The Bodyguard at Adelphi Theatre

The Adelphi Theatre is in The Strand, adjacent to Charing Cross tube and rail stations in the heart of London’s West End.

The Adelphi first opened its doors to the public in December 1930 and was known initially as the Royal Adelphi Theatre. The ‘Royal’ was dispensed with in 1940. The theatre boasts beautiful Art Deco design by Ernest Schaufelberg. The first show to grace its stage was Benn W. Levy and Lorenz Hart’s musical, Ever Green.

The current Adelphi Theatre is the fourth theatre to be built on the site. The first was called the Sans Pareil, which opened in 1806 and specialised in the presentation of pantomimes and comic opera. The Sans Pareil was sold in 1819 and renamed the Adelphi Theatre, a name which would be retained by all three buildings that would subsequently occupy the site.

During its early years the Adelphi established a reputation for staging melodramas, which came to be known as ‘Adelphi Screamers.’ A number of Charles Dickens works were also adapted for the stage here.

In its second incarnation, the Adelphi became the scene of a notorious crime. On 16 December 1897 actor William Terriss was murdered during the run of the play Secret Service. While entering the theatre by the royal entrance, he was stabbed to death.

Among the most notable of the countless shows to have graced this venerable West End theatre’s stage during its long history are The Bloomsbury Christening, My Fair Lady, The Jungle Book and Chicago.

The layout, size and atmosphere of the Adelphi Theatre make it the perfect place to see large scale musicals and plays. Recent successes include Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Derren Brown: Enigma, The Rat Pack, Love Never Dies, One Man, Two Guvnors and Sweeney Todd.

Whatever you decide to see at the Adelphi Theatre, we wish you an entertaining and rewarding visit.