Date/Time: Wednesday, 26th November 2025 at 15:30 - 17:15
Location: Old Vic, The Cut, London, SE1 8NB
Price: £16 per person. Member and guest £32.
Event Organiser: Derrick Daines. 22 Fulford Road, Caterham CR3 5SQ
The Old Vic, as it is now known, first opened on 11 May 1818 at a cost of £12,000 with design by architect Rudolph Cabanel. Building work had commenced two years earlier after Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Princess Charlotte of Wales laid the foundation stone. Some of the material for the new theatre, then named the Royal Coburg, was recycled from the original Savoy Palace on the Strand.
In the 1830s Edmund Kean played Richard III, Othello, Macbeth and King Lear during a six-night engagement. He tells a rowdy audience: ‘In my life I have never acted to such a set of ignorant, unmitigated brutes as I have before me’. In 1833 the theatre went through a refurbishment and was renamed The Royal Victoria, in honour of Princess (later Queen) Victoria.
By 1871 the theatre was put up for auction and sold to new owners who commissioned an entire reconstruction of the interiors by architect Jethro T Robinson, resulting in the removal of the upper gallery. The Old Vic is today one of the only two surviving examples of Robinson’s work.
In 1898, Lilian Baylis was appointed acting manager aged only 23. The theatre ran a number of successful plays throughout the early-20th century and in 1962 Lawrence Olivier was appointed first director of the National Theatre. The Old Vic governors agree to offer the theatre as its temporary home.
The Old Vic was supervised by Artistic Director, Kevin Spacey, from 2003-12015. Matthew Warchus is the current Artistic Director, but is standing down in 2026.
Acting legends from Laurence Olivier to Judi Dench to Ian McKellen have all trodden the boards at The Old Vic. This tour gives you a chance to follow in their footsteps, hear about The Old Vic’s fascinating past and see the theatre in a new light.
This YouTube video featuring Stage Manager Ned Seago gives you a flavour of the tour.
Food and Drink
The basement bar and cafe is open 08:00-17:00 weekdays and serves hot drinks and pastries.
Group Size
This tour is limited to 20 participants. Derrick plans to run additional events in 2026 if there is sufficient demand for them.
Event Booking
Please note that all bookings are subject to our Event Booking Rules.
The standard, printable event booking sheet is downloadable here.