Gillian Lynne Theatre, London
The Gillian Lynne Theatre is at 166 Drury Lane, WC2B 5PW, although the door you walk in through is on Parker Street. My Neighbour Totoro is playing here until 3 January 2027. The theatre has two levels, the Stalls and the Circle.
The theatre sits inside a 1970s block of shops, flats and a car park, and the auditorium is three storeys up. Lifts take you to the Stalls. There is no lift to the Circle, which is 114 steps from the ground floor.
The best seats are in the middle of Stalls rows D to M, which is where the premium money goes. If you're buying for a child, book the centre of Circle rows C and D instead. The back of the Stalls is cheaper only because it's further away: the Circle overhang here takes nothing off the stage.
Below: the seating plan, what to book in the Stalls and the Circle, how to get here and which door to use, access, where to eat, drink and stay, and more about the building, which was the New London Theatre until 2018 and where Cats ran for 21 years.
Quick facts
- Address: 166 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5PW
- Entrance: Parker Street, not Drury Lane
- Nearest tube: Holborn and Covent Garden, about five minutes each
- Capacity: around 1,300
- Levels: Stalls and Circle
- Lifts: to the Stalls. The Circle is stairs only, 114 steps from the ground floor
- Parking: a car park directly beneath the theatre, entered from Parker Mews
- Arrive: 15 to 20 minutes before, no later
- Former name: New London Theatre, 1973 to 2018
Currently at the Gillian Lynne Theatre
My Neighbour Totoro is the show playing here now.
It's the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage version of the Studio Ghibli film, a play with music rather than a musical, told through large-scale puppetry with Joe Hisaishi's score from the film played live on stage. It won six Olivier Awards. It runs about 2 hours 30 minutes including a 20-minute interval, and it's recommended for ages 6 and over. The last performance is at 2pm on Sunday 3 January 2027.
The week runs Tuesday to Saturday at 7pm, with matinees at 2pm on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. There's no Monday performance. Children under 4 are not admitted, anyone under 16 has to be with an adult who sits with them, and everyone needs their own ticket, including a baby on a lap.
Tickets start from around £20, most seats are £45 to £120, and premium seats start from £140. Every ticket includes the theatre's £1.70 restoration levy, and with us it's all-in pricing: the price you see is what you pay.
The production uses pyrotechnics, smoke and haze and very large puppets, there are some loud noises, and some scenes are set in a hospital with a sick parent.
Coming up
The Traitors: Acts of Betrayal plays here from 11 May to 31 July 2027, with Nick Mohammed as the Host. It is a scripted production rather than an interactive one, and the format is unusual: a different play on each weekday from Monday to Friday, and on Saturdays the audience vote decides which of them is staged. Each performance on the booking calendar carries a coloured shield, and the colour tells you which play you are booking. Tickets start at £25 and the running time has not been published yet. Recommended for ages 8 and over.
Book Gillian Lynne Theatre tickets
All-in pricing, the price you see is what you pay.
Gillian Lynne Theatre FAQs
What was the Gillian Lynne Theatre called before?
The New London Theatre, from January 1973 until 1 May 2018, when it took the name of the choreographer Dame Gillian Lynne. No West End theatre before it had been named after a woman who was not a queen. It is the same building at the same address, so a ticket booked under either name is for this theatre. Cats and War Horse both played here as the New London.
Can I take a bag into the Gillian Lynne Theatre?
Take a small one. LW Theatres runs enhanced security searches across its theatres, so your bag will be searched on the way in, occasionally with a wand, an arch or a detection dog, and large bags are discouraged rather than banned. A bag that fits under your seat causes nobody any trouble. If you are arriving with more than that, the cloakroom takes clothing at £3 and bags and suitcases at £5. Searches are the main reason we suggest arriving 20 to 30 minutes before the performance.
Is there a dress code at the Gillian Lynne Theatre?
No. Come as you are: the operator is clear that casual is fine. Wear what you will be comfortable sitting in for two and a half hours.
Can I buy tickets at the Box Office on the day?
Yes. The Box Office sells in person from midday on performance days. Totoro sells well, so the choice on the day is whatever is left rather than whatever you want, and booking with us in advance gets you the seat rather than the leftovers. Our pricing is all-in, so the price you see is what you pay.
Do you take group bookings?
Yes. Call us on 020 7193 9050 with your date and how many of you there are and we will find seats together. Say which level you want when you call. The Stalls and the Circle here are a different night out from each other.