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At the moment, we’re concentrating on UK venues
London Coliseum during charity song cycle (photo by Richard Hubert Smith)
Which UK venue has the deepest stage?
- London Coliseum: 28.04m
- Theatre Royal Drury Lane: 24.4m
- Royal Opera House: 24m
- Birmingham Hippodrome: 20.73m
- Blackpool Opera House: 18.288m
- Bristol Hippodrome: 18.28m
- Theatr Clwyd, Mold: 15.57m (from back wall to front of forestage)
- London Palladium: 14.33m
- Barbican Theatre London: 13.5m (maximum)
- Edinburgh Playhouse: c.13m
- Adelphi Theatre, London: 12.3m
- Lyric Theatre, The Lowry, Salford: 10.2m
- Exeter Northcott: 9.62m (from back wall to upstage edge of orchestra lift)
- Apollo Victoria: 7.32m
Blackpool Opera House
Which UK venue has the most seats?
- Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith: 3311 or 3655 seats on 2 tiers (to be confirmed)
- Edinburgh Playhouse: 3059 seats
- Blackpool Opera House: 2813 seats on 3 tiers
- Mayflower Theatre, Southampton: 2703 seats
- Globe Theatre, Stockton on Tees: 2429 seats
- London Coliseum: 2358 seats on 4 tiers (largest theatre in London)
- London Palladium: 2286 seats
- Royal Opera House, London: 2268 seats
- Theatre Royal Drury Lane: 2196 seats
- Dominion Theatre, London: 2007 seats
- Lyceum Theatre, London: 2000 seats
- Edinburgh Festival Theatre: 1915 seats
- Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff: 1850 seats
- Apollo Theatre, Oxford: 1826 seats
- Prince Edward Theatre, London: 1619 seats
- Royal Court Liverpool: 1612 seats
- Sadler’s Wells, London: 1568 seats
- Victoria Palace Theatre, London: 1550 seats
- Leeds Grand Theatre: 1550 seats
- Theatre Royal, Glasgow: 1547 seats
- Derngate Theatre, Northampton: 1500 seats
- Adelphi Theatre, London: 1486 seats
- Milton Keynes Theatre: 1400 seats
- Palace Theatre, London: 1400 seats
- Kings Theatre, Edinburgh: 1350 seats
- Theatre Royal, Norwich: 1312 seats
- Shaftesbury Theatre, London: 1305 seats
- Theatre Royal, Newcastle On Tyne: 1294 seats
- Cambridge Theatre, London: 1283 seats
- Glyndebourne Festival Theatre, Lewes: 1242 seats
- Piccadilly Theatre, London: 1232 seats
- Her Majestys Theatre, London: 1210 seats
- Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury: 1200 seats
- New Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury: 1196 seats (Main Space)
- Theatre Royal, Nottingham: 1186 seats
- Barbican Theatre: 1150 seats on 4 tiers
How about the fewest seats?
The Arts Theatre is the smallest commercial theatre in the West End of London, at around 350 seats.
The Donmar Warehouse is the smallest West End producing house in London, at 251 seats plus room for 20 standing.
The Theatre of Small Convenience in Malvern, England, UK is the worlds’ smallest commercial theatre, with up to 12 seats. It is a converted public convenience.
There’s a list of London’s Smallest Theatres here.
Which UK venue has the widest proscenium opening?
- Barbican Theatre: 16.5m (maximum)
- Exeter Northcott: 15.63m (with no false proscenium masking), 12.23m with standard false proscenium.
- London Coliseum: 15.24m wide
- Edinburgh Playhouse: 14.98m
- Liverpool Empire: 14.63m
- Lyric Theatre, The Lowry, Salford: 14.5m
- Bristol Hippodrome: 14.36m adjustable
- London Palladium: 14.33m
- Apollo Victoria: 14.02m
- Blackpool Opera House: 13.72m
- Theatre Royal Drury Lane: 12.8m
- Birmingham Hippodrome: 12.79m
- Royal Opera House: 12.2m wide
- Theatr Clwyd, Mold: 10.65m
- Adelphi Theatre, London: 10.5m
Smallest Proscenium Theatre
How about the tallest? (Height from stage to grid)
- Royal Opera House: 37m
- Barbican Theatre London: 33.5m
- Birmingham Hippodrome: 21.95m
- London Coliseum: 21.33m
- Apollo Victoria: 21.64m
- Theatre Royal Drury Lane: 21.3m
- Bristol Hippodrome: 20.12m
- Theatr Clwyd, Mold: 18.48m
- Adelphi Theatre, London: 18.03m
- London Palladium: 16.76m
- Exeter Northcott: 14.63m
Where is the oldest stage machinery still in operation?
Drottningholm Court Theatre, Sweden (1766)
Which has the most trapdoors?
Revolving stages
- London Coliseum – first in Britain. Installed in 1904, and composed of three concentric rings which could move in either direction. Cost £70,000.
The largest stage lift?
- Royal Opera House, London
- Radio City Music Hall, New York
The most adaptable space?
How about international venues?
Proscenium Opening:
- Gershwin Theatre, Broadway, NY, USA: 19.81m
Largest Seating Capacity
- Gershwin Theatre, Broadway, NY, USA:1933 seats
Sources: Guinness Book of Theatre Facts and Feats, 1982
Many thanks to Mark Lovell for additions, 2021
Updated April 2024