Theatre was once called the Comedy Theatre. The theatre was first opened in 1881 with the comic opera The Mascotte. It later hosted operettas and minor comedies, including the debuts of Falka (1883) and Erminie (1885)...
It’s located on Panton Street and is one of the most architecturally gorgeous of the 38 West End Theatres. The off white stucco and brick building lends an old-world charm to the entire neighbourhood. Even if you aren’t a fan of theatre per se, you must visit Harold Pinter just to soak in its stunning look.
But before you go, be prepared with tickets! Book them below by clicking on that “Book Now” button.
An Interesting History!
Raffles (1906) and Peg O’ Heart of Mine (1907) were two fantastic pre-war productions staged at the Harold Pinter. And during WW-I, the venue began to make a name for itself in the West End, featuring revue shows by Charles Blake Cochran and Andre Charlot.
The Comedy Theatre was also instrumental in reversing theatre censorship, staging premieres of Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge and Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Best Seats in the House
Kirk and Randall of Woolwich were the architects of the Harold Pinter Theatre. There were 1,186 seats in the original seating capacity, including 140 stalls, 120 dress circle seats, 126 upper boxes, amphitheatre 100, pit 400, and gallery 300.
The Stall is a single block of seats with good sightlines. Meanwhile, the Dress Circle doesn’t have the best raking in the seating. Luckily, the Royal Circle’s overhang has little effect on the view.
Harold Pinter’s seats with the best view take no time to sell, no matter which show is playing. So hurry if you want to book your tickets!
Shows That Leave You Mesmerized
The Homecoming (1991), The Caretaker (1992), Moonlight (1995), and The Hothouse (1995) were among the Harold Pinter plays performed at the theatre during the 1990s.
Soon after, the Comedy Theatre began to host a variety of productions, including Steptoe and Son in Murder at Oil Drum Lane (2006), David Bedella’s The Rocky Horror Show (2007), Dickens Unplugged (2008), and Sunset Boulevard (2008-2009).
Productions that have graced the Harold Pinter stage with limited-run shows are Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Hamlet starring Andrew Scott, Oslo, and Betrayal, to name a few.
To catch more such breathtaking plays and shows at the Harold Pinter, scroll down below, see the show timings, and book your tickets immediately!
