London: The Theatre of Dreams

From the gates of Buckingham Palace to the magnificent Houses of Parliament, London is one of the world’s leading cities for culture, history and anything else one could ever associate with a true global city.

However, what brings many visitors to London is the nightlife. The abundance of fine restaurants, bars and nightclubs draws crowds to the metropolis in their hordes, whilst the bright lights, big city vibe of Piccadilly Circus is London’s very own answer to New York’s Times Square

Indeed, the comparison with New York doesn’t end with bright neon-lit advertising and video displays. Piccadilly Circus is situated in London’s West End area, or ‘Theatreland’ as it’s also known. Along with New York’s Broadway, West End theatre is widely regarded as having the best live performance theatre in the English-speaking world.

Drawing in up to fifteen million people each year, the most famous theatres in London’s West End are located in Drury Lane, Shaftsbury Avenue and The Strand, with as many as forty different theatres open at any one time, staging everything from timeless classics, musicals, comedy and contemporary plays.

To demonstrate how highly regarded and ‘in-demand’ London’s Theatreland district is, it’s probably worth pointing out a few interesting statistics about the longevity of some of the shows.

Agatha Christie’s play ‘The Mousetrap’ is the longest running play in the world, having been performed at the Ambassador’s Theatre from 1952 to 1974, then moving next door to the St. Martin’s Theatre from 1974 until today.

Similarly, a number of other well-renowned plays such as Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Blood Brothers, Cats and the Woman in Black are all well into their third decade in the theatres of London’s West End.

Of course, London’s live performance scene isn’t restricted to the Theatreland district. For those who are seeking a little more artistic prestige, then there are many non-commercial theatres worth exploring in other areas too, such as the Old Vic, the Young Vic, the Royal Court Theatre and the Almeida Theatre.

Perhaps one of the more interesting venues though is Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, a modern reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre, which was conceived of and built by William Shakespeare’s playing company in the late sixteenth century. Today, the Globe Theatre plays host to countless live performances of Shakespeare classics, making it the highlight of any theatre tour of London.

So London, it would seem, is one of the top destinations in the world for those seeking a variety of live performances. Every genre imaginable can be enjoyed, and with some shows continuing for over four decades without a break, it’s easy to see why the London theatre scene is held in such high regard.