Theatre Royal Plymouth

The Lyric is the Theatre Royal’s impressive main auditorium. In total, it can house 1,315 theatregoers across its stalls and two galleries. To study a list of past performances at The Lyric is to discover an impressive who’s who of wonderful producers and theatre companies that have visited the city. Sir Cameron Mackintosh brought Mary Poppins, and The Phantom of the Opera to the Ocean City’s most famous stage, while The Propeller Company brought their multi-award-winning rendition of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Then there’s the small matter of The Lyric hosting the world premiere of Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty before it mesmerised audiences and smashed box office records across the world.

It’s well worth checking the programme to see what shows are on during your stay at one of our hotels in Plymouth. You may well see productions that are making their way to, or from, the West End. It’s no wonder really, the Theatre Royal boasts a stellar reputation as arguably the best theatre in the country outside the capital. Plus, the Theatre Royal Plymouth put on their own productions too, which more than hold their own in terms of performance quality. Then again, they do have their world class TR2 rehearsal building and studios where they can hone their craft.

By comparison with The Lyric, The Drum is the Theatre Royal’s baby stage with a comparatively modest capacity of 200. There is nothing childish about its shows though. The Drum has built its reputation – and won the Peter Brook Empty Space Award – through its modern programme that pushes new writing and experimental productions from visiting companies.

Of course, you shouldn’t expect the grandiose productions you’ll find in The Lyric, but that only works to emphasise the quality of acting on show from frequent visiting companies like Chris Goode, Nabakov, and Paines Plough.