Hollywood themed events

Posted on 7 June 2011

It might seem odd, but even when people spend time in London they often still look for Hollywood themed events. Celebrity culture is big business and the glamour and sparkle that Hollywood represents is the pinnacle of it all. Even since the motion picture industry began people have wanted to chase the Hollywood Dream - that elusive bit of stardust that tells us anything is possible - any of us can be rich and famous.

Madame Tussauds
Whether we dream of being a movie star, an adored singer with legions of fans, or just a celebrity for celebrity's sake, Hollywood is the place where those dreams can come true. Even if we haven't quite got the confidence to make our wildest dreams come true for ourselves we are fascinated with those who have. It is no wonder then that in the last decade we have seen a dramatic move from models fronting advertising campaigns and gracing the cover of fashion magazines. Being a mere model isn't enough - we want to use the shampoo Eva Longoria uses, shave with David Beckham's favoured razor brand and spritz with J-Lo's perfume.

It is no wonder then that Madame Tussauds London is still doing a brisk trade. The attraction offers a selection of uncannily lifelike wax sculptures of celebrities from the past and present for the public to marvel at. Established by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud it originally toured the UK with great success before finding a permanent base at Baker Street Bazaar in London in 1835. In 1884 it moved to Marylebone Road, where it still resides today. It's distinctive green dome used to house the London Planetarium and the Madame Tussaud chain now has branches in nine major cities around the globe with Blackpool and Vienna to be added to the tally this summer. It is run by the Merlin Entertainments group which also owns The London Eye, The London Dungeon,Alton Towers and Thorpe Park.

Madame Tussauds is made up of various themed zones, such as the A-List Party where visitors can mingle with Brad and Angelina, Leonardo di Caprio and Twilight star Robert Pattinson amongst others. The smallest waxwork ever made is of Tinkerbell from the Disney film Peter Pan and can be found in Premiere Night, also known as The Movie Room. Here you can pose for your own paparazzi pic with Marilyn Monroe in her classic up-blown skirt pose, give tips to Steven Spielberg and tell Terminator turned Governor turned Terminator again, Arnold Schwarzenegger, that he'd better watch out or it will be you who'll be back! Tiger Woods and Mohammed Ali grace The Sports Room, while in Music Megastars you can jam along with Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga and more. Tussauds is probably the pinnacle of Hollywood themed events outside of the States itself...rubbing shoulders with this many stars you can really feel like you've hit the big time!