The West End of London is home to Theatreland which is more commonly known as West End Theatre. The area along with Broadway Theatre in New York, USA, represents the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world. According to the latest studies Theatreland has an attendance of also 15 million people on a yearly basis which explains why it is considered to be the home of some of the world’s finest entertainment venues. Here some of the most prolific theatres in the West End of London.
Queen’s Theatre – Situated on the corner of Wardour Street this highly popular entertainment venue was officially opened in 1907 as a twin to the Gielgud Theatre which at the time was known as Hicks Theatre. Both venues were designed by the Australian theatre architect William George Robert Sprague. In 1972, Queen’s Theatre was recognised by the English authorities as a Grade II edifice. It currently stages the musical “Les Misérables” which is also known as Les Mis or Les Miz in English speaking countries. Even if you have seen the musical, you should most certainly visit the theatre as it is a highly visited landmark. But before you do so, make sure that you arrange all the details with the clearance company that handled your junk removal.
Her Majesty’s Theatre – Founded in 1705 and designed by English architect Charles John Phipps, Her Majesty’s Theatre is considered to be one of the most important in the English capital. It is a four level venue and has a capacity of 1.216 seats. It is recognised as Grade II* structure. The name of the venue changes in dependence of the monarch’s gender. Since 1986, it has been staging the musical “The Phantom of the Opera”.
Apollo Victoria Theatre – This 2.500 seat venue lies on Wilton Road. It was opened in 1930 as a variety theatre and cinema and converted into a full time theatre during the early 1980s. It is owned by the Ambassador Theatre Group and was designed by architects William Edward Trent and Ernest Wamsley Lewis in 1929. The Apollo Victoria Theatre is listed as a Grade II* building and currently stages the world famous musical “Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz” which is shortly known as Wicked. So if you haven’t seen the show, you can attend it as soon as your home or office waste clearance is over.
Palace Theatre – Located on Leicester Square, the Palace Theatre was established in 1891 and had to be closed the same year as it didn’t have enough plays to stage. It was reopened one year later and since then has been one of the most important and visited entertainment venues in London. It is owned by Nimax Theatres and is indentified as a Grade II* edifice. The theatre has a capacity of 1.400 seats which are divided on four levels. The structure was designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt and is regarded as one of the most beautiful theatrical venues in West End. In recent years it has stages numerous notable productions such as:
- The Woman in White
- Singin’ in the Rain
- Priscilla Queen of the Desert
- Monty Python’s Spamalot
- Whistle Down the Wind
- The Commitments