Drury Lane

Drury Lane is a London street, originally named after the Drury family, owners of a large house there during the Tudor period. A cockpit in that location was converted into a theatre during the reign of King James I of England. In 1662, King Charles II granted permission for a new theatre there (all theatres having been closed during Cromwell's protectorate). The great English actor David Garrick managed the theatre during the mid-eighteenth century, during which time he produced many plays, including most of Shakespeare's work. After the Great Fire of London, the theatre was rebuilt by Christopher Wren, but the present building, the Theatre Royal, designed by Benjamin Wyatt, dates from 1812. It is one of the West End's largest, seating an audience of well over two thousand, and has been the setting for appearances by Edmund Kean and Sarah Siddons, among others. It is now used for major productions such as Miss Saigon and My Fair Lady.