Apollo Victoria Theatre – London
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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 had played seven years at the venue as of September 2013.
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Address – 17 Wilton Road London SW1V 1LG
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| Box Office 10am to 7.45 pm, Monday to Saturday
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| Phone 020 7828 7074
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Transport
Tube Victoria Station ( Victoria, District and Circle lines ) |
Theatre Facilities
Wheelchair
Apollo Victoria Theatre endeavours to be accessible to all, and we are committed to making your experience at the theatre as easy and enjoyable as possible. Should you have any specific requirements or questions, or would like to arrange any specific facilities in advance, please contact the Box Office on the details above and they will do their best to help you in whichever way possible. The theatre provides a dedicated Access Host upon arrival, should you wish, who will assist in however they can.
The wheelchair accessible entrance is via the Vauxhall Bridge Road entrance of the Theatre. A wheelchair lift provides level access to the Accessible Toilets and foyer facilities (bar, merchandise etc.) Upon arrival, please notify a member of the Front of House team who will organise the operation of the lift for you, but please arrive no earlier than one hour before the performance to ensure that a member of staff is available. Another wheelchair lift gives access to the wheelchair area in the Dress Circle. Please see the attached letter with regards to lift dimensions and weight restrictions.
The Apollo Victoria Theatre has 4 wheelchair spaces available in the Dress Circle, which is one level up in the auditorium. We would recommend you book wheelchair spaces well in advance of your chosen performance as demand for this limited number is high. Row F in the Dress Circle is available for people who would like to transfer from a wheelchair into a seat, but please note that seats other than in row F would require additional steps with no handrail facilities.
The theatre’s main entrance is on Wilton Road (directly opposite Victoria mainline and Underground Station) and is up four steps to the main foyer. From here there are three flights of steps down to the Stalls totalling 29 steps, seven steps to the first landing, 16 steps to the second and then six more steps. Once down to the stalls all seats are reached via a gentle ramp. The Dress Circle is also reached from the main foyer, up a straight flight of 13 steps. From here there are 14 steps down to row A. Customers with mobility requirements are advised to sit in the Dress Circle as this will have the least number of steps. When booking, do let the Box Office know of your requirements and they will find you seats with the least number of steps.
There is an in-house wheelchair that can be borrowed for the duration of the performance. Please reserve this when booking your tickets if you think this will be useful for your visit.
Deaf or Hard Of Hearing
The theatre provides both in-ear headsets and sound boosting equipment for patrons who are hard of hearing or with hearing aids. To obtain one of these please speak to a member of the Front of House team on arrival at the theatre. A deposit is required which will be refunded upon return of the headset.
We regularly schedule British Sign Language Interpreted and Captioned performances, please see above for dates and times. BSL Interpreted performances consist of a signer relaying the music and words of the show in British Sign Language. Captioned performances convert the spoken word (as well as any other noises and sound effects) into text, which is displayed on a caption unit viewed by the audience.
Blind or Visually Impaired
Guide dogs are welcome at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, and can either be taken into the auditorium or left in the care of one of the Front of House team. Please inform the Box Office at the time of booking if you wish to bring a guide dog.
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.
We regularly schedule Audio Described performances, please see above for dates and times. Audio description is a live verbal commentary on the visual elements of a production, delivered throughout the performance via a discreet headset. One week before the performance, those who have pre-booked will receive a recording with detailed information about the show, as well as directions to the theatre and general orientation of the building.
Architecture
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 facades 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.
See More on the Apollo Victoria Theatre at TheatreGold DataBase
