While updating my musicals viewing blogs I got to thinking about London Theatres and was wanting to find out how their sizes compared. I found this really
good page about it where Jackburton has kindly collated the list for us. Here is the information:
1) Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP
"Ordinary Let maximum capacity: 3,901
Exclusive Let maximum capacity: 5,222 In 1871, to raise extra funds
for the completion of the building, private individuals were invited
to purchase 999 year leases on some of the seats in the Hall. Under a
Royal Charter, stating the basis on which the Hall operates, most
events are classified as Ordinary Lets and the Members are entitled to
occupy their seats. However, in some cases an event may be classified
as an Exclusive Let, and the Members are therefore excluded from their
seats. Such classifications are granted on a limited basis dependent
on the nature of the event. On such occasions the privately owned
seats are also available to the promoter for sale to the public."
http://www.royalalberthall.com/text_only/hiring/conditions.aspx
2) London Apollo Hammersmith Theatre
Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London W6 9QH
"Total 3326 seats, with 298 standing places are also available, 120 in
the stalls, 178 in the Dress Circle, should the box office choose to
sell them. When all stalls seats are removed, around 3000 standing
places are created, taking venue capacity to about 5000 in total."
http://www.theatremonkey.com/HAMMERSMITHbooking.htm
3) Royal Festival Hall
Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX
The Royal Festival Hall seats 2,900.
The two smaller venues, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room seat
917 and 370 respectively.
4) London Coliseum - On the Town
8 St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ES
2356 seats
5) London Palladium Theatre
8 Argyll Street, London W1V 1AD
2286 seats
6) Apollo Victoria
17 Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LL
2208 seats
7) Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Drury Lane, London WC2B 5JF
2205 seats
8) Dominion Theatre
268-269 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 0AQ
2171 seats
9) Royal Opera House
51 Floral Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD
2156 seats
10) Lyceum Theatre
21 Wellington Street, London WC2E 7RQ
2082 seats
11) Prince Edward Theatre, Jersey Boys
28 Old Compton Street, London W1V 6HS
1618 seats
12) Victoria Palace Theatre, Billy Elliot
Victoria Street, London SW1E 5EA
1517 seats
13) Adelphi Theatre
Strand, London, WC2E 7NA
1480 seats
14) Shaftesbury Theatre
210 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8DP
1404 seats, on 3 levels
15) Palace Theatre
Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1V 8AY
1400 seats
16) Cambridge Theatre, Matilda
Earlham Street, Seven Dials, London WC2H 9HU
1283 seats
17) Her Majesty's Theatre
Haymarket, London SW1Y 4QR
1216 seats
18) Piccadilly Theatre
16 Denman Street, London W1V 8DY
1200 seats
19) Open Air Theatre
Inner Circle, Regents Park, London NW1 4NU
1187 Seats
20) Barbican: Theatre
Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
1160 seats (Barbican Theatre)
21) Prince Of Wales Theatre, Mamma Mia
31 Coventry Street, Leicester Square, London W1D 6AS
1160 seats on two levels
22) Savoy Theatre, Cabaret
Savoy Court, Strand, London WC2R 0ET
1158 seats
23) Aldwych, Dirty Dancing
49 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4DF
1129 seats on 3 levels
24) New London Theatre
Parker Street, London WC2B 5PW
1102 seats
25) National Theatre Olivier
South Bank, London SE1 9PX
1100 seats
26) Strand Theatre
5 Aldwych, London WC2B 4LD
1068 seats
27) Old Vic, The
Waterloo Road, London SE1 8NB
1067 seats
28) Peacock Theatre
Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HT
1037 seats
29) Phoenix Theatre, Once
110 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0JP
1000 seats
30) Queen's Theatre, Les Miserables, Les Miserables
Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1V 8BA
990 seats
31) Lyric Theatre Shaftesbury
29 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7ES
932 seats
32) National Theatre Lyttelton
South Bank, London SE1 9PX
900 seats
33) Shakespeare Globe Theatre
21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT
Audience Capacity: 900 (650 standing in the yard)
34) Gielgud Theatre, The
Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1V 8AR
889 seats
35) Theatre Royal Haymarket
18 Suffolk Street, Haymarket, London SW1Y 4HT
888 seats
36) Albery Theatre, now Noel Coward Theatre, Million Dollar Quartet
St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 5AU
872 seats and 21 standing, on 4 levels
37) Playhouse Theatre
Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5DE
800 seats
38) Comedy Theatre
6 Panton Street, London SW1Y 4DN
796 seats
39) Apollo Theatre
31 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1V 7DH
775 seats
40) Wyndham's Theatre
Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DA
750 seats
41) Vaudeville Theatre
404 Strand, London WC2R 0NH
690 seats
42) Garrick Theatre
2 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0HH
678 seats
43) Duke of Yorks Theatre
104 St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4BG
650 seats
44) Whitehall Theatre (Trafalgar Studio)
14 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DY
646 seats
45) St Martins Theatre
West Street, London WC2H 9NZ
550 seats
46) Criterion Theatre
Piccadilly Circus, London W1V 9LB
591 seats
47) Young Vic and Young Vic Studio
66 The Cut, London SE1 8LZ
The theatre ('Main House') can seat up to 500 / The Studio can seat up to 90
Combined total: 590
48) Duchess Theatre
Catherine Street, London WC2B 5LA
470 seats
49) New Ambassadors Theatre
West Street, London WC2H 9ND
450 seats
50) Fortune Theatre
Russell Street, London WC2B 5HH
440 seats
51) National Theatre Cottesloe
South Bank, London SE1 9PX
400 seats
52) Royal Court Theatre & Jerwood Theatre
Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS
395 seats
53) Arts Theatre, The
6-7 Great Newport Street, London WC2H 7JB
358 seats
54) Venue theatre, The (Formerly Notre Dame Hall)
5 Leicester Place, Leicester Square London WC2H 7BP
350 seats
55) Donmar Warehouse Theatre
41 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LD
252 seats
56) Barbican: Pit Theatre
Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
190 seats (The Pit Theatre)