How did the Lyric’s gilt and velvet Victorian theatre come to be housed in a 1970s concrete box above Kings Mall shopping centre?

The Lyric theatre as we know it today began its extraordinary life as an intimate opera house on another site a little further down King Street. The lavish auditorium was designed by the prolific theatre architect, Frank Matcham, and opened in 1895.

Over the next 70 years the Lyric fell upon good times and bad, and in 1966 it was forced to close its doors, scheduled for demolition to make way for a housing and shopping complex. A public outcry ensued, and instead, the theatre was carefully dismantled piece by piece and rebuilt on its current site – suspended two floors above King Street. The new Lyric, including a black-box studio and café, was opened in 1979 by the Queen.

In 2004 the Lyric underwent another major redevelopment. Internationally acclaimed architect Rick Mather was commissioned to design an impressive new entrance facing onto Lyric Square, including a ticket office, street-level café, and rehearsal and workshop spaces.

Over its hundred year history the Lyric has welcomed some of the world’s finest actors and theatre-makers to its stage, from Sir John Gielgud to Robert Lepage; Complicite to Frantic Assembly. Today, the Lyric presents nearly 1,000 performances a year that bring 150,000 people through its doors – people of all ages from all over London and beyond. Working with some of Britain’s most innovative artists, the Lyric hopes to entertain and inspire both adults and children with shows that take theatre in new and exciting directions.

Long live the Lyric!