The Dominion Theatre is one of London’s largest venues, with a seating capacity of 2,069. It was designed in the art deco style by W and T. R. Milburn and constructed on the previous site of a brewery and funfair between 1928 and 1929. The venue suffered poor turnout at first due to the effects of the Great Depression but was bought by a cinema chain and operated as a movie palace in the mid-30s, bringing in much larger crowds at a time when cinema’s popularity boomed. In 1957 the venue was converted back into a live performance space with a run of successful Judy Garland concerts.
With its huge capacity, The Dominion Theatre plays host to large-scale blockbuster musicals that draw in big crowds. The Ben Elton penned Queen musical We Will Rock You ran at the Dominion for 12 years before embarking on a tour. Other popular productions include Elf! The Musical, The Bodyguard and An American Paris. In 2019 the critical flop BIG! the Musical played at the venue, followed by Dreamworks Animation adaptation The Prince of Egypt.
