Getting to the Kit Kat Club
Nearest tube + walk time: Embankment
Get directionsMap: Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5DE
Open in Google MapsNorthumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5DE. The Playhouse Theatre stands on the corner of Northumberland Avenue and Craven Street, between Trafalgar Square and the river.
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What time to arrive
Arrive at least 50 minutes before the performance, and 70 is better. For a 7:30pm that means between 6:20pm and 6:40pm.
The doors open 75 minutes before curtain and your booking carries a club entry time. Ten performers are credited to the hour before the show and are in the building only for that hour, so a 7:20pm arrival has paid for the whole evening and come for the last part of it. There is the pre-show to watch and time for a drink in one of the three bars before the musical starts.
Not everyone agrees it fills an hour: some people find there is not enough going on, and one critic called it fun but inessential. We still say come early. It is included with every ticket, and with a drink in your hand and the pre-show going on around you, it is a social evening worth being part of.
Bags are checked on the way in, and there is no lift, so allow longer again if you are heading up to the Dress Circle or the Upper Circle.
By tube
Embankment is the one to use: 2 minutes. Bakerloo, Circle, District and Northern lines. Leave by Embankment Place, go under the bridge, and the theatre is on your right as you reach Northumberland Avenue.
Charing Cross is next door, under 5 minutes on foot, on the Bakerloo and Northern lines and a mainline station as well. Come out onto the Strand, walk down Northumberland Street or Villiers Street and you are on Northumberland Avenue.
An evening performance is out at around 10:15pm, in good time for the last tube from either. A matinee is out at around 4:45pm.
By bus
Trafalgar Square is a hub, so a lot of buses stop within three minutes of the door.
On Northumberland Avenue itself, at the Trafalgar Square stop: the 91.
At Charing Cross station, about 3 minutes: the 9, 15, 23, 139 and 176.
Around Trafalgar Square and the top of Whitehall, 3 to 4 minutes: the 24, 26, 29, 87, 88 and 91.
Down Whitehall at Horseguards Avenue, about 4 minutes: the 12, 159 and 453.
Most of the night network runs through Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross. The N9, N11, N15, N18, N21, N26, N29, N44, N87, N91, N97 and N155 all stop within a few minutes of the door, which is the answer when a 10:15pm finish is past your last train.
By taxi
Northumberland Avenue is wide and there is room to set down outside. There are ranks at Charing Cross station, three minutes away, and Embankment is a straightforward pick-up after the show.
Parking, and driving in
Congestion Charge and ULEZ both apply.
The nearest car park, Q-Park Trafalgar on Cockspur Street, is temporarily closed. Q-Park Chinatown on Newport Place, WC2H 7PU, is the nearest working alternative at about 12 minutes' walk.
By bike
There are Santander Cycle docking stations on Northumberland Avenue itself and along Victoria Embankment, with more around Trafalgar Square.
Getting Here FAQs
How early should I arrive at the Kit Kat Club?
Fifty to seventy minutes before the performance, which is far earlier than we tell people to arrive anywhere else. The doors open 75 minutes ahead and your booking carries a club entry time. Arriving fifteen minutes before curtain means missing a part of the evening you have already paid for.
What is the nearest tube station to the Kit Kat Club?
Embankment, and it is barely two minutes away. Charing Cross is under five minutes and is also a mainline station, which makes it the better choice if you are coming in by train.
How do I get to the Playhouse Theatre from Charing Cross station?
Leave by the main Strand entrance, cross to Northumberland Street or walk down Villiers Street, and turn onto Northumberland Avenue. It is under five minutes and the theatre is on the corner near the river end.
Which buses stop near the Kit Kat Club?
The 91 stops on Northumberland Avenue itself. The 9, 15, 23, 139 and 176 stop at Charing Cross station about three minutes away, and the 24, 26, 29, 87 and 88 stop around Trafalgar Square. The 12, 159 and 453 stop on Whitehall.
Where can I park near the Playhouse Theatre?
Q-Park Trafalgar on Cockspur Street is the closest and it is temporarily closed, so Q-Park Chinatown on Newport Place is the nearest working option at about 12 minutes' walk. Congestion Charge and ULEZ both apply.