A shrine to Shakespeare

THERE has been a playhouse on the site of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for longer than any other place in Britain; that is to say, from 1635, 386 years. Now, it is the largest and most complete Georgian theatre in Britain. In 2000, ‘The Lane’ (as it is affectionately known) was bought by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and, in two major campaigns, one completed in 2012 (COUNTRY LIFE, June 5, 2013), and the other last month, has been restored and, where necessary, remodelled (Fig 2). Its rich display of art has been supplemented by pieces from Lord Lloyd Webber’s own collection, as well as by newly commissioned works.

By the time the present theatre was opened in October 1812, the Theatre Royal had already been rebuilt four times. Its immediate predecessor had been designed by Henry Holland and completed in 1794. Unfortunately, on February 24, 1809, Holland’s innovative iron fire curtain had been removed and the rooftop water tanks designed to douse fires were half