Queen's Theatre To Be Renamed The Sondheim Theatre!

The iconic theatre has been home to Les Miserables since 2004.

The Queen's Theatre, one of London's most iconic theatres, is set to be renamed the Sondheim Theatre this year. The theatre has been the home of Les Miserables (which is briefly moving to the Gielgud Theatre from 13 July) since 2004.

According to the theatre's owner, Cameron Mackintosh, the name change comes in celebration of the 90th birthday of the legendary musical genius that is Stephen Sondheim. Mackintosh and Sondheim have known each other for over four decades with Mackintosh dubbing the composer as "one of the theatre's great legends".

Throughout his illustrious sixty-year career Stephen Sondheim has created some of the world's biggest musicals like Sweeny Todd: The Deamon Barber of Fleet Street, Into The Woods and Follies. He was also the lyricist for West Side Story. Sondheim is the recipient of the Special Olivier award for his Lifetime Achievement to London Theatre, alongside a further four Olivier's, eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (for Sunday in the Park with George) and an Oscar.

Sondheim's stand-out hit Company was recently revived by Marianne Elliot and gardened five Olivier Awards, including the award for Best Musical Revival, at the 2019 ceremony. His musical Sunday In The Park With George is heading to London's West End in 2020, with Hollywood heavyweight Jake Gyllenhaal starring in the titular role.

The composer and lyricist already has a Broadway theatre named after him (currently showing Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), and this news means that Sondheim will become the only living artist that has theatres named after him both on Broadway and in the West End.