It remains to be seen whether this production of Ben Hur, 15 years in the making, can rival the 1959 movie version, starring Charlton Heston. The film's 300 sets, 8,000 extras (just for the chariot race) and 11 Oscars provide stiff competition for Franz Abraham's stage version with the added pressure of coinciding with the film's 50th anniversary. Still, expectations are high as 400 performers and 100 animals including horses, camels and donkeys fill the huge O2 Arena to bring to life first century Jerusalem as Jewish prince Judah Ben Hur comes up against the might of Rome in the days of Jesus. The atmosphere of the ancient world is heightened by the in-the-round performance, reminiscent of the Roman arenas. Water, wind and pyrotechnic effects have been planned on a grand scale but the piece de resistance - as in the film - will be the nail-biting chariot scene. Spectacular stuff.
What's on at
The O2 Arena
ATP World Tour Finals 2009 22nd November 2009 - 29th November 2009 For the first time in the history of the sport,...
Price: £40.00-£80.00
Peter Pan 1st December 2009 - 10th January 2010 Following a sell-out success in Kensington Gardens this summer, the...
Price: £19.50
Eddie Izzard: Stripped 3rd December 2009 - 7th December 2009 So, yeah… as a warm up to the UK leg...
Price: £35
Pink: The Funhouse Tour 8th December 2009 - 10th December 2009 The O2 Arena will be transformed into a house of...
Price: £37.50
Placebo 9th December 2009 Androgyny's favourite son Brian Molko brings his band Placebo to...
Price: £26.50
UB40 12th December 2009 A British reggae band from Bristol seemingly named after a...
Westlife
The O2 Arena, SE10 0AX | Wembley Arena HA9 0WS
1st & 2nd March 2008 | 28th March 2008
The record-breaking pop quartet from Sligo, Ireland play a number of... More
Girls Aloud
The O2 Arena, SE10 0AX
17th May 2008
There's nothing on 'Tangled Up' that quite matches the brilliance of 'Biology', but Girls Aloud remain... More
Dolly Parton
The O2 Arena, SE10 0AX
5th July 2008 - 6th July 2008
Country music goddess and cosmetic surgery supremo Dolly Parton arrives in London as part... More
Countdown to Midnight: With Take That and Guests Live at the O2
The O2 Arena, SE10 0AX
New Year's Eve, 31st December 2007
The biggest boy band of... More
Following a sell-out success in Kensington Gardens this summer, the blockbuster production of Peter Pan directed by Ben Harrison returns to London's O2 this December. ...More
With its narrow cobbled streets, historic old pubs, waterfront walkways and maritime history Greenwich is a wonderful place to escape to. This particular hotel is ... More
The Bubble is an exhibition space within The O2, the enormous domed structure in Greenwich which includes The O2 Arena with its impressive set up ...More
When English Partnerships bought the land (historically known as Greenwich Marsh) in 1997 they instigated a massive regeneration project which included bringing 121 hectares of ... More
Opened in March 2008, Gaucho at the O2 boasts the finest Argentine steak (Bife de Lomo) in London. The consistently high quality is spread throughout ...More
The David Beckham Academy provides a fun and interactive experience helping children of all ability levels, aged 8-15 to learn about health, life skills, and, ...More
The second most embarrassing legacy of Tony Blair's time in government struggled for years to find a role after the millennium show shut up shop. ... More
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It remains to be seen whether this production of Ben Hur, 15 years in the making, can rival the 1959 movie version, starring Charlton Heston. The film's 300 sets, 8,000 extras (just for the chariot race) and 11 Oscars provide stiff competition for Franz Abraham's stage version with the added pressure of coinciding with the film's 50th anniversary. Still, expectations are high as 400 performers and 100 animals including horses, camels and donkeys fill the huge O2 Arena to bring to life first century Jerusalem as Jewish prince Judah Ben Hur comes up against the might of Rome in the days of Jesus. The atmosphere of the ancient world is heightened by the in-the-round performance, reminiscent of the Roman arenas. Water, wind and pyrotechnic effects have been planned on a grand scale but the piece de resistance - as in the film - will be the nail-biting chariot scene. Spectacular stuff.
