There is little pictorial evidence of the 1674 Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the evidence that we do have is largely circumstantial, but with careful consideration provides a firm basis for this reconstruction.

It is likely that the architect of the theatre was Sir Christopher Wren, the actor Colley Cibber suggests as much in his Apology in 1740. It is also likely that a sectional drawing labeled ‘playhouse’ found among his papers is an earlier version of his design. Although this drawing was clearly discarded (it has been torn through twice), the suggested dimensions match those of the Drury Lane site and the drawing has been tentatively dated to the early 1670’s. It is also true that many of the features of the design are corroborated by later illustrations.

It must be noted however, that there are features of the drawing which are contradicted by other evidence. For example, Cibber suggests that the pit benches were curved and his description of the stage doors although slightly unclear, seems to indicate that there were fewer pilasters on the stage.

This model is based on the Wren drawing of a playhouse section. Since the textual evidence is of variable reliability and often contradictory, it is not possible to produce a reconstruction that can conform to all this evidence. This then is primarily a model of Wren’s surviving design, not an exact reconstruction of the theatre as it stood in 1674 (for which there is insufficient evidence).

Other evidence necessary for this reconstruction are an engraving of a performance of Ariadne which was performed at Drury Lane in 1674, and a 1775 Robert Adam scale design for the ceiling of the building (which gives us the width of the auditorium at the proscenium and balconies). The precise match of this known Drury Lane ceiling with the Wren section further indicates the likelihood of that drawing’s connection with Drury Lane theatre

The extrapolated plan of the theatre is therefore based on Wren’s section and the Adam ceiling. It has been necessary to assume that the curved lines of the theatre (forestage and balcony seating) were based on a circular rather than an elliptical form (as is more usual in Neoclassical architecture). Given the width of the auditorium at the balconies, this would place the centre of all the circles approximately centre stage, this further supports this assumption. Although Cibber describes the stage as following a “semi-oval figure”, he does so some 50-60 years after the event. Such a phrase could also loosely describe the quarter circle suggested by the section (see plan).

‘Playhouse’ Longitudinal section by Sir Christopher Wren

Suggested plan for Wren's 1674 'Playhouse' section

Isometric view of the model

Design for the ceiling of Theatre Royal Drury Lane by Robert Adam 1775

Frontispiece to Ariadne or, the Marriage of Bacchus. Published Tho. Newcombe 1674

	Animation explaining the layout of the theatre (34.1Mb)