St Martin's Lane · London WC2N 4ES · 2,359 seats
The Coliseum: London's largest theatre, on a bus route
Two thousand three hundred and fifty-nine seats makes this the biggest theatre in London, larger than any West End house and larger than the Royal Opera House. It sits on St Martin's Lane, which functions as a bus corridor and has the restrictions to match.
Seats, which is more than any other theatre in London. The building was designed in 1904 to be the grandest variety house in the country and it has never been outgrown. It also means a larger crowd onto a narrow street than most WC2 venues produce.
How this differs from the Royal Opera House
Two opera houses ten minutes apart, and they are genuinely different propositions.
English National Opera's home
Everything is performed in English with surtitles. A considerably easier first opera than the alternative.
The dress is relaxed
People do dress up and a great many do not. It is a noticeably less ceremonial evening.
2,359 against 2,256
The biggest theatre in London, and the cheaper seats are genuinely cheap.
Visiting companies
English National Ballet and international companies use the stage through the year.
St Martin's Lane, and why cars cannot wait
The street outside decides the whole arrangement, as it does at most WC2 theatres.
| Where | Vehicle access | Note |
|---|---|---|
| St Martin's Lane | Set-down only | A bus corridor with restrictions. No waiting at any time. |
| Charing Cross Road | Busy | Wider, and heavily trafficked. Not a place to hold. |
| Trafalgar Square side | Restricted | Close, and tightly controlled. |
| Bedfordbury and the side streets | Yes, briefly | Narrow lanes behind the theatre. Our usual collection area. |
| The Strand and Embankment | Yes | Where we head afterwards, and useful for a Kent-bound return. |
WC2 from Kent
One of the shorter central runs, and the return after a ten-thirty finish is quick.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Evening out | After the show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 12 miles | 45–70 min | 28–42 min |
| Bromley & Orpington | 12 miles | 45–70 min | 28–42 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 20 miles | 55–85 min | 38–52 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 25 miles | 60–90 min | 42–58 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 26 miles | 60–85 min | 40–55 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 34 miles | 70–100 min | 52–68 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 36 miles | 70–100 min | 55–72 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 60 miles | 95–125 min | 78–92 min |
A Coliseum evening from Kent
It is the easier opera house to start with
If nobody in your party has been to an opera before, this is where to begin. Everything is sung in English, the surtitles are there anyway, the dress is relaxed and the cheaper seats cost less than a West End musical. That combination makes it a much lower-stakes evening than the alternative, and the room itself is magnificent.
Collection sits in the lanes behind
Bedfordbury and the small streets behind the theatre take a vehicle for the few minutes needed, which St Martin's Lane does not. It is under two minutes' walk and it avoids both the bus corridor and the Trafalgar Square end, which is where everything congests after a show.
Timings are more predictable than the Royal Opera House
ENO productions cluster around conventional theatre lengths rather than spreading across two hours of variation. Most evenings finish between ten and half past. It still pays to check the running time, but the spread is narrower and planning the return is correspondingly easier.
Ballet seasons change the audience
When English National Ballet or a visiting company is in, the audience skews younger and includes a lot of families at matinees. Those afternoon performances end in the middle of the West End's busiest hours, so the collection moves further out and the walk is slightly longer.
London Coliseum questions
Access, timings and how it compares.
Is this the same as the Royal Opera House?
No. The Coliseum on St Martin's Lane is home to English National Opera, where everything is sung in English. The Royal Opera House is on Bow Street in Covent Garden, ten minutes away. Different houses, different companies, different evenings.
Can you drop us outside?
A brief set-down on St Martin's Lane, yes. Waiting there is not possible because it functions as a bus corridor with restrictions to match.
Where do you collect?
The lanes behind the theatre, around Bedfordbury, under two minutes' walk. That avoids both the bus corridor and the Trafalgar Square congestion.
What time do performances finish?
Usually between ten and half past. ENO productions cluster around conventional theatre lengths, so the timings are more predictable than at the Royal Opera House.
Is it a good first opera?
The best in London for it. Everything is in English, the dress is relaxed and the cheaper seats are genuinely affordable. It is a much lower-stakes evening than the alternative.
Do they do ballet too?
Yes, English National Ballet and visiting international companies use the stage through the year, including matinees that draw family audiences.
How long does it take from Kent?
Forty-five minutes to two hours in the evening depending on where you start, and considerably quicker on the way home.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking and unaffected by traffic or an overrunning performance.
Opera, theatre and guides
The WC2 stages, venue by venue.