The Garrick Theatre opened in 1889 and was financed by renowned playwright W. S. Gilbert. The theatre is named after Shakespearean actor David Garrick – the first West End venue to be named after an actor. The building work for the theatre required deep excavation and was hampered when an Ancient Roman river was uncovered during construction threatening the entire project, however, despite the delays the theatre was completed and opened with Arthur Wing Pinero’s play The Profligate.
In its early years, the Garrick Theatre largely staged melodramas and light comedies, including works by Sydney Grundy, Seymour Hicks and W. S. Gilbert. More recently the theatre has housed several major revivals of musicals and plays, such as Chicago, Rock of Ages and the acclaimed National Theatre adaptation of An Inspector Calls. In 1982 the play No Sex Please, We’re British played at the Garrick for four years, before transferring to the nearby Duchess Theatre. The play remains the longest-running comedy in West End history, playing over 6,700 performances.
In 2000 the Garrick Theatre was acquired by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group but was sold five years later to Nimax Theatres, who still own the venue today.
