Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, the first Phantom and the first Christine, were back on stage at His Majesty's Theatre on 9 October as Phantom of the Opera celebrated 40 years in the West End with a gala performance.
The gala fell on the exact anniversary: Phantom of the Opera opened at the same address on 9 October 1986, when the building was still Her Majesty's Theatre. Its producer, Cameron Mackintosh, now has two musicals past the 40-year mark in the West End, the other being Les Misérables, and this one has played all four decades at His Majesty's Theatre.
The evening opened with a full performance by the current company, assembled for a limited birthday season. Jordan Donica played The Phantom opposite Beatrice Penny-Touré as Christine Daaé, with Rhys Whitfield as Raoul, Sierra Boggess as Carlotta, Matt Bateman as Piangi, Joseph Millson and Ian Pirie as Monsieur André and Monsieur Firmin, Joanna Riding as Madame Giry and Millie Lyon as Meg Giry. Boggess has her own place in the show's history, having sung Christine at the 25th anniversary staging at the Royal Albert Hall.
What followed was the curtain call promised when the gala was announced in September: performers from across the show's four decades, including alumni of productions abroad, joined the company on stage. The two who brought the audience to its feet were the originals from 1986, Crawford and Brightman.
Andrew Lloyd Webber addressed the house, thanking those who have worked on the show since its premiere and giving particular credit to Brightman for her part in its early development, not least for introducing him to Crawford. "It's one of those rare moments that any composer, any author would want, where every element of everything came together," he said. Mackintosh paid tribute to the performers and production teams who have staged the show around the world, adding: "Phantom has always attracted wonderful, wonderful artists, but tonight's company is truly extraordinary."
The night was also on camera. The gala forms part of the live capture announced earlier this week, which will take the London production into cinemas internationally in 2027. And it was a fundraiser: the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and the Mackintosh Foundation are matching the proceeds from gala ticket sales, and the money will launch a Phantom 40th Scholarship Programme paying for professional training at performing arts schools across the UK. Applications open for the 2027-28 academic year. Penny-Touré, the evening's Christine, is a former Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation scholar.
Away from the theatre, LW Entertainment and its partners projected the Phantom's mask on to landmarks around London, among them sites near St Paul's Cathedral, Oxford Street, the Shard and Hammersmith Bridge, while Cologne, Shanghai and New York, where Times Square and the Vessel took part, staged their own displays. The same day brought the digital release of Lloyd Webber's 2026 mix of the 1986 original London cast recording, and a photographic book on the show's 40-year history is due at the end of October.
The numbers behind the birthday are considerable. Since 1986 the musical has been seen by 160 million people in 229 cities across 54 territories, and performed in 23 languages. The anniversary company is at His Majesty's until 21 November 2026.
Tickets for Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty's Theatre are on sale now for performances until 2 October 2027.
