London Theatres: The Old Vic Theatre – a Historic London Theatre

There are all sorts of historic London theatres, and one of these is the Old Vic Theatre. Located in the Lambeth borough of London on the corner of Waterloo Road and The Cut, the Old Vic is historic in that it has been the host to many shows and has seen all sorts of changes throughout the years. It continues to this day to be a great venue for shows in London.

The theatre first opened in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre. It would be renamed in 1833 as the Royal Victorian Theatre after Princess Victoria, the heiress to the throne. In 1880 the theatre changed ownership and it was run under temperance laws as a theatre and coffee hall.

In 1929 the Old Vic Theatre moved to a new format of theatre through the creation of the Old Vic Company by Sir John Gielgud. However, in World War II the theatre would be badly damaged and would be closed for a few years. The theatre would not reopen until 1950. In 1963 the Old Vic Company was dissolved and the National Theatre Company would take over. Currently Old Vic Productions plc runs the productions here. However, although shows are still performed here the theatre has evolved into a production house.

In 2003 actor Kevin Spacey became the artistic directory of the Old Vic. His interests in the theatre involve working to revitalize the theatre and to attract both British and American talent to the theatre. His goal is to continue to make the Old Vic one of the historic London theatres to still check out.

To this day there are still all sorts of productions being held with all sorts of stars. For instance, in 2008 a production of David Mamet's Speed-The-Plow featuring Spacey and Jeff Goldblum has attracted acclaim from theatre fans and the press.

There are a little over a thousand seats at the Old Vic. The theatre has tickets ranging from £12 to £47.50 in cost. Tickets on the sides of the stage are also featured as the Dress Circle and Baylis Circle Benches. There are four boxes right next to the sides of the stage as well. Also, there are productions from Monday to Saturday with two shows on Saturdays. Tickets can be bought through the Old Vic website at oldvictheatre.com, by telephone at 0870 060 6628 or at the theatre's box office.

The Old Vic Theatre is one of the historic London theatres that continues to hold all sorts of great performances. This theatre is rich in history and continues to this day to host all sorts of programs and events. It is a place to certainly check out when in London.