While Stratford-upon-Avon is the home of the RSC, we have taken our plays to many London theatres over the years.
Aldwych Theatre
This was our first London base, under the directorship of Peter Hall. The original plan was to stay there for three years, but the partnership lasted over 20. Most of the Shakespeare productions from Stratford's Shakespeare Memorial Theatre transferred to the Aldwych, as well as other notable shows, including Ondine (1961) and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1980).
Barbican
The RSC and the London Symphony Orchestra were both involved in the planning of the Barbican in the 1960s. The centre opened in 1982 with Trevor Nunn's Henry IV Parts I and II and was our main London hub into the 2000s. Our productions still regularly transfer to the Barbican theatre after playing in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Find out more about the RSC at the Barbican.
Warehouse
We acquired the Warehouse (now the Donmar Warehouse) in Covent Garden from Donmar Productions in 1977, quickly converting it and preparing it ready for performance with just minutes to go before the opening of Schweik in the Second World War.
The Warehouse went on to hold original productions as well as transfers from The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon. Notable shows include Educating Rita (1980) with Julie Walters and Trevor Nunn's Macbeth (1977), starring Judi Dench and Ian McKellen as the central couple. In this performance, the actors all sat in a large circle around the stage, watching the action, only coming into character when they crossed into the circle.
Almeida Theatre
In the 1980s, the Almeida hosted several of our non-Shakespeare productions, particularly as part of the Not the RSC Festivals. A small theatre, with a capacity of just 325, our shows included high profile actors including Gary Oldman (Abel and Cain, 1985; The Dumb Waiter, 1986), Antony Sher (Astonish Me, 1985; Hello and Goodbye, 1988) and Niamh Cusack (The Soldier's Tale, 1986).
Cambridge Theatre
The West End home of Matilda The Musical. Our award-winning musical moved to the West End theatre after a short run in Stratford-upon-Avon's Courtyard Theatre (later remodelled to become The Other Place) in 2011 and has been playing to packed houses ever since. In April 2017, Matilda became the longest running production in the Cambridge Theatre's history.
The show has now travelled around the world, including a foreign language production in South Korea, and has been seen by more than 9 million people worldwide.
Other venues
We have taken productions to other theatres in the West End and beyond, including the Young Vic, Albery Theatre, Gate Theatre, Novello Theatre, The Roundhouse and many more. Recent London productions have included the revival of Don Quixote at the Garrick Theatre, featuring David Threlfall and Rufus Hound, and Paapa Essiedu reprising his role as Hamlet at Hackney Empire.
