Take a Break and Escape to London Theatre Land

From the Adelphi to the Victoria Palace, central London has over forty theatres. For countless visitors, 'taking in a show' is one of the key attractions - but with so much choice on offer, where do they start?
London's biggest concentration of theatres lies at the heart of the bustling West End, traditionally bordered by The Strand, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Kingsway. Some people also include the complex on the South Bank in this definition of Theatreland. The Strand itself is one of the prominent streets for theatres, together with Drury Lane and Shaftesbury Avenue.
The majority of the theatres are from the late Victorian or Edwardian period, with fascinating histories attached. Most of them retain great character and, for many visitors, entering a theatre's grand facade and taking in its detailed, luxurious interior all enhances their enjoyment of the show itself.
Musicals are the firmest favourite with theatre-goers and so tend to run longer than stage plays, many of them for thousands of performances. In fact, Les Miserables, currently at the Queen's Theatre, has been running for a phenomenal 24 years. It has even earned its own colloquial name of 'Les Miz.' Based on Victor Hugo's 1862 novel bearing the same name, the musical follows the intertwining lives of a cast of poor, unfortunate characters struggling for redemption.
Heart strings are also tugged in Willy Russell's long-running musical Blood Brothers, currently playing at the Phoenix Theatre. Now in its twentieth year, it tells the contemporary story of twins who were separated at birth, tragically both falling for the same girl.
There is certainly no shortage of musicals to choose from. Content can range from sad and thought-provoking, right through the fun of Mamma Mia! at the Prince of Wales Theatre and on up to futuristic, such as We Will Rock You, with its bumper stock of Queen songs and now in its eighth year at The Dominion.
Meanwhile, Andrew Lloyd Webber's productions continue to prove incredibly popular. His musical Cats ran for almost 9,000 performances and his equally successful Phantom of the Opera, based on the novel by Gaston Leroux, is at Her Majesty's Theatre enjoying its 23rd year. Lloyd Webber's new musical, Love Never Dies, opens in March 2010 at The Adelphi and picks up the story of 'Phantom.'
Also popular are stage plays, many of which enjoy lengthy runs, although none have yet caught The Mousetrap, currently showing at St Martins Theatre, which has now been playing for a staggering 56 years. As this murder mystery play by Agatha Christie has a twist at the end, which audiences are asked to keep to themselves, there must be thousands of people longing to tell someone the ending!
The Woman in Black, adapted from Susan Hill's horror novel, still has the audience trembling in their seats at the Fortune Theatre. This stage play about a sinister spectre haunting a small English town is now in its 21st year.
Other, less-menacing shows also appear to be set for long runs. The Lion King, for instance, is still drawing in strong audiences at The Lyceum ten years after its opening, as is Billy Elliott at the Victoria Palace Theatre, currently dancing into its fourth year.
Musicals performing songs that are already well-known, such as Grease (Piccadilly Theatre) and the more recent Thriller (Lyric) continue to be popular with those looking for a 'sing-along' element. Also enjoying open-ended runs are Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych and the more recent Sister Act at the London Palladium,
Some shows lend themselves to much shorter, seasonal runs for smaller audiences, such as A Christmas Carol at the two-tier auditorium of the Arts Theatre in Westminster.
One thing is for sure, seasonal or long-running, the productions playing in London's West End Theatres seem set to draw in audiences for many thousands of performances to come.

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The Savoy Theatre - London

The Savoy Theatre, built by Richard D'Oyly Carte, opened Oct. 10, 1881 in order to showcase the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. This theatre was the first theatre, as well as public building in the world, to be lit by electricity in its entirety. Around 1,200 incandescent lamps were used. It also had gaslights installed for backup purposes, but they were not used often. The Savoy Hotel, also built by D'Oyly Carte, went up next to the theatre in 1889.
The theatre was, for many years, home to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and the Carte family ran it for more than a century. D'Oyly Carte's son, Rupert, modernized and rebuilt the theatre in 1929 and in 1993, following a fire, it was rebuilt again. The original design for the theatre was came from C.J. Phipps.
It closed in 1903 and reopened in February 1904 with John Leigh and Edward Laurillard acting as managers. They remained in the managerial positions until December 1906, when the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company returned to the site for repertory seasons between 1906 and 1909. At this point, C.H. Workman took over the manager position until 1911.
The theatre was managed by George Augustus Richardson from November 1911 to Feburary 1915, at which point D'Oyly Carte's son, Rupert D'Oyly Carte, took over. Rupert decided to bring the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company back to the theatre at this time and he also hired Malcolm Sargent and Geoffrey Toye as guest conductors and Isidore Godfrey and Harry Norris as musical directors.
Savoy Theatre was closed June 3, 1929, and the interior of the building was rebuilt completely. The original capacity of the theatre was 1,292, but was reduced to 986 by 1912. The new theatre designed allowed for 1,200 people. The theatre was reopened Oct. 21, 1929, and presented a production of "The Gondoliers."
Gilbert and Sullivan seasons ran at the Savoy Theatre on and off from 1929 to 2003. The theatre also featured "Blithe Spirit" in 1941, which ran for 1,997 consecutive performances.
Management of the theatre went to Sir Hugh Wotner in 1948. The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company ceased operations in 1982 and the last heir of the D'Oyly Carte family died in 1985, effectively ending the family line.
During renovations in 1990, a fire destroyed the building, sans the stage and backstage area. It reopened July 19, 1993, and the newly rebuilt theatre currently seats 1,158. During the renovations, a swimming pool was added above the stage and another story was added about the theatre.
Since 1993, some shows at the theatre have included "Relative Values," "Travesties," the musical "She Loves Me," "Dead Funny," and "Coward's Hay Fever." In 2000, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was shortly reconstituted and produced "H.M.S. Pinafore" and "Pirates of Penzance." The company followed these with "The Barber Seville" in 2004.
Currently, the theatre (located at The Strand, Westminster, London, WC2R 0ET), is showing Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel," a show which debuted Nov. 29, 2008.

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The Gielgud Theatre London

The Gielgud Theatre, which opened Dec. 27, 1906, under the name of the Hicks Theatre, was built in honor of manager, actor, and playwright Seymour Hicks. The theatre, designed in Louis XVI style by W.G.R. Sprague, originally had 970 available seats, but currently has the capacity to hold 889 audience members on three levels. The Gielgud is located in Westminster, London, on Shaftesbury Avenue on the corner of Rupert Street. It is part of a pair of theatres, the other of which is the Queen's Theatre, which opened on the adjacent street corner in 1907.
The first play shown at the Gielgud (at the time, the Hicks) Theatre was "The Beauty of Bath," a musical by Hicks and Cosmo Hamilton, followed by "My Darling" in 1907 and the operetta "A Waltz Dream," which ran in 1908. During the next show, 1909's "The Dashing Little Duke," when Ellaline Terriss, the actress playing the title role of a woman playing a man, fell ill, her husband took her place for several performances, effectively making him a man playing a woman playing a man. The theatre was renamed the Globe Theatre in 1909 when the name because available following the demolition of the theatre formerly holding the name. Several popular and noted shows ran at the theatre in the years following the name change, such as "Call It A Day" by Dodie Smith, which opened in 1935 and ran for 509 showings.
In 1966, "There's a Girl in My Soup," a show by Terence Frisby, opened and ran for a record 1,064 performances. This remained the record until "Daisy Pulls It Off" by Andrew Lloyd Webber broke it with 1,180 runs in 1983. This remains the record to this day. Other shows performed at the Gielgud Theatre between 1966 and the renovations made to the building in 1987 include Bill Owen's "The Matchgirls"; "Design for Living" by Noël Coward; and the aforementioned "Daisy Pulls it Off."
In 1987, the theatre underwent extensive renovations and careful attention was paid to perfecting the auditorium's gold leaf design. The modern theatre is noted for its circular Regency staircase and the tower and oval gallery.
In 1994, the theatre was again renamed, as Shakespeare's Globe Theatre had a planned 1997 opening and management wanted to avoid unnecessary confusion. It was renamed the Gielgud Theatre in honor of John Gielgud, a British actor. In 2003, it was announced that plans were being made for another major refurbishment of the building. Work began toward these renovations in 2006. The theatre will eventually have a joint entrance foyer shared with the Queen's Theatre. Work began on the fascade of the theatre in March of 2007.
During the last 10 years, shows of note have included 2004's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"; 2005's "Some Girls," which starred noted actors David Schwimmer and Catherine Tate; 2006's RSC's "The Canterbury Tales"; 2007's "Macbeth" and "Equus"; and 2008's "God of Carnage." "Enjoy," by Alan Bennett and starring Alison Steadman, will begin in 2009.

If you fancy visiting the Gielgud Theatre or buying London Theatre Tickets visit the website.

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The Apollo Victoria Theatre

The Apollo Victoria Theatre, a 2,208 capacity, West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, was originally built in 1929 as a venue for cinema and variety theatre. Built by Provincial Cinematograph Theatre architects William Edward Trent and Ernest Wainsley Lewis, the Apollo Victoria featured mainly concrete construction, two identical façades, and, along the exterior of the auditorium, horizontal banding. The theatre's entrance uses chrome trimmings and an original Art Deco-style, nautical-themed interior featuring concealed lighting, scallop shell decorations and several columns. On June 28, 1972, the theatre was Grade II listed.
When the theatre first opened on Oct. 15, 1930, the super-cinema was called the New Victoria Cinema and played a George Arils film in Old English, which was based on a John Galsworthy stage play. The Apollo Victoria was equipped with a theatre organ, which was played opening night by Reginald Foort. Aside from the films shown, the theatre also offered variety shows to the public. Soon after the theatre's opening, the management diminished the number of variety shows and began to specialize in film showings and the occasional performance by big bands. In June 1939, the cinema became one of three sites in London used to present The Epsom Derby in live, experimental transmissions.
The theatre closed temporarily, due to World War II, from September 1940 to May 1941, but did not suffer any serious damage and reopened quickly thereafter. In the 1950's, plans were made to demolish the theatre, but these plans fell through the venue was used for a combination of live shows, films, and ballet.
In November 1975, the cinema played its final show, a double showing of "Legend of the Werewolf," starring Peter Cushing, and "Vampire Circus," starring Adrienne Corri. The theatre was closed after this showing, and underwent extensive renovations. It reopened in 1981, renamed the Apollo Victoria Theatre, and specialized in presenting concerts, the first of which was performed by Shirley Bassey. Other musical acts shown during the early 1980's include Bucks Fizz, Dean Martin and Liza Minelli. During this time, the theatre also began staging musical theatre performances.
Theatrical performances in the last two-and-a-half decades or so include "The Sound of Music," which ran from Aug. 17, 1981, to Sept. 18, 1982; "Camelot," running from November 1982 to February 1983; "Fiddler on the Roof," which ran from June to October 1983; 1984's "Starlight Express," a show which required the theatre to undergo interior modification to allow roller-skating performers to skate through the audience, running for an extremely successful 18 years; Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Bombay Dreams" in 2002; "Saturday Night Fever," shown in 2004, "Movin' Out," a musical based on the songs of Billy Joel, in 2006; and Stephen Schwartz's "Wicked," which is playing currently and which began its run Sept. 27, 2006. "Wicked," has proven to be exceptionally successful for the theatre, as it pulled in £761,000, a record-breaking amount, during the first eight performances of the show and has, to date, grossed more than £50 million in London.

If you fancy visiting the Apollo Victoria Theatre or buying London Theatre Tickets visit the website.

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London Theatre Breaks Are A Fantastic Way To Spend Your Weekend

As it becomes increasingly easier and cheaper to travel from one area to another, people in today's modern world have started taking a number of weekend breaks to various parts of the country. Individuals and couples, both young and old, have begun travelling more often through a variety of mediums - be it by train, coach or aeroplane; many people these days are just as likely to spend a weekend in Rome or Madrid as they are in Blackpool or Cornwall. However, as weekend break locations have evolved, they have also become more imaginative; a rising number of people are taking mini-cruise breaks, weekend golf breaks, and even weekend theme park breaks.
One form of weekend break which is rapidly gaining popularity is the theatre break. More and more frequently, travel agents and travel companies are offering theatre break packages to London, Edinburgh, Stratford-upon-Avon and even Paris. The London theatre scene is flourishing at the moment and is perhaps the best location in Britain if you're thinking about taking a weekend theatre break. From the long running musical of Disney's The Lion King to the 2006 stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning movie Dirty Dancing, people keen on theatre breaks in London have more than a few excellent options to choose from on the West End stage.
The Lion King is current playing at London's Lyceum Theatre; seen by over 30 million people at over 18,000 performances world wide, the show contains over 232 puppets which represent 25 species of animals. While The Lion King remains one of the most popular shows in London's West End, many of the shows currently playing have a similarly enduring appeal. Billy Elliot, for example, is currently being shown at the Victoria palace Theatre and has been a popular musical in the capital for many years. We Will Rock You, a musical by Queen and Ben Elton, followed hot on the heels of the success of Mamma Mia and continues to play to packed crowds at the Dominion Theatre in Tottenham Court.
Other popular musicals playing in London's West End include Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre, Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre, Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre and Andrew Lloyd Webber's all time classic, The Phantom of the Opera, playing at Her Majesty's Theatre. You can find fantastic deals on London theatre breaks from a variety of sources, including travel agents and transport providers like National Express. Theatre buffs looking for exciting weekend breaks will also enjoy Shakespeare theatre breaks in Stratford upon Avon, the bard's home town. You can also take delight in Edinburgh's vibrant theatre scene, where you'll be able to enjoy some excellent classic and modern productions at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Edinburgh Festival Theatre and the Brunton Theatre, among many others.

Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Regan

Wyndham's Theatre in London

Wyndham's Theatre opened in 1899 and was owned and commissioned by the Marquess of Salisbury. The stipulation for the theatre's construction was that it had to be managed by Sir Charles Wyndham, who had for some time dreamed of building his own theatre. The Wyndham celebrated its opening with a revival of T.W. Robinson's "David Garrick." The Prince of Wales attended the theatre's debut performance.
The theatre was designed by W.G.R. Sorague, who also designed six other theatres within London between 1898 and 1916. The initial theatre design had three levels, but later renovations allowed there to be four levels altogether. The theatre was listed in September 1960 as being Grade II by English Heritage.
The theatre's auditorium, offering 759 seats, is considered to be one of London's most comfortable auditoriums. Seats in the theatre are arranged to be within good vicinity to the stage and every seat available allows patrons to watch the shows without common neck-aches caused by straining to see the stage. It is a West End theatre on Charing Cross Road in Westminster.
From 1910, the theatre was co-managed by Gerald du Maurier and it was during the 15 years following this managerial change that Tallulah Bankhead debuted on stage in 1923's "The Dancers." Daphne du Maurier, Gerald's daughter, watched performances from the sidelines of the stage and, 30 years after Gerald began his co-management of the venue, she presented her own play, entitled, "The Years Between," on the exact same stage.
Other noteworthy performances given at Wyndham's Theatre include 1954's "The Boy Friend," a show that remained at the theatre for 2,078 performances; "Wise Child," a show starring Alec Guinness; and "Godspell," a 1972 show which is still considered the theatre's greatest success. This version of the show included Marti Webb, Jeremy Irons and David Essex in the original cast.
More recent productions have included the comedy "Art" by Yasmina Reza, a performance which was presented for a record-breaking run between October 1996 and October 2001; "Up For Grabs," premiering in 2002 and served as Madonna's West End debut; "The Witches," a children's stage version of the Roald Dahl book, which ran in March 2005; and a limited season of Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues."
The theatre was taken over by Delfont-Mackintosh Ltd. In May 2005 and the company began actual operations of the theatre in September 2005. In October of the same year, Tom Stoppard's "Heroes," starring John Hurt and Richard Griffiths, was presented at Wyndham. The theatre then presented the transfer of "The History Boys," a hit from Alan Bennett's National Theatre, until April 2007. Following "The History Boys," the theatre showed performances of "The Letter," "Shadowlands," and "Twelfth Night," which will run until March 9.
Wyndham closed temporarily while final renovations were made and it reopened in September 2008 with performances of Tom Stoppard's version of Chekov's "Ivanov." Following "Twelfth Night," the theatre will present "Madame de Sade" from March 13 until May 23 and "Hamlet" From May 29 to August 22.

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The Lyceum Theatre London

The Lyceum Theatre, 21 Wellington Street, Westminster, London, WC2E 7DN, is a West-End theatre with a 2,000 person seating capability. The present site of the opened July 14, 1834, and the theatre was designed mainly by Samuel Beazley, who gave the theatre a unique characteristic in its balcony, which hung over the circle, but in 1882, C.J. Phipps, a theatre architect, reconstructed the building partially and made improvements. The building in existence today still has the façade and grand portico designed by Beazley, but the inner theatre keeps Bertie Crewe's 1904 design, restored in 1996 after being used for a long period of time as a Mecca Ballroom.
The first few years of the theatre saw the performance of the first modern English opera, "The Mountain Sylph" the same year of its opening. This performance was followed by "Fair Rosamun," performed in 1837, "Farinelli" in 1839 and "Blanche of Jersey," shown in 1840.
Michael Balfe managed the theatre from 1841 to 1843, producing National Opera, but this proved to be unsuccessful. The works of Charles Dickens became associated with the theatre at this time, and an adaptation of "Martin Chuzzlewit" ran for more than 100 performances between 1844 and 1845.
Madame Lucia Elizabeth Vestris managed the theatre from 1847 to 1855 and produced shows by James Planché and the adaptation of "A Tale of Two Cities" by Tom Taylor. It was then managed by Charles Fechter from 1863 to 1867.
In 1871, under manager Hezekiah Linthicum Bateman, the theatre produced shows starring Sir Henry Irving. In 1874, "Hamlet" ran for 200 nights with Irving in the starring role. Upon Bateman's death in 1878, Irving took over the theatre. During his tenure as manager, several popular shows were played, including "The Merchant of Venice," "King Lear," and "Much Ado About Nothing."
1904 saw the rebuilding of the theatre's interior and the theatre began presenting music and variety shows, trying to compete with the London Coliseum and the Palace Theatre. This, however, was not successful, and the theatre began, once again, showcasing strictly drama. In 1919, more alterations were made and dramas continued playing for 10 months out of every year.
In 1937, the theatre was converted into a cinema, but only one film, "The Gang Show," was ever shown, in April of 1937. The following month, the space was converted back into a live theatre venue.
The London City Council bought the building in 1939, planning to demolish it. After the war, the demolition plans were abandoned, and the building was reopened as a ballroom. During the 1960s and 1970s, the space was used as a concert venue and for television broadcasts.
The theatre shut down in 1986. Owner Brent Walker leased the space but eventually gave up the lease, allowing the theatre to be restored and in 1996, the space was reconverted into a theatre with the capabilities to present large-scale musicals or opera. "The Lion King" musical has been playing since 1999.

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