Duke of York's Theatre
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The Duke of York's Theatre in London, UK, opened on 10 September 1892 with Wedding Eve, was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte.
Initially called the Trafalgar Square, the name was shortened to Trafalgar in 1894 and the following year became the Duke of York's to honour the future King George V.
In 1900, Jerome K. Jerome's Miss Hobbs was staged as well as David Belasco's Madame Butterfly, which was seen by Puccini, who later turned it into the famous opera. In the late 1970s the freehold of the theatre was purchased by Capital Radio and it closed in 1979 for refurbishment. It reopened in February 1980 and the first production under the patronage of Capital Radio was Rose, starring Glenda Jackson. The Ambassador Theatre Group bought the theatre in 1992 and this coincided with London's hottest show, The Royal Court's production of Ariel Dorfman's Death and the Maiden. A host of successes followed including Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show (celebrating its 21st Birthday) and the hugely successful Royal Court Classics Season in 1995.
