With a Shakespearean heritage and a famous West End that is filled with star power, London is a dream city for theater fans. Here’s a short sweet overview of what you need to know about London’s famous theater scene.
The basics
West End and other major players
The West End, located in central London, is London’s theater district and contains around 40 theaters. With all the prestige of Broadway (if not more), West End shows are the heavy hitters with the big names. They can be of any genre, including musicals, plays, comedies, or even pantomime (a family musical comedy). Some of the most popular West End stage productions include the world famous “Hamilton” at the Victoria Palace Theater; »Matilda The Musical» at the Cambridge Theater; “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” at the Palace Theater; and the longest-running West End musical, “Les Misérables” at The Queen’s Theater.
Although it is not considered West End, there are a number of prestigious ‘non-commercial’ theaters. Some of the most iconic independent theaters are Old Vic and Young Vic; both are located on The Cut, a street in Waterloo by the South Bank. The other important institution in that area is the respected National Theater. Housed in a massive complex with three auditoriums, this South Bank venue hosts up to twenty-five productions a year.
Off West End
Like Off Broadway, Off West End refers to London’s “fringe” theaters outside the West End, such as the Lyric Hammersmith, the Bush Theater, and the Donmar Warehouse.
Theater Pub
Also included in the Off West End category and fringe theater is the pub theater, which consists of more informal productions housed in separate rooms of pubs. Some notable pubs include Earl’s Court’s award-winning Finborough, which features plays and musical theater, and Upstairs at The Gatehouse, a quaint pub-pub in Camden that features a variety of genres and shows.
Shakespeare
London loves Shakespeare (it was his adopted city after all), and every time you come to the capital, you are sure to find a bit of classic Shakespeare on stage. A good place to start is the Shakespeare’s Globe open-air theater, which is a reconstruction of the original Elizabethan playhouse located by the River Thames in the Southwark area of London. The venue hosts guided tours and features famous Shakespearean plays. The seats are covered, but the area right in front of the stage, called the patio, is for standing only and is exposed to the elements.
The Royal Shakespeare Company, although based in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Bard’s hometown, always has productions in London. You can watch “The Taming of the Shrew” right now until August 2019.
Of course, there are also other places to see Shakespeare in London. For example, until August 2019, The Bridge Theater will present a fully immersive production of the famous comedy »A Midsummer Night’s Dream«.
Outdoor theater
In addition to Shakespeare’s Globe, there are several other outdoor venues for shows, most of which only appear in the warm summer months. The Regent’s Park Open Air Theater presents Shakespeare, musicals and operas, and there is the Holland Park Opera in the same park as Holland.
Song and dance
Throughout the year, the historic Royal Opera House in Covent Garden is home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet, and The London Coliseum in the West End is home to the English National Ballet.
How to get tickets
Online
Most tickets can be booked online through the show’s website. Subscribe to the theater newsletter to be the first to know about new releases and tickets.
There are also other online ticketing sites like TodayTix, which sells discounted last minute tickets to over 50 London shows through its website and app. There are tickets for shows that play that day, as well as shows that play up to thirty days in advance.
In person
Almost all theaters have ticket offices, so to avoid online fees, try to stop by in person. For sold-out shows, it’s worth checking at the box office for any late-out or returned tickets.
Another way to get discounted, last-minute tickets is to go to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square. Sell tickets for shows that take place that day, as well as tickets for shows up to a week in advance.
Live music in London
