Entertainment sights in London
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
West End Theatre
There are some 50 theatres in London's West End, so you'll need a listings guide like www.timeout.com or www.whatsonstage.com for the latest productions. For tickets, including to music gigs, comedy shows etc, try Ticketmaster; a booking fee is charged. For last-minute booking, turn to the tkts booth in Leicester Sq. It sells half-price, same-day tickets for a reasonable commission.
reviewed
-
B
Royal Opera House
On the northeastern flank of Covent Garden piazza is the gleaming, redeveloped – and practically new – Royal Opera House. Unique ‘behind the scenes’ tours take you through the venue, and let you experience the planning, excitement and hissy fits that take place before a performance at one of the world’s busiest opera houses. As it’s a working theatre, plans can change so you’d best call ahead. Of course, the best way to enjoy it is by seeing a performance.
reviewed
-
C
Royal Albert Hall
This huge, domed, red-brick amphitheatre adorned with a frieze of Minton tiles is Britain’s most famous concert venue and home to the BBC’s Promenade Concerts (the Proms; see p306) every summer. The hall, built in 1871, was never intended as a concert venue but as a ‘Hall of Arts and Sciences’; Queen Victoria added the ‘Royal Albert’ when she laid the foundation stone, much to the surprise of those attending. Consequently it spent the first 133 years of its existence tormenting concert performers and audiences with its terrible acoustics. It was said that a piece played here was assured of an immediate second hearing, so bad was the reverberation around the oval…
reviewed