Dramatist Thomas Killigrew built the first Theatre Royal on Bridges Street, which opened in 1663. The first building was a 700-seat, three-tiered wooden structure.
According to London-theatreland.co.uk, the theatre's acting company held performances of "talk drama," actor-driven plays. This included Restoration comedies. These plays differed from those held by the rival acting company, which had operas and baroque plays.
In the beginning, the theatre struggled because its plays were not popular among the masses. It was frequented by some individuals, such as businessman Samuel Pepys. The first Theatre Royal burned down in 1672.
The second Theatre Royal, a 2,000-seat auditorium, was built on Drury Lane. The theatre company continued to have problems because of political unrest in the country, changes in management, financial issues and actor walkouts.
From 1747 to 1776, 24 of William Shakespeare's plays were staged at the theatre. During this period, the theatre was successful while under the ownership of actor David Garrick.
The second Royal Theatre was demolished in 1791 to make room for a larger theatre, which was opened in 1794 and burned down in 1809. The current theatre, a 3,060-seat building, opened in 1812 with the production of Shakespeare's "Hamlet." After World War II, the theatre began to have musical productions.
