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London's Top Musicals
 
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Famous for both its traditional, long-standing successes and its more contemporary productions, London's West End is hard to beat when it comes to musicals. Nearly every street in central London's Theatreland boasts its own performance venue, so choice isn't an issue here. Listed below are some of our current faves. From The Sound of Music to Spamalot there's something to suit every kind of musical taste.
 You can book tickets for many of the big productions online - offering both convenience and great value.   The Lion King
Lyceum Theatre, WC2E 7DA Opened 13th January 2002 The Lion King tells the 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. It's the costumes and puppetry that have made this one of the most successful musicals of all time, as a whole menagerie of wild beasts are created from masks, stilts, and superb dancing. The ever-changing set, and the addition of Zulu chants to Elton John and Tim Rice's catchy songs all add to an extraordinary atmosphere. A triumphant, genre-defying adaptation, and one of the few family plays that is genuinely as much fun for adults as children. Venue: Lyceum Theatre Address: Wellington Street, WC2E 7DA Phone: 0870 243 9000 Nearest Station: Covent Garden Tube The Lion King - Information  Mamma Mia!
Prince of Wales Theatre, W1D 6AS Opened 29th February 2004 Through the story telling magic of the songs of ABBA, we meet 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. The plot has been skillfully designed around ABBA's lyrics, and they've managed to squeeze in 22 of their best-known songs. It's a great night out with plenty of participation by the audience and some rousing moments. Venue: Prince of Wales Theatre Address: Coventry Street, W1D 6AS Phone: 0870 906 3838 Nearest Station: Coventry Street Mamma Mia! - Information  Phantom of the Opera
Her Majesty's Theatre, SW1Y 4QL Opened 9th January 2002 Phantom of the Opera tells the haunting tale of the tragic love between a beautiful singer and a scarred composer, who lives beneath the majestic Opera House in Paris. This fine Victorian theatre sets the mood perfectly for a thoroughly sinister romance, with some great swashbuckling moments. Andrew Lloyd Webber's most enduring hit has been running (in various venues) since 1984, and is still as popular with audiences and critics as it ever was. Containing some of the great musical set-pieces of all time, this is one of the best from an acknowledged master of the musical art. Venue: Her Majesty's Theatre Address: Haymarket, SW1Y 4QL Phone: 020 7494 5400 Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus Tube Phantom of the Opera - Information  Les Miserables
Queen's Theatre, W1D 6BA Opened 1st Jan 2002 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. It's far more serious than the conventional musical, and this allows for grand, operatic choral numbers that have an emotional power far beyond the West End norm. Venue: Queen's Theatre Address: 51 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6BA Phone: 0870 906 3838 Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus Tube Les Miserables - Information  Chicago
Cambridge Theatre, WC2H 9HU Opened 28th April 2006 The saga of a chorus girl who gets away with murder thanks to her sleazy lawyer was a flop in the 1970s as audiences found the subject matter too bleak. However, recent Broadway and London revivals have been huge successes, spawning the film version which swept the boards at the Oscars. It's an all singing and dancing affair, with some show-stopping set pieces. This musical has been a real hit with audiences and features some memorable show tunes, but above all, it's the costumes and slick style that make it such an unforgettable experience. Dozens of fishnet-clad chorus girls, regular celebrity appearances in the lead roles, and a chic, pared-down staging create a sense of timeless cool. Venue: Cambridge Theatre Address: Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU Phone: 020 7494 5080 Nearest Station: Covent Garden Tube Chicago - Information  Billy Elliot
Victoria Palace Theatre, SW1E 5EA Opened 22nd March 2005 This tale of a boy from a mining community who wants to become a dancer is even more affecting on the stage than it was on the big screen, driven by some magnificent Elton John songs and Peter Darling's thrilling choreography. The same tensions drive the musical that drove the film, with Billy's successes measured against the failure of the miner's strike and the end of the traditional way of life for his family and friends. Like a modern West Side Story, the song-and-dance numbers are intimate parts of the plot, expressing character's inner feelings in a way that dialogue never could. A triumphant tale of personal achievement, a moving social study, and a celebration of the sheer joy of dance, this is a rare combination of intelligence and pure pleasure. The Daily Telegraph has declared this the greatest British musical of all time, and they may well be right. NOTE: Contains swear words. No children under 7 years admitted Venue: Victoria Palace Theatre Address: Victoria Street, SW1E 5EA Phone: 020 7834 1317 Nearest Station: Victoria Tube Billy Elliott - Information  Dirty Dancing
Aldwych Theatre, WC2B 4DF Opened 29th September 2006 The film that had girls doing dance moves in front of the TV, and boys experimenting with quiffs and leather jackets, is on stage and more popular than ever. Great dancing, all the hits (Hungry Eyes, I've Had the Time of My Life, She's like the Wind) and the famous reassurance that 'nobody puts Baby in the corner' have ensured an all-conquering West End run. Originally written by Eleanor Bergstein, Dirty Dancing is based on her experiences as a teenager on a family holiday. She adapted it for the stage after realizing that nearly 20 years since coming out it is still the benchmark against which all other chick flicks are measured. A lot of boyfriends and husbands are going to get dragged along to this with gritted teeth, but we defy anybody not to enjoy themselves once the curtain rises and the magic begins: "Come on ladies... God wouldn't have given you maracas if he didn't want you to shake them." Venue: Aldwych Theatre Address: Aldwych, WC2B 4DF Phone: 0870 4000 805 Nearest Station: Covent Garden Tube Dirty Dancing - Information  Cabaret
Lyric Theatre, W1D 7EG Opened 22nd September 2006 In a decadent cabaret club in Weimar Germany, a young American writer falls in love with Sally Bowles, the star of the show. But the shadow of Nazism looms large over their romance. Brilliant young director Rufus Norris (Festen, Market Boy) takes the helm of a dark, sleazy production of Kander and Ebb's sexually charged depiction of a decadent era. It's a remarkable musical, and this is the best revival for decades. Sally Bowles is no longer the brash glamorous showgirl of the Liza Minnelli film, but a brittle creature, whose bravado hides a beaten soul, lost in a city teetering on the brink of catastrophe, and a nightclub presided over by the magnetically perverse figure of the Emcee. There are so many classic numbers in this musical that even a bad production is fun, but this one is something very special indeed. A twisted pleasure. Venue: Lyric Theatre Address: Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EG Phone: 020 7437 4370 Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus Tube Cabaret - Information  Wicked
Apollo Victoria Theatre, SW1V 1LL 7th September 2006 - 4th April 2009 'The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz' introduces us to some very familiar characters, years before they met Dorothy. One of them is a clever, lively lady with green skin, the other is superficial, beautiful and popular. The tale of how they became the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch is at its best in the first half, where a Hogwarts-alike school for witches forms the background for a very entertaining US High School comedy, with the usual mix of popular kids, geeks and rebels. Also familiar from the Harry Potter novels is the mixture of a serious political metaphor - the world of Oz slowly falling under the Wizard's fascist regime - and child-friendly fantasy involving thrilling, high-budget broomstick flying scenes. The second half is set during the events from The Wizard of Oz, weaving the plots together very neatly, including the backstories of The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, The Lion and those terrifying flying monkeys. Younger children will love the set and special effects, while older kids and teens will be thoroughly absorbed by the mythology and romance. For adults, the greatest pleasures come from some good jokes and the intricacies of the plotting (it's definitely worth refamiliarising yourself with the movie before you go). Though it lacks any truly memorable numbers, the score is brisk and catchy, and this a thoroughly rewarding big-budget show. Venue: Apollo Victoria Theatre Address: Wilton Road, SW1V 1LL Phone: 0870 4000 650 Nearest Station: Victoria Tube / Rail Wicked - Information  The Sound of Music
London Palladium, W1A 3AB Opened 3rd November 2006 Singing nun Maria and the adorable Von Trapp family make a faultless feelgood musical, with an easygoing plot perfectly matched to a string of Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest hit songs. 'My Favourite Things', 'Do-Re-Mi', 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain', 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen' - this show could never be anything less than a pleasure, and this production has done an excellent job of translating the familiar movie to the stage. Fast-paced, full of charm and wearing its heart on its sleeve, this is a show that will brighten the heart of all but the most cynical Londoners. Venue: London Palladium Address: Argyll Street, W1A 3AB Phone: 020 7494 5570 Nearest Station: Oxford Circus Tube The Sound of Music - Information  Hairspray
Shaftesbury Theatre, WC2H 8DP Opened 30th September 2007 John Waters' marvellously mad 1960s coming-of-age tale has been brought to the stage in a production that is fresh and funny (and a vast improvement on the recent John Travolta movie based on the same script). Hairspray is the tale of an unfashionably large girl who finds fame and romance on a TV talent show, and manages to take on racial segregation while doing so. The mixture of ironic tackiness and ecstatically enthusiastic dance routines make it impossible to leave the theatre without a huge grin on your face, while the occasional appearance of the nastier satirical moments from the film gives a genuine edge to this otherwise shamelessly sentimental story. Huge beehive hairdos, enormous actors and a vast sense of fun all add up to a sparkling new musical that more than deserves its many awards. Venue: Shaftesbury Theatre Address: 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8DP Phone: 020 7379 5399 Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus Hairspray - Information  Grease
Piccadilly Theatre, W1D 7DY Opened 25th July 2007 The iconic, movie-musical returns to the West End in David Gilmore's gorgeously Technicolor production which had a seven-year run in the 1990s. It misses a little of the charm John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John brought to the film: their reality TV show replacements sing and dance superbly, but the sexual tension between the pair, in a show that is supposed to be all about horny teenagers, is decidedly lacking. Still, nobody is coming to Grease for serious acting, and the costumes, sets and dance set-pieces are as much fun as ever. Familiar, cartoonish 1950s fun. (Cast changes 16 June) Venue: Piccadilly Theatre Address: Denman Street, W1D 7DY Phone: 0844 412 6666 Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus Tube Grease - Information  Spamalot
Palace Theatre, W1D 5AY Opened 30th September 2006 With a book by original Python Eric Idle, this is a faithful rendition of the original surreal comedy, complete with killer rabbits, farmyard ballistics, faithful retainers, hard-fighting champions, holy hand grenades and Knights Who Say 'Ni'. At the same time as following the pattern and plot of the original, Spamalot is full of fresh jokes thanks to a string of all-new musical numbers penned by Idle and John Du Prez. Idle is of course a wonderful lyricist and this musical incorporates all the best British traditions of self-mockery, heroic failure, pomposity and falling over that Python fans will expect. The blend of surreal humour, lavish sets, and spectacularly silly song routines won the hearts of millions of new fans in the USA - as well as the Tony Award for Best Musical, and a Grammy for the score. A triumphant homecoming for a slice of British humour that conquered the world. Alan Dale (Ugly Betty, The OC, Neighbours) will be taking the role of King Arthur from 3 March. Venue: Palace Theatre Address: Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5AY Phone: 0870 890 0142 Nearest Station: Tottenham Court Road Tube Spamalot - Information  Blood Brothers
Phoenix Theatre, WC2H 0JP Opened 1st March 1987 Twenty years into its West End run, Willy Russell's iconic musical has barely dated at all. This is particularly true of the music, whose 80s drum machines and sweeping, hummable choruses are very much back in vogue in London's clubland. The set is also a beautiful creation, offering an ever-changing view of life at the posh and poor ends of Liverpool. The story is classic musical fare - best friends slowly torn apart by the pressures of superstition, economics, and, above all, class - but it is told with a verve and lyrical freshness that could only have come from this marvellous writer. Its thirty-year tale of life in Liverpool sees growing prosperity before the disasters of the eighties, but these great social changes take place alongside more intimate emotion: the excitement and danger of an inner-city childhood, the blessed relief of university for a repressed middle class boy, the giggles and goosebumps of teenage love. The kind of work that simply never gets made any more, this musical deserves its status as a modern classic. Venue: Phoenix Theatre Address: Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0JP Phone: 020 7437 4370 Nearest Station: Leicester Square Tube Blood Brothers - Information  We Will Rock You
Dominion Theatre, W1T 7RQ Opened 7th October 2002 A Freddie Mercury soundalike leads the Bohemians in a rebellion against the boy and girl bands who control Planet Mall, under the leadership of the Killer Queen... You can see where this is going, can't you: there's even a character called Scaramouche, who does the fandango. The plot is simply an excuse to make a roster of Queen songs even crazier, with a selection of ever-more-extravagant 70s sci-fi outfits and sets. If you're a fan then this is top entertainment, a live performance jam-packed with special effects, and the kind of figure-hugging costumes that guarantee a falsetto just like Freddie's. The songs are recreated with superb attention to detail and there's a rousing singalong finale. Ben Elton's all-conquering Queen musical has defied critical opinion to become a massive West End favourite. Venue: Dominion Theatre Address: Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7RQ Phone: 020 7413 3546 Nearest Station: Tottenham Court Road Tube We Will Rock You - Information  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Adelphi Theatre, WC2E 7NA Opened 18th July 2007 The story of Jacob's son, sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers, is surely the least likely subject matter ever to be staged as a West End musical. Yet 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' has seldom been offstage in London and New York since the first Broadway production in 1982. It has many of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's finest songs, with witty lyrics and unforgettable hooks, and offers plenty of comedy, high drama and several rousing set pieces. The Pharaoh is portrayed as Elvis, and Joseph is a really good hero, mixing tremendous vanity with quick wit. This is many people's favourite Lloyd Webber musical: 'Joseph' has a gleeful silliness that is lacking in the composer's later works, which keeps it fresh, and makes it a treat for all ages. Venue: Adelphi Theatre Address: The Strand, WC2E 7NA Phone: 0870 895 5598 Nearest Station: Covent Garden Tube Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Information
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