Leicester Square Theatre

Tiny, intimate theatre in the centre of London. Great place to see comedy gigs. Three bars with a range of drinks and a few bar snacks. The theatre is in the basement so I’m not sure about disabled access to this venue. If this would be an issue for some people I would advise calling ahead to check.

I really like this venue. I’ve seen a couple comedy acts and Siro-​A here. One thing I like is that it’s intimate. There really aren’t bad seats. And for acts who like to interact with the audience, it’s great. They have bars in the theatre itself. Easy to enjoy a drink or two before or during the interval. I’m always happy when an act I like shows up at this venue.

I came here with a few friends to see a comedy show in The Lounge.
The room is quite small which can hold on average roughly 50 odd people, which
was perfect for the comedy show we came to see.
I have never been here before but the room we were in also had a small bar, which appeared to have a limited selection of alcohol.
Would come back for a comedy show but not sure if I would come back to see a production in this room.

Great little theatre in central London just off Leicester Square. I’ve only been once but you go down some stairs into a basement where there is a bar and two stages. The layout is very similar to the lower floor of the Prince Charles cinema.
We went to see a show in the smaller stage, which was very cosy and intimate. There was also a small bar hatch to purchase drinks. The only issue I had was that the chairs were taped together which meant sitting next to someone you didn’t know was pretty cosy, they could easily put the seats a little bit further apart.
Overall a great little venue where you will see comedy or small production plays.

We had tickets for a comedy show here and I was pretty excited about it because I was curious to see what British comedy is actually like! The place itself is in the middle of Leicester Square, and is a liiiiiittle bit hard to find as it the entrance was off to one of the side alleyways (or maybe my boyfriend and I just suck with directions) and we asked at least 5 different establishments nearby, none of which had ever heard of the place, until we finally found it on our own. I guess in a neighborhood filled with countless famous theaters, the name doesn’t exactly stick. The location though is convenient as there are plenty of tacky, overpriced bars to get trashed in before starting the show. But then again, where in london is there a LACK of pubs?
The venue itself also has a bar when you enter downstairs, but I remember their options being kind of scarce. Also, who wants to drink in a basement surrounded by the smell of slightly molded carpets? There’s also a bar inside the theater, and the theater itself is pretty large! It seats about… 100 or so. I had never heard of the comedian but I watched a clip online that was decently funny and decided to trust that his show would be similar. Nooooooooope! The comedian is actually American, and he had just moved to the UK. He humor was EXTREMELY crude and disgusting. Like to the point where you could feel the entire audience cringing… more than a few people actually got up and left during the middle of his show because it was so misogynistic and barbaric. Also, most of his jokes were just cuss words, which isn’t comedy in my book… and I don’t need to shell out pounds just because someone decided to give put him on a stage. But of course, his performance has nothing to do with the venue itself.
The opener was a good humored Irish guy though, and he (kind of) made up for the experience. While we were there, I noticed some interesting future events… Amateur Shakespeare? I don’t know if I’ll be back because i don’t usually like spaces smack in the middle of tourist central, and there isn’t anything particularly unique about this place. But maybe if a better comedian ever comes by again!

Apparently there are two stages. I think I was in the basement theatre for a Sunday night show.
People keep using the word intimate. Yeah that fits. We were able to be close to the stage without craning our necks and also the seats were comfy and my legs had space.
I got really cold halfway through but I think they also turned on the AC. So layer up just in case.

Don’t expect a theatre, theatre, when coming to see a show at the LST.
I know, there are expectations for a place like this, simply due to the neighbourhood it’s in. But this is less of a giant performance theatre and more of an intimate show theatre. A great spot to see a comedian or a band or a small act show. You won’t get the monster performances or epic move-​theatre style space, but you will get a show with personality and intimacy.
I saw two performances here during the London Storyteller Festival. One, in the main stage, which was, again, larger but not too large. There are bars on both entrances as you walk in to grab a drink or some nibbles (and they even let you bring it to your seats, win.)
When we went there was a mix-​up with tickets, so although everyone had assigned seats, we were then encouraged to sit anywhere. Or we would have been, if someone had told us. They were telling some people but not others, so it all ended chaotically when you went to try to find your seat. Ah well.
The acoustics in the theatre were wonderful and it was easy to see the stage from wherever you are in the room. Again, great for a smaller show.
The other show we saw was in the smaller basement theatre, which honestly feels like more of a basement than a theatre. Folding chairs, no stage, good sound. These are for the really, really small shows and they feel really, really small. Not as nice as the upper ones but still, for something like a storyteller show, it was fantastic.
Overall, I’d see a show here in a heartbeat. Tickets are cheap and fun and it’s in a great walkable spot.

This was the first time I was in this venue in Leicester square theather. We saw «the story of the hunted sock» which is a comedy and part of the story telling event. It was more of a one-​man sketch and he played all the roles himself. The story was really interesting, funny and spell binding.
With very few props and huge amount of talent this story was told/​played out in interesting, funny and spell bounding way. I was completely mesmerised.
The venue was very small and intimate. This was perfect as this allowed the story teller to interact with the audience.
I highly recommend the venue and the event. We had a great time and we have already booked more tickets.

I’d never seen this place before, but I won free tickets to 2 shows at the London Storytelling Festival. Both comedy gigs were in the downstairs room, not the main theatre, so I can only describe that. It was small and intimate which was perfect for stand-​up, and there’s a little bar in the back corner so it’s easy to grab a drink before the show. The seats were very close together but comfortable. No problems with view or acoustics.
As for the shows themselves, the first act was Jo Neary, who I think was probably a lot funnier for people who grew up in the UK (a lot of her British-​teen-​in-​the-​80s references went over my head). I enjoyed it but I would have been disappointed if I’d actually paid £8−10 for the tickets. The second act was Asher Treleaven who was HILARIOUS. I haven’t laughed out loud that much in a long time. His act was so good I’m tempted to buy tickets to more shows at the Festival this week, if the quality of all performances were as great as his.
In short, 4 stars for the venue, 3 stars for Neary and 5 stars for Treleaven. I’ll definitely be checking out future gigs at this theatre.

Intimate theatre, right next to the Prince Charles cinema, with lovely red seats and a bar on either side you can access throughout the shows.
Normally come for comedy nights, and show is always good.
Enjoyment can sometimes be marred by the drunkenness of other clientele.

Brilliant night out at Art Saves Lives
young hip hop entertained all night.
Great venue in the theatre with 2 bars.
Sandwiched between the wonderful
Catholic church with a Jean Cocteau mural & the cheap ‘n
cheerful Prince Charles cinema. What a fabulous line up of
amazing talent greeted my first visit here. Simon Cowell eat
your heart out. The whole event brilliantly compered by Jud
Charlton, 14 year old SHOTS BEATS Storgan, famous 17 year old
Bhangra, D-​SARB & beautiful 18 yr old FLO HIO hit
that stage with feisty energy. Man, she’s a face to watch.

I’m always surprised when people I talk to haven’t heard of The Leicester Square Theatre as I have been there a few times now. They two different spaces — the main theatre and the lounge where they put on smaller performances.
The range of shows that they put on makes it a really interesting venue; I’ve seen some fringe opera in the main room and some rather random comedy in the lounge.
If you’re looking for a new venue in London then you should check this place out and then go to Gelupo down the road for ice cream after the show!

I was in the main auditorium for a comedy show that I won tickets for. While I won’t commet on the show (clearly I got what I paid for with free tickets… geez), the theatre was quite big, holding probably 100 people or so. The nice thing about the place was that the bar in fact had specials, which put the prices right at normal pub prices. A nice break from theatre bars trying to break your bank.

A great little theatre in the heart of London’s West End. Apparently, it’s the newest theatre in the area — not sure about this fact! I have been to many performances here over the past year both in the main part of the house as well as the cramped intimate Basement Theatre. The theatre often hosts a variety of alternative plays, acts and cabaret performances. Most recently I saw Marilyn Forever Blonde here, which I found quite moving and rather sad, well worth seeing if you get a chance. Unlike most theatres there are bars actually within the main house close to the stage area, so at the interval you can quickly grab a drink from either side of the theatre without having to rush out drink up and then get back into the main theatre for the next act. If you’re into the alternative art scene then this is a must visit for you. Check out
for the latest performances.

I went to see a workshop production in the basement venue here — so I can’t comment on the main venue.
The Leicester Square Theatre — formerly known as the Venue Theatre — has been recently redeveloped and now operates under new management. Its basement venue is a fairly bijou space, seating about 50 maximum on the flat with an integral bar, and would be absolutely ideal for workshop performances, «intimate» gigs or comedy. It did get a little warm down there with about 40 people and stage lighting in use, but the sightlines and acoustics are excellent.
A great new location for London theatre — I understand that bookings for both the main auditorium and the basement are now full for several months, so look out for events happening here!

This theatre is only new, but has a fabulous auditorium for performers to showcase their works. The main theare is on one level with a low ceiling and seating arranged wider than it is longer, allowing a more intimate audience structure. There is also a basement theatre for smaller shows.
It seems to be focused on comedy as entertainment, with Joan Rivers and Roseanne Barr as the season openers. I went last night to see the Umbilical Brothers, an Aussie hit sensation.
For 15 quid and an hour and a half of roll around on the floor comedy, it was well worth it. And with a bar in the auditorium I was kept well happy.
This is one theatre I’d be happy to return to for a few laughs that won’t break the bank.