About the Fortune Theatre

Built in 1924, the Fortune was the first theatre to go up in London after the First World War, on a cramped site between Russell Street and Crown Court. It's Grade II listed and run by ATG. The size is a consequence of the plot rather than a decision.

The Woman in Black

The run that defined it was The Woman in Black, which opened in 1989 and played on until 4 March 2023: 33 years and over 13,000 performances, second only to one play in West End history. Two actors, an almost empty stage, and a theatre small enough to make an audience nervous. A great many people saw their first play here having been taken on a school trip.

Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat took over on 29 March 2023, three weeks after the ghost left. It had come from the New Diorama with five performers, and it has since won the Olivier for Best New Musical and a Tony in New York. It opened here charging the same price for every seat in the building; price bands came in later.

Other venues of similar size

• Ambassadors Theatre, 410 seats on West Street, over two levels
• Duchess Theatre, 505 seats on Catherine Street, a couple of minutes away, over two levels
• St Martin's Theatre, 564 seats on West Street, with the same three levels: Stalls, Dress Circle and Upper Circle