The Gillian Lynne Theatre has two seating levels: Stalls and Circle. With over 1,100 seats, it’s one of the bigger houses in the West End.
The Stalls are steeply raked with no pillars, which means great sightlines throughout the whole level. It’s the larger of the two tiers and gives you a close, immersive view of the stage.
The Circle is narrow and curved, giving an elevated perspective over the whole stage. It’s a great option if you prefer a slightly more distant, overview-style view of the action.
The Gillian Lynne Theatre sits on Drury Lane, in the Covent Garden/Holborn area of London. The nearest tube stations are Covent Garden and Holborn, both an easy walk away.
This theatre opened as the New London Theatre on 2nd January 1973, designed by Paul Tvrtkovic with scenic designer Sean Kenny. It’s most famous for being the birthplace of Cats, which premiered here on 11th May 1981 and ran for 21 years, becoming the longest-running musical in West End history at the time.
The venue also hosted War Horse from 2009 to 2016 and School of Rock from 2016 to 2020. In 2018, it was renamed the Gillian Lynne Theatre in honour of the choreographer and director Gillian Lynne, who choreographed Cats and Phantom of the Opera among many others. It’s owned by LW Theatres, part of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group, who have owned the venue since 1991.
The Gillian Lynne Theatre has a capacity of 1,118 across its two levels: Stalls and Circle.
The Gillian Lynne Theatre is owned by LW Theatres, part of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group.
It opened as the New London Theatre on 2nd January 1973, and was renamed the Gillian Lynne Theatre in 2018.
Gillian Lynne was a British choreographer and director best known for choreographing Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. The theatre was renamed in her honour in 2018.
My Neighbour Totoro is currently playing, booking through to its final performance on 3rd January 2027.
It’s worth contacting the box office or checking LW Theatres’ access page ahead of your visit to check accessibility and arrange the right seating.
Worth flagging if you’re prone to vertigo: the Circle is reached via an escalator up to a mezzanine and then a further 65 steps, with no lift for that last stretch, and once you’re in, there are 3 steps between each row. It’s one of the steeper, more stair-heavy circles in the West End, so the Stalls – reached by a level, accessible lift from Parker Mews – are by far the more comfortable choice if heights aren’t for you. Staff can advise on the easiest route if you do want a Circle seat.
Covent Garden and Holborn are both close by and an easy walk from the theatre.
Cats had its world premiere here on 11th May 1981, back when the venue was known as the New London Theatre.
You can book tickets for My Neighbour Totoro directly through LW Theatres’ official website. I’d always recommend booking through the theatre’s own site or a trusted official retailer to avoid inflated resale prices.
