London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket, which has staged premieres of Oscar Wilde plays and was John Gielgud’s temporary home during the blitz, has been put up for sale by its owners.

The Grade I-listed West End theatre first opened in Suffolk Street in 1720; 100 years later it was moved up the road and redesigned by the architect John Nash. It is the third oldest London playhouse still in use.

The theatre has been owned and run by three generations of the same family since the early 1970s, when the lease was acquired by Louis I Michaels and his partner Enid Chanelle.



“Our ‘grand old dame’ has been a platform for entertainment, a place for laughter, tears and romance within the city of London, for nearly 300 years,” said Arnold Crook, who became chairman of Louis I Michaels Limited (LIM) after he married Chanelle’s daughter.

“As custodian of the Theatre Royal Haymarket since 1981, it has been my life’s pride … it is now time to hand over the reins to the next generation of dream-makers.”

An asking price for the Theatre Royal is not known.

The lease for the building is held by LIM’s subsidiary, Theatre Royal Haymarket Limited, and has 68 years remaining. The freehold is owned by the Crown Estate.

Most West End theatres are owned by four chains: Delfont Mackintosh, the Really Useful Group, Nimax Theatres and the Ambassador Theatre Group.

This is the first time a major West End theatre has been on the market since 2014, when Delfont Mackintosh bought the Victoria Palace theatre, now home to the hit musical Hamilton.

The Theatre Royal has hosted stars including Lauren Bacall, Peter O’Toole and, more recently, Bradley Cooper in The Elephant Man. Suranne Jones will star in its upcoming production of Frozen, written by Bryony Lavery.