England is getting a new monarch, which means West End theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is getting a new name. Owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and currently home to the London run of The Phantom of the Opera, the venue will become His Majesty's Theatre upon the coronation of King Charles III May 6, according to U.K. publication The Stage.
The venue is one of six West End theatres owned by Lloyd Webber's LW Theatres, a group that also includes the Adelphi, the Cambridge, the Gillian Lynne, the London Palladium, and Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
The historic space opened in 1706 as Queen's Theatre, mostly operating as an opera house. The name has historically changed to match the monarchy, becoming King's Theatre in 1714 with the coronation of George I. The theatre was renamed Her Majesty's Theatre in 1837, and was most recently His Majesty's Theatre from 1901 to 1952 during the reign of King George VI. This current name change was expected, though a date for the switch had not yet been revealed.
The Phantom of the Opera, which has been performing in the four-level theatre since giving its world premiere there October 9, 1986, is the theatre's longest tenant. Previous productions have included the original London productions of Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, West Side Story, and Fiddler on the Roof.
