London Theatre Guide

Posted on 28 April 2012

If you are visiting London and would like to see one of the many famous plays or musicals (or both) on offer, then the best London theatre guide to help you make your choice would be someone who has been there before and experienced it themselves first hand.  If you are good friends with the person and have a lot of the same interests then even better, they can give you an honest opinion about the show and will probably know if you would also like or dislike the overall performance.  Personally I am a fan of the big musicals with grand stage designs, lots of colour, extravagant consumes and of course a fabulously catchy sound track to go along with it.

One of my all time favourites which has sadly now closed is Priscilla Queen Of The Desert which was showing at the Palace Theatre in London's West End.  It was everything I had hoped it would be and more.  Full of colour, comedy and many well known songs to get you in the mood to party.  I have never understood why this show closed when certain other musicals are still running after many many years and don't even half live up to the level that Priscilla has set.

For a safe choice on a musical where you know you will enjoy the show and will not feel bad about spending such an amount on a top price seat is Disney's The Lion King.  The Lion King opened in London's West End in October 1999 at the Lyceum Theatre and is still going strong and is now regarded as London's best musical and the number one selling show in London.  This multi-award winning musical will re-define your expectations of London Theatre.  It follows the story of  baby Lion cub Simba and his journey through life to then take his place as King of the Pridelands.  It truly is a spectacular show and if you don't leave the theatre humming one of the contagious songs like Hakuna Matatta or I Can't Wait To Be King then you mustn't have been listening.

Another great musical to see is the iconic Mamma Mia.  Mamma Mia is the ultimate feel good show. Opening in London's West End at the Prince Edward Theatre on 6 April 1999, it then transferred to the Prince of Wales Theatre on 9 June 2004 where it has been bringing joy to London theatregoers ever since. Actually to be more precise, around 42 million people have seen Mamma Mia in one of its many performances throughout the world, so if you are someone who has not had the pleasure of seeing this fabulous show, then you need to get your Mamma Mia Tickets pronto!

If you prefer a bit of dance or ballet then head on over to Sadler's Wells. Sadler's Wells is the UK's leading dance house and brings the very best UK and international dance to London audiences.  Sadler's Wells includes the Peacock Theatre and the Lilian Baylis Studios and generally the performances are only showing for a limited time and very few performances so you would need to check well in advance to make sure you get tickets.

As you can see, just from these two currently running shows alone, plus many more, you are definitely not short of choice when you are looking for an exciting musical to see.  These two especially will not let you down.

So if you are looking to buy theatre tickets and are not sure where to go or what to see then let your friend be your London theatre guide and trust in their word.