The Harold Pinter Theatre is a west-end theatre located on Panton Street close to Leicester Square. The theatre first opened on 15th October 1881, as the 'Royal Comedy Theatre' and was designed by Thomas Verity and built in just 6 months in painted brick and stone. In the mid-1950s the Comedy Theatre (as it was then called) went under major reconstruction and re-opened its doors to the public in December 1955. The auditorium remains essentially unchanged as in 1881, featuring three tiers of horseshoe-shaped balconies. The theatre is currently part of the Ambassador Theatre Group and was Grade II listed by English Heritage in June 1972.
Notable historical productions at the venue include the successful operetta 'Falka' in 1883 which had its London première, and in 1885, 'Erminie' did the same. The reputation of the theatre grew throughout World War I as Charles Blake Cochran and Andre Charlot performed their famous revue shows there. many other famous actors have appeared at the venue throughout its history including Henry Daniell who gave a masterful performance as John Carlton in 'Secrets' in September 1929.
The theatre played a major role in overturning stage censorship by establishing the 'New Watergate Club' under producer Anthony Field in 1956. The Theatre Act of 1943 still required all scripts to be approved by the Lord Chamberlain's Office, however. formation of the new club allowed plays that had been previously banned due to subject matter or language to be performed under what became known as 'club' conditions. The law was eventually revoked in 1968, The name of the theatre was changed to the Harold Pinter Theatre in 2011 to honour Pinter's contribution to the Comedy Theatre.
Theatre tickets to all productions at the Harold Pinter Theatre can be purchased securely through this website.
FAQ's About Booking Tickets To The Harold Pinter Theatre
Where In The Auditorium Are The Best Value Tickets At The Harold Pinter Theatre Located?
There are four different levels in the theatre that all have their own merits whether it be in the form of low cost or perfect view. The best views of the stage are probably located in the centre of the stalls and dress circle, while the cheapest seats are unsurprisingly in the royal circle and balcony located on the third and fourth tiers respectively. When looking for value for money for tickets at the Harold Pinter Theatre it is strongly recommended to study the seating plan in detail prior to purchase as there are a number of seats on each level that feature restrictions from both overhangs from other sections and also pillars.
Should I Avoid Tickets At The Harold Pinter Theatre That Have A Restricted View?
There are seats that feature restrictions to the view of the stage in all four sections of the theatre. The front of the stalls offer a pretty much perfect view while some of the seats in the rows at the back are slightly impaired by two pillars and also the overhang from the dress circle which should always be reflected in the price. There are some seats in the dress circle on the sides of the centre section of the auditorium that are also affected by supportive pillars so it is highly recommended to study the seating plan prior to purchase to avoid these if possible. When booking tickets at the Harold Pinter in the top two tiers it is worth noting that the balcony is quite high up and perhaps not suitable for people who suffer from vertigo, and the royal circle does not have much of a rake in the seating and there are minor restrictions due to the safety rail that affect some seats in the front rows. All seats that feature any restriction to the view of the stage should always be priced accordingly so when studying the seating plan it can sometimes pay dividends to look for cut off points in the different price bands to maximise the value of your purchase as occasionally two seats either next to each other or directly behind each other can have a big difference in the ticket price yet have more or less exactly the same view.
