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There are certain things London does unnecessarily well. Museums, pubs, complaining about the weather and, without question, theatre. Walk through the West End at around seven in the evening and you can almost watch the city change shifts. Office workers disappear into Tube stations, restaurants suddenly fill, illuminated signs glow above old theatre entrances and several thousand people simultaneously realise they probably should have booked somewhere for dinner.
Theatreland is one of my favourite versions of London. Some of the buildings are attractions in their own right, some productions have been running for decades, and behind those doors thousands of people are about to sit down and willingly agree to believe whatever happens on a stage for the next few hours. I love that. Before I start telling you where to go, what to see and why London's theatre history is quite as dramatic as some of the productions it contains, I should probably explain why I've written an entire blog about it in the first place.
Theatre and Me
I love theatre, and not just in an “I've seen a couple of West End shows” kind of way. Theatre has somehow been part of my life for as long as I can remember. In fact, my first two VHS tapes as a child were recordings of the stage productions of Cats and Oklahoma!, which, looking back, probably explains quite a lot.
I've always seen a kind of magic in theatre that I've never quite found in the same way at the cinema. With film, the performance has already happened. It's been filmed, edited and perfected before you ever sit down to watch it. Theatre is happening right there in front of you. The actors have one chance to perform that evening's show for that particular audience, and no two performances will ever be completely identical. Something could go wrong, and occasionally something does. A prop misbehaves, a line gets tangled, somebody has to improvise or an understudy steps into a role at short notice, yet somehow the whole production keeps moving.
I'd rather watch actors doing their craft live than sit in a cinema most days. My love of it eventually took me onto the other side of the curtain too. I studied performing arts during my college years and performed in productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Rent. Broadway unfortunately failed to discover me, but I'm coping remarkably well.
Being involved in productions myself gave me an appreciation for something audiences can easily forget: the people taking the bows are only part of what made that show happen. There are directors shaping the production and choreographers somehow getting an entire company to move in the right direction at the right time. There are musical directors and musicians, costume departments, wardrobe teams, wig and make-up departments, set designers, stage crews, prop teams, lighting technicians, sound engineers and stage management keeping the enormous machine moving behind the scenes.
There are understudies, swings and covers who may need to know several roles and be ready to step onto that stage when required. There are people changing sets in the dark, fixing costumes between performances and solving problems the audience will hopefully never even realise existed. And then there are the front-of-house teams, who somehow manage to herd hundreds of excited, confused, late, thirsty and occasionally slightly tipsy theatre-goers into the correct seats, get them all out again and, on a two-show day, prepare to do the whole thing all over again. Frankly, they deserve their own curtain call.
So this isn't really going to be another “10 West End Shows You Must See Before You Die” article. Apart from sounding slightly threatening, that wouldn't explain why I think London theatre is worth experiencing in the first place. For that, we need to go back a few hundred years.
London Was Going to the Theatre Long Before the West End Existed
London's love affair with theatre didn't begin beneath the illuminated signs of Shaftesbury Avenue. By the late 16th century, purpose-built playhouses were appearing around London. One of them would become rather famous.
The original Globe Theatre opened in 1599 on the south bank of the Thames and became closely associated with William Shakespeare's company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Audiences were nothing like the quiet rows of people we expect today. The cheapest spectators stood around the stage, performances happened during daylight and the atmosphere could be noisy and lively.
The Globe's own story could comfortably fill a theatre programme. In 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII, a theatrical cannon ignited the building's thatched roof and the theatre burned down. It was rebuilt the following year, only to be demolished a few decades later after England's theatres were closed under Puritan rule. Shakespeare's Globe as we know it today opened in 1997, close to the site of the original. It gives modern audiences a fascinating taste of a very different theatrical world. And yes, you can still stand. Several centuries of civilisation and apparently we've decided the groundlings had a point.
Then London Theatre Started Getting Rather Grand
After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, theatres reopened and London's theatrical world changed again. Women began appearing professionally on the English public stage, indoor theatres developed and the experience gradually moved towards something more recognisable to modern audiences. London theatres also developed an unfortunate habit of catching fire.
Theatre Royal Drury Lane has existed in several incarnations since the 17th century. The building standing there today dates from the early 19th century, but the site itself has been associated with theatre for hundreds of years. As London's population grew and the West End developed, more theatres followed. By the Victorian and Edwardian periods, many of the beautiful auditoriums we now associate with Theatreland had appeared.
And they really are beautiful. This is something people occasionally forget when they hurry into a London theatre, find their seat and immediately start looking at the stage. Look at the building you're sitting in. The balconies, boxes, plasterwork, ceilings, staircases and chandeliers are sometimes almost as theatrical as the performance. Buildings such as the London Palladium, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, His Majesty's Theatre and the Palace Theatre carry their own stories before anybody has spoken a line.
The West End Isn't One Type of Theatre
When first-time visitors hear “London theatre”, they often think musical. And yes, London does musicals spectacularly well, but Theatreland isn't one enormous chorus line. You've got musicals, plays, comedies, murder mysteries, family productions and experimental theatre, from enormous commercial shows with extraordinary sets to tiny productions where you're sitting so close to the performers that avoiding eye contact becomes a personal challenge.
If it's your first London show and you want the enormous, unmistakably West End experience, productions such as The Lion King, Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Hamilton and Mamma Mia! are the sort of names that have become synonymous with Theatreland. But perhaps musicals aren't your thing. That's fine. London has been murdering people on stage for years.
Perhaps You'd Prefer a Murder?
Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap is practically part of London theatre history in its own right. It opened in the West End in 1952 and, apart from the interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has continued for decades. The audience is traditionally asked not to reveal the murderer's identity after seeing it, which means generations of theatre-goers have somehow managed to keep a secret considerably better than the internet normally manages.
Then there's Witness for the Prosecution, staged inside London County Hall. Its courtroom surroundings turn the building itself into part of the experience. That's one of the things I love about London theatre: sometimes the venue isn't simply somewhere they've put the chairs. It's part of the story.
What If I Just Want to Laugh?
The Play That Goes Wrong is built around the increasingly catastrophic attempts of an amateur dramatic company to stage a murder mystery, which feels particularly appropriate given my earlier comments about everything that can go wrong during live theatre. Then there are productions such as The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q, although please don't see puppets and automatically assume you've discovered wholesome family entertainment. You haven't.
London theatre can be clever, ridiculous, rude and gloriously silly. Not everything needs to leave you staring thoughtfully into the middle distance afterwards. Sometimes you just want to laugh for two hours.
And Sometimes You Want to Ask, “How Did They DO That?”
Modern stagecraft is one of the reasons I will always defend live theatre. Shows such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Stranger Things: The First Shadow and Wicked don't simply rely on performers and scenery. Lighting, sound, illusion, movement and technical design become part of the storytelling.
There are moments where you know, logically, that actual magic isn't happening on stage. You are a sensible adult. And yet part of your brain is still going, “No, seriously. How did they do that?” The audience sees a few seconds of magic; backstage, somebody has spent months working out precisely how those few seconds are going to happen safely and repeatedly.
London Theatre With Children
Taking children to the theatre can be one of those experiences they remember for years, particularly if you choose the production around the child rather than simply picking whatever the adults wanted to see and hoping for the best. London's family-friendly productions include shows such as Matilda The Musical, The Lion King and Paddington The Musical, while productions such as Oliver! may suit families with older children depending on their interests and age.
For a child's first theatre trip, I think the spectacle matters. You want that moment when the lights go down and suddenly they realise this is going to be very different from watching something on television. Although I'd also check the running time before booking. A production you consider an artistic masterpiece can become considerably less magical when accompanied by a six-year-old asking whether it's finished yet every twelve minutes.
And Then London Decided Theatre Didn't Necessarily Need to Look Like Theatre
Not everything worth seeing happens in a traditional theatre. ABBA Voyage uses digital versions of ABBA alongside a live band in a purpose-built arena. Mamma Mia! The Party turns the music of ABBA into an immersive dinner-and-entertainment experience. Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular takes things in another direction again, blending circus-style performance and entertainment. There are cabaret experiences too, and then there's Magic Mike Live! Let's just say Shakespeare would have questions.
The point is that a London show doesn't have to mean sitting in the stalls of a Victorian theatre watching a traditional musical. You can build an entire evening around whatever kind of entertainment you actually enjoy. That variety is one of the reasons I wanted my theatre collection to include more than just the obvious West End names.
Want to Book a London Show?
I've put together a curated London theatre collection through Viator, linked through my work as a Travel Designer with Savi Escapes. It includes everything from West End favourites such as Wicked, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton and The Lion King to ABBA Voyage, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Magic Mike Live! and plenty more.
I've also included newer productions, comedies, family shows, murder mysteries and alternative entertainment, because I don't think choosing a London show should begin with “What's the most famous?” It should begin with “What would I actually enjoy?” Productions, prices and availability change all the time, so rather than filling this article with ticket prices that could be out of date by the time you read it, you can use my collection to see what's available for your actual London dates.
Browse my Savi Escapes London theatre collection on Viator 🎭
Booking through the link supports my work with Savi Escapes, while costing you no extra for using my link.
The West End Is Only Part of London's Theatre Story
One of my biggest recommendations is not to assume that a London theatre trip has to mean the West End. The National Theatre on the South Bank is one of the major forces in British theatre. Then you've got the Old Vic, Young Vic and Royal Court, each with their own identity and history. There is also Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, where the surroundings become part of the performance and London weather is presumably given an unofficial supporting role.
Then there is London's enormous fringe theatre scene. Small theatres exist all over the city, including spaces above pubs and in buildings you'd walk straight past without realising a performance was happening inside. These venues are often where new writing, performers and ideas get a chance to develop. Not every brilliant night at the theatre comes with a giant illuminated sign outside. Sometimes it comes with 60 seats and a bar downstairs.
Do I Need to Spend a Fortune?
London theatre can be expensive. There is no point pretending otherwise. For particularly popular productions and premium seats, ticket prices can become eye-watering, but the most expensive seat in the building isn't automatically the only seat worth having.
Different productions and theatres offer different options, but it's worth checking for day seats, rush tickets, lotteries, standing tickets and discounted performances. London's TKTS booth in Leicester Square is also worth knowing about for legitimate theatre-ticket offers. Matinees can sometimes provide more options, and being flexible about where you sit can make an enormous difference.
Before buying a restricted-view seat, however, find out exactly why it's restricted. “You may occasionally lose sight of somebody standing at the far edge of the stage” is very different from “a Victorian pillar will be performing the lead role this evening.”
One little trick I use when choosing theatre seats is A View From My Seat. People upload photographs taken from their seats in theatres, arenas and other venues, so you can look up the theatre and get an idea of what the stage may actually look like from the area you're considering. Obviously, individual views can vary and a photograph can't perfectly recreate what you'll see in person, but it's incredibly useful when you're staring at a seating plan wondering whether that cheaper seat is a bargain or whether you'll be spending the evening becoming intimately acquainted with a pillar.
Sometimes moving a few seats across or going one row further back can make a surprising difference, so it's worth doing a little investigating before automatically paying for the most expensive section.
Make a Night of It
One of the nicest things about Theatreland is that you're already in the middle of London. Covent Garden, Soho, Chinatown and the surrounding West End are packed with restaurants, bars and places to wander before and after a show. You can easily turn a theatre booking into the centrepiece of an entire London evening.
My only advice is to leave yourself enough time. A pre-theatre dinner becomes considerably less romantic when one person is staring at the clock, somebody is trying to attract the waiter's attention and you're calculating whether it's socially acceptable to sprint through Covent Garden carrying half a dessert. Book the restaurant, check the theatre location, know when the doors open and give yourself time to get there.
A Small Word About Theatre Etiquette
I said earlier that I generally prefer theatre audiences to cinema audiences. Unfortunately, theatre-goers have been testing that statement recently. When you go to the theatre, please remember that the performance is live. There are actual people standing on that stage trying to do their jobs, and actual people sitting around you who have paid to watch them.
Put your phone away unless the venue specifically tells you otherwise. Don't film the production. Don't have a full-volume conversation during the performance. If you arrive late, follow the instructions of the front-of-house team rather than attempting your own covert military operation through a dark auditorium. And if you've purchased a snack wrapped in a material apparently developed by NASA to create the loudest possible noise when touched, perhaps don't open it during the quietest monologue of the evening.
And because apparently this now needs saying: a musical is not automatically a sing-along. I know you know the words. I know you've been waiting for Defying Gravity since you booked the tickets. I know you've practised. But unless you've specifically booked a sing-along performance where the audience is encouraged to join in, the people around you have paid to hear the actors sing, not you.
Sing in the shower. Sing on the journey home. Give your own Tony Award-winning performance in the kitchen tomorrow morning. During the actual show, however, let the cast have this one.
That doesn't mean sitting there like a Victorian child who's been warned not to move. Laugh. Gasp. Applaud. React. That's part of the joy of live theatre, and performers feed off an engaged audience. There's simply a difference between being part of the atmosphere and accidentally casting yourself in the production.
Respect the performers, the crew and the front-of-house staff, and respect the person sitting next to you who may have saved up, travelled to London and been looking forward to this performance for months.
Why London Theatre Still Has Me
After all these years, I still love that moment just before a show begins. The audience settles, the conversations fade and the house lights go down. Something changes.
Maybe part of that feeling comes from watching Cats and Oklahoma! on those VHS tapes when I was little. Maybe some of it comes from studying performing arts and knowing just enough about what happens behind the scenes to appreciate how much work has gone into what I'm watching. But mostly, I think it's because theatre asks something from us that film doesn't. For the next few hours, the performers and the audience have to be in the same place, at the same time, sharing the same story. Tomorrow's performance will be slightly different. Yesterday's has already disappeared. This one only exists now.
London has been doing that for centuries. The buildings have changed, audiences have changed and what we're willing to call a theatre show has definitely changed. We've gone from Shakespeare's groundlings to digital ABBA and Magic Mike, which is quite the historical journey. But the important bit hasn't really changed at all. Somebody steps onto a stage, the lights come up, and for a little while, we believe them.
That's why I created this particular corner of the Travel Journal. Not because London theatre happens to be something tourists do, but because it's something I genuinely love and something I think deserves to be experienced rather than simply ticked off a London itinerary.
So if you've never been to a West End show, try one. If you've only ever seen the enormous musicals, venture into a smaller theatre. If you think theatre isn't your thing, have a look at how broad London's idea of “theatre” has become. You might find that the thing you thought wasn't for you was simply waiting for the right production.
And when the house lights go down, put the phone away, let the outside world wait for a couple of hours and watch what happens in front of you. Hundreds of years after London first discovered its appetite for live performance, there's still something rather wonderful about sitting in the dark while somebody tells you a story.
Where stories lead, adventure follows.
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