Premiering on 9 November 1971 at London's Royal Court Theatre, The Changing Room had a limited, sold-out run before transferring to the Globe in the West End on 14 December.

[1] It was directed by Lindsay Anderson and the cast included Jim Norton, David Daker, Warren Clarke, Brian Glover, Alun Armstrong and John Barrett.

Noël Coward commented, leaving the theatre: "15 acorns are hardly worth the price of admission," referring to the male nudity.

[7] American critics were more glowing in their praise, with the production hailed by Walter Kerr of The New York Times as "mysterious and ultimately mesmerizing.

"[5] The Broadway production of The Changing Room won the New York Drama Critics' Circle award for best play for the 1973 season.

[citation needed] In contrast, Paul Taylor of The Independent wrote, "...The Changing Room seems, in 1996, at once a timeless study of male bonding rites and a preservation in art of a fast-vanishing culture.