Shaftesbury Theatre to be renamed the Judi Dench Theatre

The Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End is to be renamed the Judi Dench Theatre from February 2027.

Th move was announced today to recognises Dench’s long-standing contribution to British theatre and screen performance.

Dench said today: “The Shaftesbury Theatre has always held a special place in my heart. My relationship to the Theatre of Comedy and to the Taffner family goes back many years and to have this beautiful theatre renamed after me is truly overwhelming. Live theatre continues to be so important as a way of telling stories and entertaining audiences, something I have aimed to do all my working life.”

As part of a wider renovation programme, works include restoration of the auditorium dome, new decorative schemes inspired by the original design, and upgrades to backstage facilities. The theatre remains open during the refurbishment, with performances continuing on a reduced capacity basis.

The venue itself, originally opened in 1911 as the New Prince’s Theatre, is a Grade II listed building notable for its steel-frame construction and its rare domed feature. It was renamed the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1962 following the destruction of the original Shaftesbury Theatre during the Blitz.

The venue’s chairman Donald Taffner Jnr said: “DameJudi has been a close friend of the DLT family for so long, particularly from her involvement with As Time Goes By, and we will always treasure the time she made in her busy schedule to make the programme. We have such fond memories of Judi at the Shaftesbury from the meetings for the Theatre of Comedy members to when her husband was performing in a number of the Theatre of Comedy productions. Aside from business, my parents would often talk about how much they enjoyed spending time with Judi and Michael in both NY and London. We are therefore delighted to recognise her extraordinary talent and extensive contribution to many in the renaming of our theatre.”