Theatre entertainment in London
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Royal Court Theatre
Equally renowned for staging innovative new plays and old classics, the Royal Court is among London’s most progressive theatres and has continued to discover major writing talent across the UK under its inspirational artistic director, Dominic Cooke.
Tickets for concessions are £6 to £10, and £10 for everyone on Monday (four 10p standing tickets sold at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs); tickets for under 26s are £8. Standby tickets are sold an hour before performances, but normally at full price.
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Donmar Warehouse
The small Donmar Warehouse is the ‘thinking man’s theatre’ in London. But it has taken a step back from the days when Nicole Kidman administered ‘theatrical Viagra’ nightly by peeling off her clothes in Sam Mendes’ production of The Blue Room and Zoë Wanamaker really did Gothic Southern as Amanda Wakefield in Tennessee Williams’ Glass Menagerie. Still, artistic director Michael Grandage stages interesting and somewhat inventive productions such as Ibsen’s Doll’s House with Gillian Anderson and Hamlet with the blue-eyed Jude Law.
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Hackney Empire
The programming at this renovated Edwardian Music Hall (1901) is eclectic to say the least and certainly defines ‘something for everyone’ – from hard-edged political theatre to opera and comedy. The Empire is definitely one of the best places to catch a pantomime at Christmas.
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Arcola Theatre
The Arcola’s location in Dalston in the East End makes it a bit of a trek, but many still flock to this innovative theatre. The director, Mehmet Ergen has been staging adventurous and eclectic productions since founding the theatre in 2000.
The program focuses on cutting-edge, international productions (such as work by young Turkish, Swedish and Austrian playwrights) and a unique annual feature is Grimeborn, a music and opera festival in August/September, the antithesis of the world-famous annual Glyndebourne opera festival taking place around the same time.
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King’s Head
This stalwart pub-theatre in the heart of the Islington party district has in the past staged some of the most memorable theatre in North London. Nowadays it’s a bit hit or miss, with tribute mini-musicals to the likes of Dorothy Fields (she wrote songs like ‘I’m In The Mood For Love’ and ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’) and Sophie Tucker and provocative cabaret like Naked Boys Singing! (yes, for real). It might not be fun for the whole family, but you might like it.
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Old Vic
Never has there been a London theatre with a more famous artistic director. American actor Kevin Spacey took the theatrical helm in 2003, looking after this glorious theatre’s program. Spacey keeps going from strength to strength, with such recent pickings as Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa with singer Andrea Corr (who knew?) and Richard III, directed by ex-Donmar Warehouse honcho Sam Mendes and starring the Oscar-winning Spacey in the lead role. Breathtaking.
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Battersea Arts Centre
In the magnificent, mouldering old town hall, this is a friendly, homely, down-to-earth and old sofa-strewn community theatre where staff chat to you and actors mingle in the bar with the audience after the show. Playwrights see it as a valuable nurturer and crucible of new plays and talent. Artistic director David Jubb’s famous ‘Scratch’ program is an excellent exercise in learning about the writing process: a developing play is shown to ever-increasing audiences until it’s finished. Parents can take their kids (to five years old) to The Bee’s Knees cafe for toys, games, storytelling and music.
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Young Vic
One of the capital’s most respected theatre troupes – bold, brave and talented – the Young Vic grabs audiences with winning performances such as the astonishing Kafka’s Monkey, starring Kathryn Hunter, which returned to the Young Vic in 2011 after a triumphant world tour. There’s a lovely two-level bar-restaurant with an open-air terrace upstairs.
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Tricycle Theatre
If political theatre is on your shopping list, the Tricycle delivers. This small theatre has made a name for itself in recent years as the theatre-world’s conscience, with plays that draw on world events (conflicts in Iraq, the Middle East and especially Afghanistan, with 2009’s memorable The Great Game ) in intelligent and provocative ways. There’s a nice cinema and bar on site as well.
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Hampstead Theatre
Not only is this Ewan McGregor’s favourite London theatre, the Hampstead is famed for putting on new writing and taking on emerging directors. It staged Harold Pinter’s new work way back in the 1960s, which shows it knows a good thing when it sees one. More recently, it staged Mike Leigh’s revival of Ecstasy, which was so popular the play had to transfer to the West End.
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Little Angel Theatre
It might sound like kids’ stuff but this puppet theatre down an alleyway in Islington has programs for grownups, including the adults-only Puppet Grinder Cabaret. Especially memorable was their staged version of Shakespeare’s lengthy poem, Venus and Adonis. We’d never seen marionette birds before (or puppets in the throes of, err, passion, for that matter).
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Menier Chocolate Factory
Theatre and chocolate, two of many Londoners’ major passions, have never been as gloriously paired as they are here – a theatre inside a gorgeous conversion of a 19th-century chocolate factory. To make matters better, the theatre’s superb restaurant offers attractive combination deals: a two-course dinner and ticket.
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Almeida Theatre
A plush venue that can be relied on to provide the city with an essential program of imaginative theatre, the Almeida, under its creative artistic director, Michael Attenborough, attracts directors such as Richard Eyre and Rufus Norris, and stages plays such as The Mercy Seat and the acclaimed Duet for One.
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Albany
7 Deptford Market This colourful market takes place in the centre of Deptford three days a week, and comprises a vibrant flea market as well as food and clothing stalls. Southwest is the Albany, a busy arts and community centre with comedy, music and theatre productions and a lovely cafe.
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Lyric Hammersmith
The Lyric is a great venue that turns classics on their head, staging Greek tragedies through mixed media, with film projection, dance and music. A modern glass entrance takes you to the historic 19th-century auditorium seating 550, and a smaller 110-seat studio.
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Bush Theatre
This West London theatre is renowned for encouraging new talent. Its success over the past three decades – it recently moved to larger premises to accommodate its prolific programming – is down to strong writing from the likes of Jonathan Harvey, Conor McPherson, Stephen Poliakoff and Mark Ravenhill.
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Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre has developed a superb reputation for showcasing new writing talent and quality comedy. It’s also hosted some top-notch stand-up or sketch-based comedians; US acts (such as Louis CK and Kirsten Schaal) frequently come here to perform. Tickets cost around £10–20.
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Hen and Chickens Theatre
Programmed together with Lowdown at the Albany, the two venues host stand-up and sketch sets, Edinburgh previews and theatre. The Hen and Chickens, in particular, is a good place to see solo shows.
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Wilton’s
A gloriously atmospheric example of one of London’s Victorian public-house music halls, Wilton’s hosts a real variety of shows, from comedy and classical music to literary theatre and opera. You can also take a one-hour guided tour of the building to hear more about its fascinating history. The hall’s Mahogany Bar is a great way to get a taste of the place if you’re not attending a performance.
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Shakespeare’s Globe
If you love Shakespeare and the theatre, the Globe will knock you off your feet. This authentic Shakespearean theatre is a wooden O without a roof over the central stage area, and although there are covered wooden bench seats in tiers around the stage, many people (there’s room for 700) do as 17th-century ‘groundlings’ did, standing in front of the stage, shouting and heckling. Because the building is quite open to the elements, you may have to wrap up. No umbrellas are allowed, but cheap raincoats are on sale.
The theatre season runs from late April to mid-October and includes works by Shakespeare and his contemporaries such as Christopher Marlowe. The theatre’s…
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National Theatre
England’s flagship theatre showcases a mix of classic and contemporary plays performed by excellent casts in three theatres (Olivier, Lyttelton and Cottesloe). Outstanding artistic director Nicholas Hytner has overseen some recent landmark productions and slashed ticket prices. There are constant surprises and recent triumphs have included the powerful War Horse with its life-sized equine puppets, Phèdre with the incomparable Helen Mirren, and the extraordinary musical London Road – focussing on the murder of five prostitutes in Ipswich.
Travelex tickets costing just £12 are available to certain performances during the peak period; otherwise, standby tickets (usually…
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Almeida
A plush venue that can be relied on to provide the city with an essential program of imaginative theatre, the Almeida, under its creative artistic director, Michael Attenborough, attracts directors such as Richard Eyre and Rufus Norris, and stages plays such as The Mercy Seat and the acclaimed Duet for One.
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