The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visit the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

On Wednesday, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited The Theatre Royal Drury Lane to learn about the theatre’s restoration by its owner, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, and his wife, Lady Madeleine Lloyd Weber.

Upon arrival, the Prince and Duchess were greeted by Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber, who gave the royal couple a tour of the theatre. Their Royal Highnesses then met with the theatre’s creative taste consultant, Lily Jones, who is the owner of the popular Lily Vanilli Bakery near Columbia Road in East London. Their Royal Highnesses then moved onto the theatre’s terrace area for afternoon tea sitting next to a life-sized statue of the famed playwright, Nöel Coward.

The Prince and Duchess then entered the auditorium and gave the theatre’s Royal Box seats a try. It was then time for a meeting with carpenter Mark Stevens, who has restored the venue using mahogany rescued from Barbados following natural disasters in the country. Upon their exit, the Prince unveiled a plaque to commemorate the visit.

What will soon be home to Disney’s Frozen this August, the Theatre Royal Drury is the oldest theatre site in continuous use in the world. Since the 17th century, the theatre has had many royal associations, and since 1812, every reigning British monarch has attended performances in the theatre. Phantom of the Opera writer and the theatre’s current owner, Lord Weber, saw his first musical at the theatre when he was a child, My Fair Lady.

Webber, who bought the theatre in 2000, embarked on a two-year restoration project in 2019, creating a space to keep the building alive whether or not people were coming to see a show. The renovation now offers new hospitality options for guests, including afternoon tea, a stylish cocktail bar, and an all-day dining area. The performance area has also been renovated to hold a thrust stage or performances in the round bringing the audience closer together and closer to the performer.

Frozen will open for previews beginning 27 August, with an opening night set for 8 September. The show’s West End version has been postponed twice because of the pandemic, most recently, it was postponed in January 2021. The production will star Les Misérables star Samantha Barks as Elsa and Stephanie McKeon as Anna.