Britten Theatre

The Britten Theatre serves as the primary opera house for the Royal College of Music, an institution where the composer Benjamin Britten himself studied as a student in the nineteen thirties. When you enter, you might notice the striking contrast between its unassuming, glass-walled foyer and the interior auditorium. Sir Hugh Casson designed this space in the style of an Italian opera house, packing a proscenium arch, an orchestra pit, and a counterweight flying system into an intimate, tiered room. Queen Elizabeth the Second officially opened the theatre in nineteen eighty-six to provide a dedicated home for the college's growing opera and performing arts program. While it remains a pillar of classical music training, the theatre is versatile enough to host everything from stand-up comedy specials to international film productions.