1. The Grand, Lancaster
The third-oldest theatre in England, Lancaster’s Grade II-listed Grand, has been in continuous use since 1782, though the current interior dates to 1908, when it was rebuilt in Edwardian style following a fire.
Now owned by Lancaster Footlights – an amateur drama group that’s been running since the 1920s – the theatre hosts a year-round programme of plays, musicals, dance performances and concerts, as well as three Christmas pantos.
Monthly tours offer architecture-focused visitors the chance to revel in the theatre’s elegant horseshoe balcony, ornately plastered proscenium, and plush red velvet seating.
2. Theatre Royal, London
Nicknamed The Lane, after its Drury Lane location, this London marvel is one of nine Grade I-listed playhouses in the UK.
Though the current building dates from 1812, its site has played host to a theatre since 1663, giving it claim to the title of London’s oldest theatre; highlights of its 360-year history include Nell Gwyn’s appearances on stage, the first public performance of the National Anthem, and a string of lavish Ivor Novello spectacles in the 1930s.
Now owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber, its Greek Revival entrance hall, imperial staircases, columned saloon and balconied auditorium were restored to glory in 2021.
3. Bristol Old Vic
The oldest continuously operating theatre in the English-speaking world, Bristol’s iconic playhouse first opened in 1766.
A bold reimagining of the site in 2019 saw a large contemporary foyer added and the Grade I-listed Coopers’ Hall building brought into use as a multi-events space.
Beyond its renowned theatre company, the Georgian auditorium at the Old Vic’s heart remains the star attraction, with its gilded filigree details and working ‘thunder run’ (one of only three in the country, this is a sloping wooden trough above the stage, along which iron balls were rolled to create peals of thunder above the audience’s heads).
4. Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds
Formerly the New Theatre, this Bury St Edmunds auditorium is a restored Regency treasure.
Dating back to 1819, it was designed by the National Gallery architect William Wilkins, who not only had an eye for aesthetically pleasing spaces, but also first-hand knowledge of theatre; the son of a theatre manager, he himself ran the Norwich Theatre Circuit, employing a small troupe of players in East Anglia.
Owned by Greene King brewery, the building is now long-leased by the National Trust, which oversaw a significant restoration in 2007. Regular tours of the building can be booked, as well as theatre, music, comedy and more.
5. Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, North Yorkshire
The most complete – and surely the daintiest – Georgian theatre in Britain, this exquisitely painted playhouse in Richmond, North Yorkshire, has a thriving youth theatre arm and event programme, as well as hosting regular performances.
Built in 1788 by actor-manager Samuel Butler, its dolls’-house dimensions and period charm make it popular with tourists as well as theatre-goers, with tours and an on-site museum bringing the workings of a Georgian theatre to life.
One of the highlights of its collection is The Woodland Scene; painted around 1820, it is thought to be the oldest surviving stage scenery in the world.
6. King's Theatre, Glasgow
Built in 1904 as a sister site to the city’s Theatre Royal (now home to Scottish Opera), Glasgow’s King’s Theatre was one of the crowning glories of theatre company Howard & Wyndham, which specialised in high-brow drama, opera, musicals and revues, rather than variety or music-hall acts.
Now hosting touring productions as well as home-grown shows, the theatre’s Christmas pantos have become an annual ritual for many.
Behind its elegant red sandstone exterior is a barrel-vaulted marble foyer and, beyond it, an auditorium so lavishly embellished that Billy Connolly once described it as like performing inside a wedding cake.
