The Apollo Victoria Theatre is a West End theatre on Wilton Road in the Westminster district of London, across from London Victoria Station. (The theatre also has an entrance on Vauxhall Bridge Road.) Opened in 1930 as a cinema and variety theatre, the Apollo Victoria became a venue for musical theatre, beginning with The Sound of Music in 1981, and including the long-running Starlight Express, from 1984 to 2002. The theatre is now the home of the musical Wicked, which has played for eleven years at the venue as of 2017.
The theatre was built by architects Ernest Wamsley Lewis and William Edward Trent in 1929 for Provincial Cinematograph Theatres, a part of the Gaumont British chain. The theatre was built with two identical façades on Wilton and Vauxhall Bridge Roads. Construction is principally of concrete, with strong horizontal banding along the exterior sides of the auditorium. By contrast the entrances feature a cantilevered canopy, and are framed by vertical channelling, with two black marble columns rising to the roof line. The entrance is simple, making use of chrome trimmings, this leads to a nautical themed interior in the original Art Deco style that makes extensive use of concealed lighting, decorated with scallop shells and columns that burst into sculptured fountains at the ceiling. The theatre had a 74 feet (22.6 m) by 24 feet (7.3 m) stage and was equipped with 10 dressing rooms and two suites for principals. The theatre was Grade II* listed on 28 June 1972.
The theatre opened as the New Victoria Cinema on 15 October 1930 with a film starring George Arlis in Old English, based on a stage play by John Galsworthy. It was equipped with a Compton 3 manual 15 rank theatre organ, played on the opening night by Reginald Foort and the theatre also staged variety shows. The first show played also during the opening was Hoop-La.
Variety quickly gave way to a specialisation in film performances, with occasional performances by big bands. In June 1939, the cinema was one of the three London sites chosen to present a live relay of The Epsom Derby from the pre-war BBC experimental transmissions, utilising Baird equipment to project onto a screen 15 feet by 12 (4.6 by 3.7 m) in sepia. From September 1940 to May 1941, the theatre was closed due to World War II, but no serious damage was sustained and it reopened quickly. Plans were made for demolition in the 1950s, but it was saved and presented a mixture of ballet, live shows and films. The last films were shown in November 1975, a double bill of Peter Cushing in Legend of the Werewolf (1975) and Adrienne Corri in Vampire Circus (1972), though the theatre remained open until 1976, after which it closed for five years. Led Zeppelin rehearsed there, on May Day, 1980. It reopened in 1981 as the Apollo Victoria Theatre with a Shirley Bassey concert.
Musicals, including The Sound of Music, Camelot and Fiddler on the Roof played at the theatre in the early 1980s. In 1984, the interior was extensively modified by the introduction of a 'race track' that ran through the audience, for the show Starlight Express with performers on roller skates. The show premièred on 27 March, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and directed by Trevor Nunn and ran for 7,406 performances, over 18 years. With the removal of the 'tracks', the interior was extensively restored by architects Jaques Muir and Partners. This included the removal of 3,500 incandescent lamps that had become difficult to maintain and consumed a considerable amount of power. These were replaced by 88,000 low power LEDs specially designed for the theatre, creating the first auditorium completely lit in this way.
Another Lloyd Webber production followed, Bombay Dreams premièred on 19 June 2002. It was created by A. R. Rahman with lyrics by Don Black and was directed by Steven Pimlott, closing after 1,500 performances on 13 June 2004. This was followed by the return to the West End of the Bee Gee's musical Saturday Night Fever on 6 July 2004, closing 22 October 2005 to tour. This was followed on 10 April 2006 by the jukebox musical Movin' Out, featuring the music of Billy Joel. This starred James Fox but ran for only two months.
The Broadway musical Wicked received its London première at the venue on 27 September 2006 with a cast featuring Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Helen Dallimore as Glinda, Nigel Planer as The Wizard, Adam Garcia as Fiyero and Miriam Margolyes as Madame Morrible. Wicked has been seen by over 7 million people in London. The show claimed a record-breaking £761,000 taken at the box office, during its first eight performances and to date has grossed £150 million in London alone.
On 10 October 2010 the theatre celebrated its 80th birthday with a Gala Performance, featuring stars of productions past and present, including a reunion of Starlight Express performers. On Tuesday 27 September 2011, Wicked celebrated its fifth anniversary in the West End with a curtain call reunion of former cast members. On 14 May 2016, Wicked had the premiere of its first Autism-Friendly performance.
Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two young women who first meet as sorcery students at Shiz University; the blonde and very popular Glinda and a misunderstood green girl named Elphaba. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destines as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. With show-stopping songs by Stephen Schwartz and adapted for the stage by Winnie Holzman from the acclaimed novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked is an unforgettable musical that transports audiences to a stunningly re-imagined world of Oz, providing marvels beyond your imagination.
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The Apollo Victoria Theatre continues to make the safety and security of its customers and staff a priority. As such, please bear in mind that they may undertake bag checks, so recommend you leave extra time to avoid queues. Suitcases, rucksacks and large bags will not be admitted into the Theatre.
The Elixir Bar is open exclusively for show ticket holders an hour and a half prior to the show commencing. Relax in an ambient setting and unwind with speciality cocktails, wines and beers before enjoying a wonderful evening of theatre. There are additional bars on each level of the venue. All drinks can be taken into the auditorium as long as they are in a plastic cup – which can be obtained from any of their bars. Alternatively, download the Ordertorium app to order your drinks and snacks to be delivered straight to your seat. Orders can be placed anytime on the day of your visit, and will be delivered once you’re seated comfortably.
Toilets. The Apollo Victoria Theatre has both male and female toilets on each level as well as disabled facilities in the Circle. A cloakroom is available for people who wish to leave heavy coats. Please note they do not accept suitcases, rucksacks and large bags. A left luggage facility is available in Victoria Station (beside Platform 8). Please note that the venue is not responsible for any loss or damage of personal belongings.
The Cloud is available in the venue for customers to connect to and enjoy free internet access. However, phones should always be switched off for the duration of the performance. During a performance all lost property found is held at the Cloakroom situated within the main foyer. After this time, please contact the Apollo Victoria Theatre stage door on 020 7592 1444. Please note that the venue is not responsible for any loss or damage of personal belongings.
The Apollo Victoria Theatre has 4 wheelchair bays located at either end of Row F in the Circle. These are accessed via 2 platform lifts via our Vauxhall Bridge Road entrance; one from street level to foyer and one from the foyer to the circle. Wheelchair users wishing to use the platform lifts are kindly asked to check that their chair does not exceed the following maximum weight and dimensions: 29 inches/74cm width; 33 inches/85cm length; 31 stone/ 200kg (wheelchair and patron combined). If your wheelchair exceeds the dimensions and/or weight above, please call the box office on 0207 828 7074 to discuss alternative options.
If you require lift access, please aim to arrive 30-45 minutes before the performance starts at their Vauxhall Bridge Road entrance. Please notify a member of the Front of House team of your arrival and they will call for the Access Host, who will organise operation of the lifts for you. Please try to arrive on time as the lift cannot be operated during the performance. Should you wish to arrive in a wheelchair and transfer into a theatre seat, they can store your wheelchair in a nearby location to be brought to you when required.
Their accessible toilet can be found in the main foyer near the cloakroom. Access to this toilet is step free once inside the foyer. Male and female toilets can also be found in the Circle at either end of row F and are accessed via 3 steps once inside the auditorium. Other toilets in the venue can be found in the Stalls and on either side of The Elixir Bar.
The bar and merchandise counters are not low level, however, drinks, snacks and merchandise orders can be taken at seats and brought over by staff. For patrons with limited mobility, they advise Circle Rows A-F for the least steps. If you wish to make your visit more special, they also have an Ambassador lounge available to book which is level access and can be found as you enter the theatre via the Vauxhall Bridge Road entrance in the main foyer.
The Apollo Victoria auditorium is equipped with Sennheiser MobileConnect WiFi sound amplification system. MobileConnect uses WiFi to deliver superior quality audio to a smart device such as an iPod or iPhone, either through headphones or via a necklace for hearing aid users. The sound levels can be adjusted on your device to suit your needs and their access host will be happy to assist you with this. Devices can be booked via the box office in advance, borrowed on the day, or alternatively patrons can download the Sennheiser MobileConnect app and use their own device. Although they have devices to borrow, they do recommend that patrons download the app so as not to miss out if they run out. Patrons are advised to book Stalls A-P for the best signal.
Induction Loop Necklace. Suitable for persons wearing a hearing aid, the induction loop necklace is worn around the neck. Whilst wearing the necklace switch your hearing aid to the 'T' setting and the sound is amplified. Headset. Sound is amplified sound through headphones. Suitable for persons without a hearing aid. They also regularly schedule Captioned and Signed Performances. They set a limited amount of seats aside for these performances so please book in advance for the best availability.
Guide dogs are welcome at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, and can either be taken into the auditorium or they are more than happy to look after your dog for you during the performance. Please inform the Box Office at the time of booking if you wish to bring a guide dog.
They regularly schedule Audio Described performances. Audio description is a live verbal commentary on the visual elements of a production, delivered throughout the performance via a discreet headset. They also offer a touch tour which takes place prior to the show so patrons can familiarise themselves with the set and some of the props and costumes. One week before the performance, those who have pre-booked will also receive a recording with detailed information about the show. The theatre currently has a limited number of large print and Braille programmes available, please request this at the time of booking if you would like a copy.
Location : Apollo Victoria Theatre, 17 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1LG
Transport: Transport: Victoria (National Rail). Victoria (Victoria Line, District Line, Circle Line). London Buses routes 2, 11, 16, 24, 36, 38, 44, 52, 73, 82, 148, 170, 185, 211, 436, 507, C1, C2 and C10 and night routes N2, N11, N73, N44 and N136 serve the theatre at the Victoria Coach station.
Access Line : 0800 912 6973
Tel: 0207 828 7074
