Legend has it that The Windsor Theatre started early in the reign of Elizabeth I, strolling players used from time to time to set up their stage in the courtyard of a small inn in Peascod Street.

However the first recorded date in the theatrical history of what is now known as The Windsor Theatre was is 1706 when an actor named Yates opened a booth where, if tradition is to be believed, Mrs Susan Carol, a widow, assumed with complete success the heroic role of Alexander the Great. It was whilst Mrs Carol was acting with the Duke of Grafton’s comedians at Windsor that she met her second husband, Joseph Centlivre, who was engaged on official business at the Castle as Chief Cook to Queen Anne.

Between the years 1778 and 1793 the building used in Windsor as a playhouse was a small barn about a mile out of town set in a very muddy field. Even with a full house, the theatre only made £25.00 per performance. Nonetheless the existing playbills referring to this building grandiloquently call it the Theatre Royal, Peascod Street, Windsor.

 

Many years have passed this theatre holds very highly as one of the longest running theatres, with it now in it’s 312th year as a running venue.

 

The wide range of performances from previous years include family favourites with pantomimes from Beauty and The Beast, Jack and the Beanstalk and others, with larger touring shows from Wuthering heights, New Jersey Nights and Grease, plus many more diverse shows from live music acts to dramatic theatre including a Picturehouse cinema.

This prestigious building, steeped in historic memories, has a truly wonderful feel to its architecture and acoustics, every small detail is important and the stage inside this luxorious 633 seated capacity is paramount.

Guests visiting the Theatre can enjoy refreshments and light meals inside the cafe, plus light refreshments are also allowed into the auditorium.

The Theatre Royal offers a unique setting for corporate events and room hire facilities that can accommodate small board meeting through to large scale conferences and tailor bespoke catering arrangements to suit business needs, this multifunctional venue continues to be a leading venue for arts and performances even in the modern day.

Guests continue to visit The Windsor to marvel in it’s history and also its amazingly intimate yet bustling atmosphere that brings life and soul to performances throughout the year.

For more information about accessibility and to find out more about using your Access Card at this venue, please visit the link below:

https://www.accesscard.org.uk/providers/theatre-royal-windsor/