Shaftesbury Avenue

Summary

London’s theatreland spine — West End theatre facades, bright-lit entertainment frontages, and a Victorian boulevard scale used in countless British productions.

About this location

Shaftesbury Avenue runs north-east from Piccadilly Circus to High Holborn, cutting diagonally through Covent Garden and Soho. The street was cut through Victorian slum clearance from 1877 to 1886 specifically to provide a wide boulevard lined with theatres; the six principal theatres that remain on the street — the Lyric, Apollo, Gielgud, Queen’s, Shaftesbury, and Palace — are a near-continuous run of late-Victorian and Edwardian entertainment architecture. The facades are ornate, the scale is generous, and the neon and illuminated signage maintains a theatreland visual register throughout the day.

The street is a standard exterior location for productions set in the theatrical world, the entertainment industry, or simply requiring a classic Central London boulevard. The junction with Piccadilly Circus gives access to the Eros fountain and the advertising hoardings of the Circus. The Chinatown section at the Wardour Street end provides a distinct visual and demographic character.

Westminster City Council handles street filming permits. The avenue is a busy arterial route so weekday filming requires significant traffic management; Sunday mornings offer the lightest traffic and are preferred by production units. Individual theatre facades and stage doors are available by direct arrangement with theatre management outside performance hours. The Palace Theatre (now Hamilton/Les Misérables venue) at the Cambridge Circus end is a particularly handsome exterior.