Sondheim Theatre
51 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 6BA
Sondheim Theatre Tickets
Les Miserables
Sondheim Theatre
4.9 3408 reviews 4.9 3408 reviews Tickets from £30.00Les Misérables has retained its crown as the longest-running musical in the West End for nearly 40 years. Over 130 million people worldwide have been captivated by this timeless tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption. This is a must-see on your plans when you visit London.
- Booking until: Saturday, 2 October 2027
- Running time: 2hr 50min. Incl. 15min interval.
- Playing at: Sondheim Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 2 October 2027
Sondheim Theatre Facilities
- Air cooled
- Bar
- Disabled toilets
- Infrared hearing loop
- Member of Q-Park scheme
- Toilets
- Wheelchair/scooter access
Sondheim Theatre Access Tickets
Disabled theatregoers and their carers can get discount tickets. Please phone the Sondheim Theatre access line on 0344 482 5137.
Sondheim Theatre Location
Travel Information
Nearest Tube station
- Piccadilly Circus
- Leicester Square
Nearest Rail Station
- Charing Cross
Tube lines
- Bakerloo
- Piccadilly
- Northern
Day buses
- (Shaftesbury Avenue) 12, 14, 19, 38; (Regent Street) 6, 13, 15, 23, 88, 94, 139, 159, 453
Night buses
- (Shaftesbury Avenue) 14, N19, N38; (Regent Street) 6, 12, 23, 88, 94, 139, 159, 453, N3, N13, N15, N109, N18, N136
Sondheim Theatre Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to the Sondheim Theatre?
The theatre is at 51 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6BA, on the corner of Wardour Street. Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines) is the nearest Underground station. Drivers can use Q-Park Chinatown or Q-Park Soho.
Is the Sondheim Theatre an accessible space?
Yes. Wheelchair access to the auditorium is through the fourth side door on Wardour Street, and there is wheelchair transfer seating on the aisle of Row D in the Dress Circle. Two types of hearing enhancement are available, and service animals are welcome.
What time should I arrive at the Sondheim Theatre?
Half an hour before the start. The entrance is on a corner where Shaftesbury Avenue meets Wardour Street and the pavement narrows, so the queue moves onto the side street quickly. That half hour also covers the bag check and the merchandise stand.
Is there a dress code at the Sondheim Theatre?
No, there is no formal dress code. Wear what you are comfortable in — the running time here is on the long side, so comfort earns its keep. The auditorium is ventilated with fresh air rather than air conditioned, and the Grand Circle sits well above the stalls, where warm air collects; if you are booked high, dress a little lighter than you would downstairs.
Which are the best seats at the Sondheim Theatre?
The house rewards a wide view, so central seats are worth the premium: rows C to J in the middle of the Stalls, or rows A to D in the middle of the Dress Circle. For a raised, panoramic angle — useful for big ensemble staging — try rows AA to C of the Grand Circle.
Is there a cloakroom at the Sondheim Theatre, and does it cost anything?
Yes, and it is a charged service — a fee per item, for coats and bags left during the performance. Space is finite, so it is worth using on the way in rather than at the interval.
Sondheim Theatre history
From the outside
The massive curved Sondheim Theatre presents a stern face to the world but inside it’s intricately decorated at the seating levels and has a beautiful ceiling, created in typical Edwardian Renaissance style.
Sondheim Theatre architecture and history
Designed by one of the era’s most prolific theatre architects, W R G Sprague, his seventh theatre, the Sondheim Theatre opened its doors in late 1907 as the Queen's Theatre ten months after its twin, now known as the Gielgud Theatre. Named after Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward Seventh, inside it featured a visual feast of green, white and gold, and soon became known as one of the cosiest and most welcoming theatres of its time. The theatre was renamed The Sondheim Theatre in 2019.
The theatre's first show, a comedy called Sugar Bowl, only lasted for 36 performances and the shows that followed suffered equally bad luck. In 1909 Henry Brodribb Irving, Henry Irving's eldest son, and his wife took over the lease and hosted a number of the plays his father made famous, including Shakespeare’s Hamlet and The Bells.
In 1913 the building put on Queens Theatre Tango Teas, removing the seating in the stalls and serving afternoon tea to dancers. In 1914 the Queen’s Theatre’s luck changed with the hit play Potash and Perlmutter, by Montague Glass, running for 600 or so performances. In 1919 Owen Nares brought even better fortune, starring in The House of Peril, The Cinderella Man and Mr Todd's Experiment between then and 1921.
The Gielgud season in 1937-38 included Richard II, The Merchant of Venice, The School for Scandal and Three Sisters, all with stellar casts including household names like Michael Redgrave, Alec Guinness, Peggy Ashcroft and Rachel Kempson. The season was such a huge success that it’s thought to have laid the foundations for the post-war Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre.
In September 1940 a direct hit by a bomb left the building’s magnificent dome, staircase and foyer virtually destroyed, and it stayed closed for almost two decades until its reconstruction and rebirth in the late ‘50s. The foyers, bars and exterior were modernised and soon hosted the first ever Youth Theatre performance, Hamlet.
In 1999 Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Limited bought the freehold.
Ghosts at the Sondheim Theatre
The Queen’s Theatre is the home to a very strange ghost indeed who, while never seen, is known to enjoy pinching male cast members’ backsides!
Past shows at the Sondheim Theatre
Recent productions at the Sondheim Theatre include The Lady in the Van with Maggie Smith, Medea with Fiona Shaw, and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s productions of The Taming of the Shrew and The Tamer Tamed. In April 2004 Cameron Mackintosh's huge musical hit Les Miserables transferred to the Sondheim from its original home at the Palace Theatre.
Sondheim Theatre access
Wheelchair users can transfer to a special seat in row D, and the theatre’s staff are happy to store your chair safely during the performance.
Sondheim Theatre tickets
We’re your premier destination for a wide variety of seat types and prices, with excellent availability on the full range of Sondheim Theatre tickets.