|
There are over 100 London theatres in the West End, showing musicals, dance shows and even haunted plays.
There are so many London theatres to chose from that the best way to pick is to either visit a classic that has never left the West End or read the thousands of reviews online.
Either way, from traditional musicals to Shakespeare, there is so much to see during a stay in the capital.
Most theatres are around Leicester Square, aptly named Theatreland, and you can find a room from just £25 to rest your head after a night on the town, just minutes from the theatre.
Tickets for most shows are between £30 and £60, but on the morning before you plan to see a show, head to a ticket office in Leicester Square and you can get a ticket for as little as £10.
Looking for a cheap hotel near Theatreland? Book from only £9.17 per person
See what everyone's talking about!
While the classics are still just that, classic, there are some shows that are less than ten years old and are already taking the world by storm.
Wicked (Apollo Theatre; Victoria; Telephone: 0844 826 8000) has been voted as the Best West End Show by Whatsonstage.com and tells the story of the Good and Wicked witches before Dorothy came along in the Wizard of Oz.
Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace Theatre; Victoria; Telephone: 0844 811 0055) is based on the film of the same name about a boy in County Durham during the miner's strike who wants to become a ballet dancer. All of the timeless songs have been created by Elton John.
The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre; Covent Garden; Telephone: 0844 544 3830) is also based on the original film, with stunning costumes and puppetry. And it is not just a kids show.
Sing along to your favourite pop groups
We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre; Tottenham Court Road; Telephone: 0844 847 1775) will please any Queen fan and the show has also been created by UK funny-man Ben Elton.
Mamma Mia! (Prince of Wales Theatre; Leicester Square; Telephone: 0844 482 5115) uses a similar theme, taking the music of Abba and putting it to a unique storyline.
Jersey Boys (Prince Edward Theatre; Leicester Square; Telephone: 0844 482 5151), meanwhile, tells the story of the rise of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, featuring all of their hits.
Set your sights on the classics
In 2010 Les Miserables (Queens Theatre; Leicester Square; Telephone: 0844 482 5160) celebrates its 25th anniversary on the West End, showing how popular the musical is.
But the Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty's Theatre; Piccadilly Circus; Telephone: 0844 412 2707) has also been wowing crowds for 24 years and reportedly 100 million people over the world have come to see the show.
Now, Andrew Lloyd Webber has created a sequel to his masterpiece, Love Never Dies (Adelphi Theatre; Charing Cross; Telephone: 0844 412 4651), which continues the story in New York.
Plays on the West End
The Woman in Black (Fortune Theatre; Covent Garden; Telephone: 0844 871 7626) is a long-running play that has been terrifying audiences for 21 years. Over seven million people watched the haunted house tale and it is now being made into a film with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe.
For a lighter evening, Alfred Hitchcock's spy thriller The 39 steps (Criterion Theatre; Piccadilly Circus; Telephone: 0844 847 1778) is on the West End, but visitors can look online for a hundreds of plays showing every night around London.
See movie classics get their stage turn
Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre; Charing Cross; Telephone: 0844 847 2330), Grease (Piccadilly Theatre; Leicester Square; Telephone: 0844 412 6666), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Palace Theatre; Leicester Square; Telephone: 0844 755 0016) and Flashdance (Shaftsbury Theatre; Leicester Square; Telephone: 020 7379 5399) have all made a successful transformation to the West End stage and they all provide a great night out, particularly for hen parties.
Every now and again there are also some famous faces that will take their turn donning the leotard and perms, so check online when buying tickets.
It's really cheap to stay near the Open Air Theatre! Hotels near Regent's Park cost as little as £9.17 per person
Get cultural with Shakespeare
There is usually somewhere in London that you can find a Shakespeare play. During the summer months the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park puts on a classic play of the bard's (weather dependent) and the Globe Theatre (St Pauls; Telephone: 020 7902 1400) has recreated what it would have been like to watch one of his plays 400 years ago.
Better still, groundlings tickets (standing) are just £5 at the Globe.
|
