London is, with New York, the world capital of theatre. The West End, the theatre district between Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden, the Strand and Haymarket, has some forty historic venues, plus the great subsidised theatres, dozens of small experimental stages and seasons of opera, ballet and classical music. Going to the theatre, even without perfect English, is one of the best experiences of a trip to London.
Musicals
Musicals are the most popular genre with visitors, and some run for decades. Les Misérables, playing since 1985, is the West End's longest-running musical; Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera has been on stage since 1986. Alongside the classics are more recent hits, from The Lion King to Wicked, Hamilton and Matilda, and every season brings new productions. For those whose English is not fluent, musicals are the easiest choice, because music and staging tell the story.
Drama and Shakespeare
- Shakespeare's Globe, on the South Bank: the reconstruction of the Elizabethan playhouse, opened in 1997 near the original site, with an open-air stage and a standing yard. The season runs from April to October, and tickets for the groundlings, the standing audience, are very cheap. Next door, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is a candlelit theatre for the winter season.
- National Theatre, on the South Bank: three auditoriums with outstanding productions, from classics to new writing.
- The Barbican, Old Vic, Young Vic, Royal Court, Donmar Warehouse and Almeida: the theatres for the most innovative productions and, often, film stars on stage.
- Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, running continuously since 1952: the longest-running play in the world.
Opera, ballet and classical music
The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden is home to the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet; English National Opera sings in English at the London Coliseum. For classical music there are the Southbank Centre, the Barbican, Wigmore Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, which in summer hosts the Proms, eight weeks of concerts with cheap standing tickets.
How to buy tickets
- Online on the official theatre or production websites, the safest way; beware of resellers with high fees.
- TKTS in Leicester Square, the official booth selling discounted tickets for same-day and upcoming shows.
- Day seats and lotteries: many theatres release cheap seats on the morning of the performance or allocate them through online draws.
- Prices: for a musical, from about £25 for the furthest seats to over £150 for the best; Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often cheaper.
Tips
Evening shows generally start at 7.30pm, matinees on Wednesday or Thursday and Saturday. There is no dress code, although many people dress up for the opera. Before or after the show, Soho and Covent Garden offer restaurants with fixed-price pre-theatre menus. See also pubs and nightlife, the neighbourhoods and the London guide.