About the Barbican Theatre
The Barbican Theatre opened in 1982 as part of the overall Barbican Centre complex, the largest performing arts centre in Europe. The Barbican Theatre carries the same brutalist architectural style of the rest of the Centre, which hosts a huge range of entertainment throughout the year including classical music concerts, live musicians, theatre shows, film screenings and art exhibitions. The Theatre itself has a capacity of 1,156 and was designed by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) to host their own London productions, which are often transfers from The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s own hometown.
Many UK and international productions have been hosted by the theatre, which provides an eclectic mix of shows across each theatrical season. Some recent notable examples include the 2019 production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which transferred from Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, which broke records to become the fastest-selling event in London Theatre history.
In July 2021, after theatres had been closed for over a year due to the COVID pandemic, The Barbican Theatre reopened with a hugely successful revival of Anything Goes featuring Broadway superstar Sutton Foster.
