Fortune Theatre
Fortune Theatre
4
10:00 AM - 8:15 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 8:15 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 8:15 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 8:15 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 8:15 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 8:15 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 8:15 PM
About
One of Covent Garden’s smallest venues, the Fortune Theatre instils a sense of both atmosphere and intimacy. Providing guests with some of the best seats in theatre, the stage brings the West End up close. Built in 1924, the Fortune has seen many stars tread the boards, from Dame Judi Dench to Alan Bennett and beyond! Since 1989, the Fortune Theatre has been home to the enigmatic and brilliant production of The Woman in Black. Tickets are available to book from our online box office.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Covent Garden
Whether you're headed here to check out the multitude of shops, theaters, cafes, pubs, and restaurants, or simply to be among the multitude of people who pass through this pretty part of town, you'll love soaking up the festive and historic atmosphere in and around Covent Garden. Even if you don't have tickets to the opera or a show at one of the many famous theaters here, don't be surprised if find yourself captivated by some impromptu act of a street performer wowing the crowds in Covent Garden's Piazza. If you do have tickets, you'll be pleased to note that many of the local eateries accommodate theatergoers with prix fixe menus, early dinners, and later than usual opening hours.
How to get there
- Covent Garden • 4 min walk
- Holborn • 6 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
- davidPinner, United Kingdom35 contributionsGreat show, poor facilitiesWe loved Operation Mincemeat! Brilliantly done, funny, good songs, great cast etc. but leg room is non-existent (we were in the dress circle) and hardly any toilet facilities resulted in long queues. Shame as the show was very enjoyableVisited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 19 September 2023
- Caroline VLondon, United Kingdom13 contributionsOne of the best musicals I’ve ever seen.Amazing night. One of the best musicals I’ve ever seen. Loved everything about it. The cast were incredible. Great singing, costume changes, acting and dancing. Wasn’t expecting it to be so funny. The 5 strong cast have so many lines and choreography to learn to that I was in awe. Would definitely see again. You have to concentrate to hear all the lyrics as you don’t want to miss the comedy. Loved the fact that it was based on a true event.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 3 October 2023
- OxonLioness462 contributionsOperation Mincemeat 5* show, 4* venueOperation Mincemeat was brilliant - 5* show. The venue was a fairly typical old theatre. Seats were very uncomfortable with little leg room. My view was also quite badly obstructed (Upper Circle C5) by an additional safety barrier rail. I had to bend down a lot of the performance to see the actors faces. This wasn’t made clear when I booked.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 11 October 2023
- Eleanor W1 contributionGood show, but legroom dreadfulVery good show, though it's a shame that it was difficult to make out the words in some of the songs. But the seats (Dress Circle row D) were amongst the most uncomfortable I've ever come across, due to the lack of legroom. I'm only 5'4, so I hate to think how anyone any taller would cope.Visited November 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 10 November 2023
- Mandy BBromley, United Kingdom59 contributionsSuperb show - poor facilitiesOperation mincemeat is an excellent show - the actors are hugely talented swapping characters seamlessly. Very clever and they work so hard. The theatre is very cosy so gives a intimate atmosphere. However the amenities are disappointingly poor. 2 ladies cubicles for the whole of the stalls and the cubicles were tiny! Nearly missed the start of the performance as the queue to use the toilets was so long. I was told there were more facilities upstairs - they were equally as poor ! It’s really not fair that is ladies have to spend our interval anxiously queueing to use the toilet whilst our male friends are able to pop to the toilet (in a matter of minutes) and enjoy a leisurely drink. I appreciate the théâtre is old but surely there must be a way to add more toilet facilities so that everyone is happy and comfortable?Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 18 November 2023
- JohnNB64London, United Kingdom73 contributionsGreat show, poor venueVery entertaining show with a cast of just 5 and Natasha Hodgson very funny as Ewen Montague. Sharp script and fairly galloped along. Only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars is the venue, the Fortune Theatre. Others have already touched on it, but the seating makes for a miserable experience. No idea what it’s like in the Stalls, but up in the Circle the lack of legroom borders on farcical. If you’re anywhere over about 5ft 9’, you’ll give up, like me and a dozen or more others did, and go and stand up at the back and watch it, which when you’ve shelled out £60 and you’re out for an evening with friends or family, is a pretty unsociable thing to have to do.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 3 January 2024
- SarahNottingham, United Kingdom15 contributionsAbsolutely brilliantThe show was absolutely fantastic, the script and the acting are both brilliant. We were completely engaged from start to finish. The venue isn’t great, as a number of people have said, the toilet facilities for women are poor. I know some have complained about seats too, ours were in the stalls about three rows from the front, down the left hand side, and they were great, perfect view and plenty of leg room.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 5 February 2024
- watson642Colchester, United Kingdom29 contributionsExcellentWent to see Operation Mince Meat, OMG what a great musical. The cast work fantastically hard as there’s just 5 of them being, god knows how many characters!! So funny, songs were great. Brilliant writing, great true story. One of my favourite shows I’ve seen 🥰Visited February 2024Travelled with familyWritten 23 February 2024
- Sarah CAshtead, United Kingdom1,295 contributionsOperation Mincemeat is brilliantOperation Mincemeat is a brilliant show, all the more so for all parts being performed by the five actors swapping simple headgear etc, and three of them wrote it. The scenery is clever, the songs catchy and of course it's a great (true) story. The theatre itself is quite small. We were in Upper Circle whose seats are vertiginous but we felt we saw enough of the staging etc for it not to be an issueVisited February 2024Travelled with familyWritten 5 March 2024
- Steve BuckleyLondon, United Kingdom8,891 contributionsTheatre is showing its age but Operation Mincemeat more than made up for it!My wife and myself - together with two other family members - paid our first visit last night to the Fortune Theatre in Russell Street to see Operation Mincemeat. The property itself is relatively small and dated but the staff were most accommodating and I thoroughly enjoyed the Show which was very impressively performed with 5 actors carrying out multiple roles. Whilst not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea, I would certainly recommend people to go along with an open mind and enjoy themselves!Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 8 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
513 reviews
Excellent
205
Very good
170
Average
52
Poor
37
Terrible
49
Eyekaytoo
Leverkusen, Germany3,134 contributions
Feb 2023
I had reserved a ticket online to see the dark and ghostly play, "The Woman in Black". I found the Fortune Theatre off Covent Garden quite easily and earlier in the evening than planned. But some of the audience were trickling in and I made my way up to the tiny Dress Circle bar for a drink. I forked out over 8 quid for a bottle of German styled lager type beer brewed in Camden, North London. The young man behind the bar was polite and friendly and happy to chat when not serving other guests.
When we got the calls prior to the show starting I gingerly made my way to my seat in the 2nd row up in the Dress circle. It's certainly true that this is a very small and intimate theatre. But, my goodness, for normal sized adults the legroom was awful. Just like sitting in the back of a cheap discount airline. I really spent the whole performance crunched up, unable to move and started to worry about deep vein thrombosis risks. Only the intermission provided some relief - oh, and then I was lucky enough to find a disabled restroom which didn't appear to have been discovered by the crowds. Which reminds me - there is no cloakroom so any large coats or, heaven forbid, bags have to be accommodated within your miniscule seat space. How some people managed it I just don't know.
This review is all about the theatre - not the excellent two man show (well, there is a woman in black as well) but she didn't even get to join in the curtain calls at the end. So my review is focused on the theatre, which while it is very quaint, just isn't set up for a comfortable evening for normal sized adults. Sorry.
When we got the calls prior to the show starting I gingerly made my way to my seat in the 2nd row up in the Dress circle. It's certainly true that this is a very small and intimate theatre. But, my goodness, for normal sized adults the legroom was awful. Just like sitting in the back of a cheap discount airline. I really spent the whole performance crunched up, unable to move and started to worry about deep vein thrombosis risks. Only the intermission provided some relief - oh, and then I was lucky enough to find a disabled restroom which didn't appear to have been discovered by the crowds. Which reminds me - there is no cloakroom so any large coats or, heaven forbid, bags have to be accommodated within your miniscule seat space. How some people managed it I just don't know.
This review is all about the theatre - not the excellent two man show (well, there is a woman in black as well) but she didn't even get to join in the curtain calls at the end. So my review is focused on the theatre, which while it is very quaint, just isn't set up for a comfortable evening for normal sized adults. Sorry.
Written 6 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grahamswindonboy
Swindon, UK27 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
Saw the woman in black on Saturday. Excellent show from two actors and a ghost who appeared occasionally to make us all jump
Theatre is small but tidy and looks like a dolls house, bar and toilets are very tight however. Overall though we enjoyed the show and the place and would highly recommend it
Theatre is small but tidy and looks like a dolls house, bar and toilets are very tight however. Overall though we enjoyed the show and the place and would highly recommend it
Written 27 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve Buckley
London, UK8,891 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
My wife and myself - together with two other family members - paid our first visit last night to the Fortune Theatre in Russell Street to see Operation Mincemeat.
The property itself is relatively small and dated but the staff were most accommodating and I thoroughly enjoyed the Show which was very impressively performed with 5 actors carrying out multiple roles. Whilst
not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea, I would certainly recommend people to go along with an open mind and enjoy themselves!
The property itself is relatively small and dated but the staff were most accommodating and I thoroughly enjoyed the Show which was very impressively performed with 5 actors carrying out multiple roles. Whilst
not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea, I would certainly recommend people to go along with an open mind and enjoy themselves!
Written 8 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bluebellknoll000
Edinburgh, UK453 contributions
Sept 2022 • Couples
Absolutely loved this compact theatre in Covent Garden. We booked tickets last minute, and everything about it was so easy. The bar didn’t seem particularly crowded and we could pre-order half time drinks. We were allowed to take glasses into the production, the stage was easy to see from all angles and the acoustics were perfect. The acting was really fantastic and the play kept us engaged from start to finish. Because the theatre is very small, it felt quite intimate, with a lot responding from the audience. It was just a really lovely atmosphere. The only down side was that the ladies’ loo are absolutely tiny. It was a squeeze to get past people on the way in and out and there isn’t room to swing a cat. Apart from that, just perfect. Loved it.
Written 25 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trip21426095186
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Friends
Terrible theatre. Price (£90) the same throughout the whole theatre despite in the majority of seats you are unable to see the stage properly. The most I've spent on a play and sadly the worst experience. I would avoid until they change theatre or change pricing for bad seats.
Further more ATG and the theatre have not responding to questions and advice for over 30 days. Very disappointed in the customer service
The play of what I saw was a weird but wonderful spin on a piece of British ww2 history.
Further more ATG and the theatre have not responding to questions and advice for over 30 days. Very disappointed in the customer service
The play of what I saw was a weird but wonderful spin on a piece of British ww2 history.
Written 13 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mandy B
Bromley, UK59 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Operation mincemeat is an excellent show - the actors are hugely talented swapping characters seamlessly. Very clever and they work so hard. The theatre is very cosy so gives a intimate atmosphere. However the amenities are disappointingly poor. 2 ladies cubicles for the whole of the stalls and the cubicles were tiny! Nearly missed the start of the performance as the queue to use the toilets was so long. I was told there were more facilities upstairs - they were equally as poor ! It’s really not fair that is ladies have to spend our interval anxiously queueing to use the toilet whilst our male friends are able to pop to the toilet (in a matter of minutes) and enjoy a leisurely drink. I appreciate the théâtre is old but surely there must be a way to add more toilet facilities so that everyone is happy and comfortable?
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pritika
9 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
I did not enjoy the performance at all. For context, this was my 8th play/ musical and I was sorely disappointed. I'd been looking forward to watching but wish I hadn't booked. There was absolutely nothing that stood out. The acting, sets, music were all quite average. The humor was kiddish. The plot was interesting but I don't like the way the musical dealt with it. I feel like I get my money's worth when watching the Lion King, Frozen, Book of Mormon or even Play that goes wrong. This, sadly, felt like a waste of money. I wish I could get a refund because I really feel it was not worth what I paid.
Written 29 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EffieMew123
Austin, TX57 contributions
Nov 2021
This theater is small, but intimate and lovely. I saw the Woman in Black there with a couple friends, and the staff were friendly and helpful, even letting us move seats so we were closer to the front during the intermission because there were some empty seats. The experience was very intimate as mentioned, and even prior to moving our seats, our "cheaper ones" were good enough that we could see details of the actors faces (and our tickets were only about $20 USD). I really enjoyed the show; I have been to Her Majesty's Theater to see Phantom of the Opera in the past even and I felt like the quality of the show experience was comparable.
Written 30 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicola W
7 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Stunning theatre, seeped in history. But...there is NO leg room!! It was very painful for a 2.5 hour show.
Also, I get you're inLondon but £2.50 for a 330 ml can of pop is taking the Michael..!
Plus side, staff were lovely and enthusiastic. They welcomed us warmly.
Also, I get you're inLondon but £2.50 for a 330 ml can of pop is taking the Michael..!
Plus side, staff were lovely and enthusiastic. They welcomed us warmly.
Written 20 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RgL
10 contributions
Jul 2023
Loved the Venue, but Operation Mincemeat was a real disappointment. The performers were very good and gave it their all but it just wasn't really very funny. Was so excited based on all the online reviews and ready for a riotous night, and it just didn't meet expectations, although clearly it has a huge fan base and many in the audience have been back time and time again. Just was not for us.
Written 15 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, I'm travelling down from Yorkshire and will have a small case, will I be allowed in the theatre with it? I won't have time to drop it off. Thx.
Written 22 November 2018
You should be fine but prepared to open it for security check
Written 23 November 2018
Is there an age restriction for children my daughters will be 16 & 10(nearly 11)? Thanks.
Written 21 March 2018
I am not aware of age restrictions but I would not take anyone pre-teenager to this as they may find it frightening and also it is slow in parts. Having recently seen Aladdin - I would highly recommend that as an alternative.
Hope this helps
Written 22 March 2018
Any one recommend which seats are the best? The prices seems to make me think row G in the stalls but what do others think
Written 14 July 2015
We were in the 'stalls' and had a fantastic view with lots of atmosphere. Enjoy!
Written 16 July 2015
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