Lyric Hammersmith London
About the Lyric Hammersmith
The Lyric Hammersmith first opened in 1895, designed by prolific theatre architect Frank Matcham as an intimate opera house. Originally built on another site, the Lyric Theatre was threatened with demolition in 1966 to make way for a new shopping complex. After public outcry, it was decided that the theatre would be dismantled and rebuilt on its current site, along with a new contemporary black-box studio.
In 1979 the new venue was opened by the Queen. In 2004, the theatre underwent major renovations at the hands of architect Rick Mather, creating a new ticket booth, café and rehearsal spaces. The Lyric Hammersmith has since been expanded in 2012 and 2015, with new rooms added, including the multi-facilitated Reuben Foundation Wing. Currently the main auditorium has a capacity of 550.
One of the UK’s leading producing theatres, the Lyric Hammersmith welcomes audiences in their thousands throughout the year. Hosting work by playwrights such as Harold Pinter, John Gielgud and Simon Stephens, the theatre is best-known for creating smash-hit productions that regularly transfer to the West End. Notable productions include Bugsy Malone, Shopping and F***ing, Ghost Stories and the Olivier Award-winning Blasted.