Theatre Royal Drury Lane: A Star Reborn

- Brand new guide to the world’s oldest theater site in continuous use

- Published to mark the reopening of the theater following the major renovation project which has restored the theater’s Georgian glory

- Tells the rich history of this great London theater and its many famous personalities and productions

- Foreword by Andrew Lloyd Webber

The world’s oldest theatre site in continuous use, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane has been at the heart of Covent Garden for more than 350 years. Audiences have flocked to the Lane to see the greatest stars of the day in spectacular productions ranging from Shakespeare to pantomime, from thrilling dramas to ground-breaking musicals. The present theater was built in 1811, after a devastating fire destroyed the previous incarnation, and the Lane has now been restored to its original Georgian glory by Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd Webber. The world-class theatrical and performance space is today an entertainment and cultural destination alive throughout the day. This souvenir guide tells the story of the Lane from its bawdy beginnings in Restoration London to its newly restored elegance, unearthing the secrets of a theater that has survived tragedy and fire, royal scandals, ghosts and even murder, while keeping audiences enthralled for centuries.

Based in York, Dr Pamela Hartshorne is a historian, project editor and author of non-fiction and fiction under a variety of pseudonyms. Andrew Lloyd Webber has composed the scores of some of the world’s most famous musicals. From Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1969) to Cinderella (2021), his work has been consistently seen on world stages. He is one of the select group of artists with ’EGOT’ status, having received Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards. Lloyd Webber owns six London theaters, including the iconic London Palladium and Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Every penny made from his theaters is ploughed back into the buildings.