The Gillian Lynne Theatre was renamed in 2018 in homage to the legendary late choreographer and dancer, becoming the first West End theatre to be named in recognition of a woman in the process.

Formerly known as the New London Theatre, the venue was one of London’s newest major theatre buildings at the time of its opening in 1973. Andrew Lloyd Webber announced the honour of its renaming would be bestowed upon Gillian at the launch of his memoir in 2018. He stated that, “Gillian has been a pioneer of British musical theatre and dance. [Her] ground-breaking work on Cats inspired and launched countless careers in dance. It is only fitting that the theatre in which she created Cats is named in her honour.”

A two-time Olivier Award winner, the late Gillian Lynne was made a Dame in 2014 for services to dance and musical theatre, and enjoyed a long and esteemed career, working with Lloyd Webber on shows including Cats, The Phantom Of The Opera and Joseph And The Technicolor Dreamcoat.

The site of the Gillian Lynne Theatre is immersed in theatrical heritage, with there being a theatre in some form at the location since the Elizabethan era. The current theatre was designed by Sean Kenny, a notable set designer who has worked on the musicals Blitz!, Oliver! and Pickwick. The theatre is probably most famous for hosting the celebrated production of Lloyd Webber’s Cats, which had an incredible run from 1981 until 2002. In 1991, the building was purchased by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group and in more recent years the Gillian Lynne Theatre has had continued success as the host of the Olivier Award-winning show School Of Rock – The Musical.