Shaftesbury Theatre to be renamed for Judi Dench

The West End venue, which currently houses the musical Avenue Q, will undergo the name change in 2027 to honour the 91-year-old stage and screen legend.

Summary

• The Shaftesbury Theatre will be renamed for Dame Judi Dench in February 2027
• The multi-award-winning actress has a long history of involvement with the venue
• The venue is currently home to Avenue Q

The Shaftesbury Theatre will be renamed the Judi Dench Theatre in honour of Dame Judi Dench and her contributions not only to British theatre, but the performing arts at large. The renaming is set to take place in February 2027.

The 91-year-old actress has earned seven Olivier Awards, six British Academy Film Awards, an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and four British Academy Television Awards for her work on screen and on stages in the U.K. and U.S. She was a founding member of the Theatre of Comedy, an artist collective that had part shares in the Shaftesbury Theatre and was involved in numerous productions there.

Dench said in a statement, “The Shaftesbury Theatre has always held a special place in my heart. My relationship to the Theatre of Comedy and to [theatre owners] 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.”

The Shaftesbury Theatre was originally named New Prince’s Theatre when it was built in 1911, adopting its current name in 1962 after the original Shaftesbury was destroyed. The venue is currently home to Avenue Q, booking to 3 January 2027.

Photo credit: Judi Dench and the Shaftesbury Theatre. (Dench photo by Robert Wilson; photos courtesy of the theatre and Jo Allan PR)