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| Entertainment |
19:47 on Wednesday 23 July
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| The
London Guide |
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| [title]The Lion King[/title]
[address]Lyceum Theatre, 21 Wellington Street, WC2E[/address]
The stage adaptation of Disney's animated film The Lion King, featuring music by Elton John and Tim Rice. The Lion King tells the unforgettable story of Simba - the epic adventure of his battles, his friendships, his dreams, and his journey from wide eyed cub to his destined role as King of the African Pridelands. This epic stage adaptation is one of the most ambitious productions ever staged, and succeeds triumphantly in recreating the magic of the original cartoon. The Lion King is consistently the hottest ticket in town, an unforgettably brilliant show.
[venue]Venue: Lyceum Theatre, 21 Wellington Street, WC2E
Performances: Tuesday-Saturday at 7.30pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 3pm
Ticket Prices: £15-£37.50
Station: Covent Garden Tube[/venue]
Information and Bookings | |
| [title]Mamma Mia![/title]
[address]Prince of Wales Theatre, Coventry Street, W1D[/address]
Now in its fifth year Mamma Mia! continues to pull in crowds of all ages for a no-holds barred celebration of seventies kitsch. Created by original ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus the show is packed with ABBA classics such as Money, Money and The Winner Takes It All. Despite the joyful kitsch of this show, the songs themselves stand up as some of the best pop ever performed.
It tells the story of Donna, a feisty forty-something single mum, who recalls the distant memories of carefree days and careless nights whilst her daughter Sophie dreams of tradition, romance and a big white wedding. As Sophie prepares for her big day on a remote island she attempts to discover who her real father is, by inviting three of her mother's exes along to the wedding! This West End favourite makes for a quality evening out.
[venue]Venue: Prince of Wales Theatre
Performances: Monday-Thursday and Saturday at 7.30pm, and Friday at 5pm and 8.30pm, with matinees on Saturday at 3pm
Ticket Prices: £15-£37.50
Station: Leicester Square Tube[/venue]
Information and Bookings | |
| [title]Phantom of the Opera[/title]
[address]Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket, SW1V[/address]
Phantom of the Opera is possibly the best Andrew Lloyd Webber musical ever made. Its eighteen year run at Her Majesty's Theatre has seen many stars tackle the challenging roles of Christine and the Phantom including Michael Crawford and Lloyd Webber's beautiful ex-wife Sarah Brightman. This gothic legend tells of the tragic love between a beautiful singer and a scarred composer, who lives beneath the majestic Opera House in Paris. The tragic tale inspired one of Lloyd Webber's most stirring scores.
Phantom has been a worldwide box office smash, grossing well over £2 billion. The box office revenues are higher than any film or stage play in history and it has been played in 110 cities to over 70 million people. Central to its success is the ability to appeal to both critics and fans, earning it three prestigious Olivier awards in the West End and seven Tonys on Broadway. Still pulling in massive crowds week by week, the future continues to look bright for Phantom.
[venue]Venue: Her Majesty's Theatre in Haymarket
Performances: Performances are Monday-Saturday at 7.45pm, with matinées on Tuesday and Saturday at 3pm
Ticket Prices: £10-£37.50
Station: Piccadilly Circus Tube[/venue]
Information and Bookings | |
| [title]Guys and Dolls[/title]
[address]Piccadilly Theatre, 4 Denman Street, W1V[/address]
Set in the tough-talking, hard-gambling New York underworld, and featuring characters with names like Big Jule and Harry the Horse, Guys and Dolls is a superb comic evocation of the gangster era.
The plot is simple: Nathan Detroit bets that Sky Masterson can't get uptight, upright Sarah Brown to go to Havana with him. Of course, Sky falls for Sally and the rest is musical history. The lyrics and music, written by Frank Loesser, are magic, and even if you don't know the plot, you're sure to recognize the tunes, which include 'Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat' and 'Luck Be A Lady Tonight'.
Frankly, you could have a chimp directing, and this would still be a great show. The songs, plot and dialogue are so good that you simply can't go wrong. With the brilliant Michael Grandage in charge this is scintillating stuff. The choreography is captivating, the comedy laugh-out-loud and the romance sweet enough to leave you misty-eyed.
Information and Bookings | |
| [title]Dancing in the Streets[/title]
[address]Northumberland Avenue, WC2N[/address]
It's hard to believe these days with the US Urban scene dominating our charts, but there was a time when we knew very little about American music. In the early 1960s - in spite of their popularity with bands like the Beatles - most British people had never heard of the Motown studio and artists like Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, or Diana Ross and The Supremes.
This all changed with the Tamla Motown Revue tour, when these artists introduced the English to a new form of music - one whose style and sexiness ensured that it was to take over the world in the next forty years.
This tribute show features some of the biggest songs from the era and it's absolutely storming. Tunes that have become over familiar like 'I Heard It Through The Grape Vine' and 'Baby Love' are given new life with some sparkling performances, and with a programme that includes 'My Girl', 'I'll Be There', and 'Please Mr Postman', this is a real reminder of just how essential the Motown sound was. There are some fantastic voices on display and some even better choreography that regularly has the audience on its feet.
[venue]Venue: Playhouse Theatre
Performances: Mon to Sat from 19:30 until 23:00 [commencing 28 August]
Ticket Price: £17.50-50
Station: Leicester Square Tube[/venue]
Information and Bookings | |
| [title]The Producers[/title]
[address]Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Catherine Street, WC2B[/address]
Three years after becoming the most successful Broadway musical in three decades and winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards, The Producers has finally arrived in London. Mel Brooks' adaptation of his own classic film is the funniest musical the West End has ever seen. It makes a change to cry tears of laughter at a big-budget show, and The Producers delivers an absolutely hysterical hit.
Failed musical producer Max Bialystock and his geeky accountant Leo Bloom have hatched an infallible financial scam - all they need to rake in the cash is to make the worst musical of all time, revolving around Hitler and the last days of the war. Of course, nothing goes quite to plan. Until you've seen high-kicking Gestapo chorus-girls reflected in a giant overhead mirror so that the audience can tell that they're marching in the shape of a giant Swastika, you really haven't enjoyed musical comedy.
Musical perfection. Book now.
[venue]Venue: Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Performances: Mon to Sat from 19:30 until 22:00
Ticket Price: £20 - £50
Station: Leicester Square Tube[/venue]
Information and Bookings | |
| [title]Les Miserables[/title]
[address]Queen's Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D[/address]
Les Miserables is still storming the barricades after a stunning adaptation of Victor Hugo's epic masterpiece, set in the Paris uprising. Jean Valjean, released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang, finds that the yellow ticket-of-leave he must, by law, display condemns him to be an outcast.
Only the saintly Bishop of Digne treats him kindly and Valjean, embittered by years of hardship, repays him by stealing some silver. Valjean is caught and brought back by police, and is astonished when the Bishop lies to the police to save him, also giving him two precious candlesticks. Valjean decides to start his life anew. But will fate allow him to? The acclaimed, long running musical extravaganza continues in a different home.
[venue]Venue: Queen's Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D
Performances: Monday-Saturday at 7.30pm with matinées on Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm
Ticket Prices: £15-£45
Station: Leicester Square Tube[/venue]
Information and Bookings | |
| [title]Chicago[/title]
[address]Cambridge Theatre, Earlham Street, WC2H[/address]
Roxie, a chorus girl who has murdered her lover but manages to get acquitted with the help of sleazy lawyer Billy Flynn teams up with another murderess Velma to form an unusual nightclub act, which they hope will keep them in the public eye. The musical, which won the 1998 Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production, includes the songs All That Jazz, Razzle-Dazzle, Class and All I Care About. A host of transatlantic and British stars have now appeared in this smash hit production - it must be great fun to do. The most glamorous, decadent, high-kicking show in the West End, Chicago is a raunchy triumph. Exciting and hugely entertaining.
[venue]Venue: The Cambridge Theatre
Performances: Monday-Thursday at 8pm, Friday at 8.30pm with Matinees on Saturday at 3pm and 8pm
The Adelphi Theatre £15.00 - £37.50
Station: Charing Cross Tube[/venue]
Information and Bookings | |
| [title]Billy Elliot[/title]
[address]Victoria Palace Theatre, Victoria Street, SW1E[/address]
Billy Elliot is one of the best-loved British films of recent years and, with so many great song and dance routines built into the plot, seems ideal for a musical... apart from one thing: the huge number of child actors required. As a result, three 'Billy Elliot Academies' teaching performing arts have been set up in the North of England to train the dozens of young actor/dancer/singers the show calls for, making this one of the highest-budget musicals ever produced for the British stage. The results are not only a boon to aspiring actors up north, but also a triumph on the stage in London!
Elton John has written some magnificent songs, easily matching the best of his work for The Lion King, while director Stephen Daldry has an untarnished history of successful productions and a great reputation for working with children. The tale of Billy's quest to become a ballet dancer has delighted audiences since opening and it set to be a massive hit. With laughter, tears and spectacular dance set-pieces, this is a brilliant stage translation of a modern British classic!
Not suitable for children under 12.
[venue]London Venue: Victoria Palace Theatre, Victoria Street, SW1
Performances: Monday-Saturday at 19:30, with matinees at 14:30 on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Ticket Prices: £23 - £59
Nearest Station: Victoria Tube[/venue]
Information and Bookings | |
| [title]Mary Poppins[/title]
[address]Prince Edward Theatre, Old Compton Street, W1D[/address]
It took a while but Cameron Mackintosh finally got his stage adaptation of Mary Poppins onto the London stage, and it was well worth the wait. Based on both the 1964 Disney film and PLTravers darker, more complex novel, this is a flawless musical, with old and new songs integrated perfectly, miraculous special effects and a talented cast giving it their all - including great performances from the child actors.
The oversweetness of the movie has been softened with a spoonful of vinegar, in the form of strict Victorian nanny Miss Andrews and a sinister scene in which the children's toys put them on trial for losing their tempers. The relationships are better fleshed-out as well, with the Banks family wholly believable and a larger role for Bert the chimney sweep.
These welcome additions only increase the pleasure to be had from the wealth of infectious song-and-dance routines, spectacular comic setpieces and a bravura performance from Laura Michelle Kelly as the magical nanny. Simply perfect.
[venue]London Venue: The Prince Edward Theatre, Old Compton Street
Performances: Monday-Saturday at 19:30, with matinees at 14:30 on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Ticket Prices: £32.50-£49
Nearest Station: Leicester Square Tube[/venue]
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