The Duke of York’s Theatre opened its doors on 10 September 1892, under the married ownership of Frank Wyatt and Violet Melnotte. The couple were both successful performers and playwrights of the time, and Violet held ownership of the venue until her death in 1935.

Originally called the Trafalgar Square Theatre, the name underwent two alterations; firstly shortening to The Trafalgar Theatre in 1894, and then finally to the Duke of York’s Theatre the following year to honour the future King George V.

The venue saw the early success of Go-Bang, hailed as being one of the earliest musical comedies, and also hosted Jerome K Jerome’s, Miss Hobbs. The theatre was also the site of one of the most influential moments in opera when Puccini attended a performance of David Belasco’s Madame Butterfly, who transformed the show into what is regarded as one of the most famous operas of all time. The opera was ultimately performed at the Duke of York’s in 1932 by the Carl Rosa Opera Company.

The acclaimed history of the theatre has extended into more recent years. Following a refurbishment in 1979, under the new ownership of Capital Radio, the theatre re-opened in February 1980 with a production of Rose, starring Glenda Jackson. Other renowned successes include Al Pacino’s award-winning performance in David Mamet’s American Buffalo; the comedy Stepping Out, directed by Julia Mackenzie and starring Richard Harris; and Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine.

The Ambassador Theatre Group bought the theatre in 1992 which coincided with The Royal Court’s acclaimed production of Death And The Maiden by Ariel Dorfman. A host of successes followed including the 21st anniversary performance of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show and a well-attended Royal Court Classics Season in 1995.