Theatre Breaks by Coach, Rail or Self Drive
Theatre breaks
Theatre Breaks with top show tickets and London hotel stay included plus any attractions and discount rail vouchers. ** Book a Theatre Break **
Theatre Breaks by Coach
Theatre Breaks by coach are perfect for no-fuss theatre trips. They have three main advantages, convenience, capacity and cost.
Usually you will pick up the coach quite near your home and be whisked off to London in some comfort. Modern coaches are usually quite luxurious so you can just sit back and relax.
No worries about dragging your luggage around on the tube, parking in London, or getting back to the hotel after the show. Arriving back is less stressful too for the same reason, particularly on a Sunday when there are so many problems with train services.
Then there is how much you can fit in to your break. Of course you want to make the most of it but it can be hard to find time to do everything you want.
Finally, and maybe most important there is the cost. Not just the cost of rail fares, parking or congestion charges. There are all those hidden extras like taxis, extra meals and entertainment. They all add up. A coach break can give you a much cheaper way of doing everything you want without worrying about extra costs.
*Check Availability for Your Theatre Break by Coach*
Helping you find the right theatre break by coach
We know that people are coming to our sites looking for theatre breaks by coach and until recently we’ve not been able to help much. We are very happy to introduce you to our new partners Omega Holidays who have lots of experience in providing theatre breaks from all over the UK. They are offering our readers some very good value London Theatre breaks by coach. (They also offer rail and even theatre breaks with flights but that’s for another post!)
What you can expect on your theatre break
Your break will include a stay in a top quality hotel, usually in outer London. They offer excellent value particularly for 2 or 3 day theatre breaks by coach. The breaks come with dinner and dancing included in the price.
The weekend breaks include a Saturday matinee performance of the top West End show, and then enjoy dinner at your hotel followed by an evening of dancing.
You still get plenty of free time in London for sight seeing, shopping or whatever takes your fancy.
A typical 2 day Theatre, Dinner and Dance Coach Trip
A typical 2 day Theatre, Dinner and Dance trip looks like this:
Day 1 – Early morning departure from your local area, arrive in central London around lunchtime/the early afternoon. You will be dropped off near to your theatre where you will be able to enjoy a matinee performance of your chosen show. After your show, the coach will pick you up from the same point and transfer you to your hotel. Relax and then enjoy dinner in the hotel followed by an after dinner disco.
Day 2 – After breakfast you will be dropped off in central London for a morning of sightseeing or shopping. Later you’ll be picked up by your coach make your journey home during the afternoon.
Of course the 3 day break is more leisurly with more free time in London
The Cost of Theatre Breaks by Coach
It has to be said, theatre breaks by coach are not only convenient but also a considerable saving on breaks by rail. For example a 2 day coach break ,with dinner and dancing to see a top show like Billy Elliot, will cost from around £119.95 per person. The same deal by rail starts at around £179 each. If you are rushed for time you can even do an overnight Saturday Night trip, with no extras from just £102 each!
3 Reasons to Choose Theatre Breaks by Coach.
Just to repeat myself for a moment, consider:
- Convenience – easy pick up points, no luggage to carry round, no worries about tubes, trains, black cabs or parking.
- Capacity – this is all about making the most of your trip. With these breaks everything is laid on. No worries about restaurants, tickets for shows or other entertainment arrangements.
- Cost – theatre breaks by coach are just a lot cheaper than breaks by rail. You often get a better class of hotel in outer London for a lower rate. You’ve no hidden extra costs like late night black cabs or after-show restaurant bills.
3 great reasons to choose Theatre Breaks by Coach.
New Year Theatre Breaks
New Year Theatre Breaks 2010
New Years Eve Theatre Breaks - Big Ben
New Year theatre breaks are a great way to bring in the new decade. As it falls on a Friday night this year lots of shows have performances on New Year’s Eve and London is, of course, a fantastic place to be on such an important night. I’ll go through each of the shows, suggest some central hotels, cover some of the great things on in the city centre after the shows close, and suggest some things to do on New Year’s Day.
Shows for New Year Theatre Breaks
All the following shows have performances on New Year’s Eve 2010 . As of today these all still have some tickets, many only as part of theatre break packages. They are going fast so if you want a New Year’s Eve Theatre Break act now.
*Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break*
Musicals:
Matilda, A Musical
Oliver! (Matinee only)
Plays:
When We Are Married
Woman in Black
Yes, Prime Minister
*Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break*
Hotels for New Year’s Eve Theatre Breaks
You really want to be central to make the most of being in the capital at New Year. I’ve seen quite a few locally organised breaks advertised where they whisk you back to an out of town hotel for a celebration after the show. This is fine but it does mean you miss out on the fun and excitement of Big Ben’s chimes and the magnificent fireworks displays. To me this is part of why you’ve come to the capital. To miss out on it stuck out of the city, no matter how nice your hotel, would be a shame. I’ll explain more about the fireworks and the New Year’s Day Parade later in the post.
Ideally you want your hotel to be in the central area, say not more than 1 mile from the theatre. Sounds expensive? Actually surprisingly not too bad. I looked at good tickets for Phantom of the Opera and 2 nights and found I could get a 3* very central hotel for £250ish per person. This isn’t much different to a normal weekend rate.
New Year Theatre Breaks by Rail
Advice – Come By Rail if You Possible Can
This is one weekend you do not want to have a car in central London. Really, it’s better to come by rail usually anyway but New Year sees vast numbers of road closures and a car is really going to cramp your style. The theatre breaks agencies usually allow you to include your train tickets and can save you up to 40% on the normal price.
After the Show – the fireworks.
You won’t get out of the theatre in time to grab a prime position for the displays. They will all be filled by about 10pm. However, no need to despair. Wrap up warm and get yourself to a spot where you can see the London Eye and you will be able to see a really spectacular show. The chimes of Big Ben are broadcast down the length of the river and then the display starts.
If you prefer you can head for Trafalgar Square. There are no events planned but there is a huge screen which will relay the countdown and chimes and then show the fireworks. Just try to keep out of the fountain! No, really, it’s a really bad idea.
Once it’s over you can smugly watch everyone head for the overcrowded tube as you stroll back to your cosy central hotel.
By the way alcohol is not prohibited in the centre of London on New Year’s Eve so if you did happen to have a hip flask with you it might be a very nice way to bring in the New Year!
New Year’s Day Parade
After a full English breakfast, ( see hip flask above!) and a gentle potter round the hotel it’s time to head off for the parade. This has become a really fun event. It starts at 12 and goes on till 3. This year is the 25th anniversary of the parade and it looks set to be an extra special one.
There are numerous marching bands, floats and performances.
You can get a taster of it from this video:
Ideally why not book tickets for one of the grandstands. They are not too expensive with even the V.I.P. one at Whitehall only costing £20 each. These give you the best view of the parade.
*Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break*
Wicked Theatre Breaks with Rachel Tucker as Elphaba
If you haven’t seen Rachel Tucker in Wicked yet then you must book Wicked theatre breaks soon, she’s fabulous.
Here’s a video from West End Live last weekend which doesn’t do justice to the full theatre performance of Wicked by any means, but gives an idea of how talented a performer Rachel Tucker is.
Before landing the part of Elphaba in Wicked, Rachel Tucker has played both Meat and Scaramouche in We Will Rock You and before that was a finalist in the I’d Do Anything TV casting show to find a Nancy for Oliver.
And here’s the backstage interview conducted by Keith Martin of Leicester Square TV with Rachel Tucker of Wicked herself:
In the interview, Rachel Tucker describes how Wicked is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Loosely based on the Wizard of Oz Wicked has a kind of twist to it. It’s the story of how the good witch and the bad witch became enemies, so Dorothy has nothing really to do with it. It’s an amazing moral story highly relevant to anybody who has ever been bullied or discriminated against just for being different.
10% OFF all Theatre Breaks
Here’s the news today, Theatre Breaks have launched their summer offer with a 10% discount off everything on the website!
Theatre Breaks site wide Summer Sale kicks off today, June 15th and lasts for the whole of June.
Every theatre break booked will be at a saving of 10%… All Shows, All Hotels, All the Extras… All at 10% Off.
Here’s the link for the 10% discount:
Theatre Breaks with 10% Off Everything
So you can tailor make your break as usual with your choice of show, hotel and dates and create yourself a bargain!
*Book today for big savings – Theatre & Hotel Packages from just £55.80 per person!
*Book today and upgrade to a 4 or 5 star hotel – with the money you save.
*Book today and plan ahead – secure your Summer Holiday, Half-term getaway, Christmas do or New Year’s bash – all at a great reduction.
The discount will run until 1700hrs GMT, June 30th – leaving you only a few days to take advantage of a great saving on your next trip to London, whenever that might be.
Theatre Breaks
Here’s the link again for the 10% discount:
Hair Theatre Breaks
Hair Theatre Breaks – time travel to a land that never was…..
Hair is back in the West End and we can travel back in time for a theatre break to that heady, hairy place that was the Summer of Love. We’ve all heard the cliche that if you remember the 60s you weren’t there, well, the new production of the 60s hit musical Hair takes us back to one version of that time of flower power, beads and illicit substances.
Hair theatre breaks
Last Tuesday night we had the chance to see the lively new Broadway production of Hair. I was really looking forward to the show as it’s been on my wish list ever since I heard it was coming (More about Hair). Of course, this cast of bright energetic young Americans weren’t even born when Hair arrived in London for the first time. (I worry that just possibly neither were some of their parents – moving swiftly on!) For them Hair is a period piece from a time as exotic and unfamiliar as the 1920s. I’m old enough to remember the 60s, or to be more precise, I was trying to re-create them for most of the early 70s.
At first tiny details that weren’t ‘quite’ right jarred slightly. A few minutes in though I suddenly realised that being ‘right’ really didn’t matter. I was watching a wonderful, energetic interpretation of a kind of fairy tale.
We weren’t in the 60s at all. We were in Neverland with a group of Lost Boys, Peter Pan (Burger) and the rest of the cast. So I stopped worrying about historical accuracy and relaxed into a most enjoyable evening of music, dance and humour.
The music of the show is wonderful, from the iconic start of The Age of Aquarius via Good Morning Starshine to the final auditorium wide singing of Let the Sun Shine in we are swept along by a succession of huge hits and tiny masterpieces like Frank Mills. If you can’t get to London to see the show buy the album on Amazon – you won’t regret it!
Who Will Enjoy Hair?
Looking round the audience, and we got a better look at them than you usually do as a huge number of people made it onstage for the final song, Hair seems to appeal to all ages. There were a few aging ex-hippies (you know who you are!) but just about every age from 14 or so up was represented. Hair does of course famously have full frontal (actually rather tasteful and touching) nudity, references to drug use and quite explicit (and not at all tasteful, but fun!) sexual references. You might think twice about taking your younger children or your aging aunt. On second thoughts aging aunts are an unpredictable bunch and can have quite interesting pasts!
Sweet Charity
If They Could See Me Now - Charity (Tamzin Outhwaite)
Sweet Charity will start previews at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket on April 23rd after a sell out run at the Mernier Chocolate Factory. At the moment the show is booking through to January 2011.
The show has been a big hit with audiences and critics alike. Tamzin Outhwaite’s outstanding performance in the title role has even been remarked on by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Sweet Charity will make a brilliant treat for theatre breaks fans. We follow Charity Hope Valentine as she travels a bumpy path in pursuit of love. Charity is a paradox, a scheming innocent, a dreamer who always gives her heart and her trust to the wrong man. She still travels hopefully and despite all her misadventures, or perhaps because of them, she still captures the audience’s heart along the way.
Sweet Charity has some favourite show stopping musical numbers that you will know the words to including If They Could See Me Now, (Hey) Big Spender! and The Rhythm of Life and some less familiar numbers that deserve to be better known.
The jazz dance style of the show is classic Fosse with those now familiar elements of bowler hatted dancers with lots of shoulder rolls, knees, elbows, and wrists bent at unlikely angles. Expect syncopated rhythms, lots of toe tapping, finger clicking and pelvic thrusts. This is the original that shows like Chicago built their dance style on. And this production really does it justice!
History of the Show
Sweet Charity is based on Federico Fellini’s screenplay for Nights of Cabiria. The show was choreographed and conceived by Bob Fosse, with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon. The original production directed by Fosse opened on January 29, 1966 on Broadway at the Palace Theatre, and ran for 608 performances. Nominated for 12 Tony Awards the show only won for Fosse’s choreography.
The 1969 film version of Sweet Charity (which I love!) was also directed and choreographed by Fosse. It starred Shirley MacLaine as Charity Hope Valentine and until recently I thought hers was the definitive Charity. Tamzin Outhwaite does a brilliant job of making the part and especially If They Could See Me Now her own.
Sweet Charity Theatre Breaks
As yet (April 15th) Show and Stay do not seem to have theatre breaks to Sweet Charity available on the site. They do suggest that breaks will soon be available with prices starting from £113 per person.
TheatreBreaks also have the show on their site but are not showing any performances as available
Superbreaks does have availability and prices start from £109 per person.
You could also try a build your own theatre break. UKTickets have tickets from £31 per person during previews rising to £42 in May.
Mamma Mia! London
I went to see Mamma Mia! the London stage show last night at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Piccadilly and enjoyed the show immensely.
Jessie May as Sophie was captivating right from the opening scene and as soon as she opened her mouth the most beautiful sound came out, which then continued perfectly throughout the show. Having already seen the film version with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosman, Julie Walters et al, the rather fanciful plot held no surprises but the London stage version portrayed the younger characters much more sympathetically than the slightly annoying americanised teenagers in the film. The set is very appealing in a rustic Mediterranean sort of way but it’s not the colours and lights that transport you to a Greek island, it’s the acting and the costumes.
Coming out of the theatre I was totally surprised to be dumped back into a somewhat chilly spring night on the dazzling streets of London Theatreland.
So I’d definitely recommend Mamma Mia for theatre breaks, and not just for single sex groups or Abba fans either. Anybody who remembers the 1970s or has dreamed of running away to a Greek Island, will have a great time at this so called “feel good show” that really lives live up to the promises.
Love Never Dies Theatre Breaks
Recommending Love Never Dies Theatre Breaks
Love Never Dies is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s not exactly sequel to Phantom of the Opera. I saw it in previews, liked it very much but was not quite ready to recommend it for theatre breaks fans. I wanted to see if the show settled down and to let ‘his Lordship’ make the inevitable changes a preview period brings. Now the show has settled and people are happily booking their Love Never Dies theatre breaks and having a great time.
** Book Love Never Dies Theatre Breaks **
The Story of Love Never Dies
Set on Coney Island, New York some 10 years after the events of Phantom, Love Never Dies is a more grown-up story of love. It has lost some of the teenage fascination with the Gothic that is such a huge part of the power of Phantom and in its place there is a much more human set of characters.
There are plenty of places online where you can find a synopsis of the story but my advice is to go to the show without any preconceptions and enjoy it for what it is, a powerful piece of theatre, full of spectacle and gorgeous music.
Love Never Dies Music
I just adored the music. Some people thought there were not enough memorable tunes but my house rang to much whistling and humming for days after we saw the show. I think the music is more interesting and I actually enjoyed it more than Phantom (gasp!). Speaking of the gorgeous music just listen to the divine voice of Sierra Boggess:
Oh and how about the utterly wonderful Ramin Karimloo:
And that’s without mentioning the great performance of Summer Strallen as Meg Girey!
Love Never Dies theatre stage set
I thought the set was mostly wonderful. There’s good use of back projection and special effects but it’s the Art Nouveau aspects that just blew me away. Some of the sets looked like exquisite pieces of Art Nouveau jewelry or spectacular Tiffany lampshades. At times I was reminded of the film set of Moulin Rouge, but then I loved that too! It made a wonderful backdrop for the passionate story.
A big question: One show or two?
I know people were worried that they haven’t seen Phantom and would find it hard to follow the story.
In our party we had someone who had never seen Phantom and she said that within the first ten minutes she had worked out enough to make sense of what was happening. She didn’t feel that not knowing the back story spoiled her enjoyment at all.
Having read all the fuss about certain bloggers and forums I think there have been more problems with the devoted ‘Phans’. They’ve had to let go of their preconceptions about what the Phantom could be like and his relationship to Christine. People were too quick to judge a show that was still being ‘tweaked’ and seem to have forgotten that Phantom had its share of problems when it opened.
I’ve seen both shows and I think the ideal solution is a double show theatre break. No one is offering one yet but there are rumblings from one or two of the agencies. Never fear as soon as they are available I’ll let you know!
Chicago London for Valentines Day Theatre Breaks
Ruthie Rocks in Chicago
Want to earn some extra brownie points with your significant other? How about a romantic Valentine’s Day weekend in London with tickets for a great show and a night in a charming hotel? It costs less than you might think!
Chicago makes a great choice for Valentine’s Day theatre breaks. It’s such a fun, sexy show with moments of real romance and just enough raunchiness to keep everyone in that special mood! I just happen to know that a couple of the theatre break agencies still have tickets so get them while you still can!
Ruthie Henshall Plays Roxy in Chicago London
One of the best reasons to see Chicago at the moment, is that West End superstar Ruthie Henshall is playing Roxy. She’s played the part when the show opened and it’s lovely to see her back on the West End stage. She’s doing a strictly limited run and it will finish on February 28th.
The performance is just stunning have a listen to this:
Chicago London Facts and Figures
- Chicago is the longest running Broadway musical on the West End. In London it has played to an audience of over 4.5 million people and more than 4,000 performances. The musical transferred from the Adelphi Theatre to the Cambridge Theatre in April last year.
- After it opened almost 10 years ago at the Adelphi Theatre the show won the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for ‘Outstanding Musical Production’ and the 1998 Critics Circle Drama Award for ‘Best Musical’.
- Based on a play by Maurine Dallas Watkins with a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. The music is by John Kander and the lyrics by Fred Ebb. The West End production is staged by the original Broadway creative team.
How to get there
Cambridge Theatre is on Earlham Street, London, WC2 9HU It’s in the area near Covent Garden now known as Seven Dials. Don’t try to get there via Covent Garden tube as it’s currently partially closed! Walk from Tottenham Court Rd, if you have to use the tube, or Charing Cross station if you can get a train.
Theatre Breaks - Covent Garden
Alternatively try to make sure you get a hotel within easy walking distance of the Covent Garden area. Actually that’s good advice anyway as the area is great .
There are lots of yummy shops to browse, a Sunday Market, cafes and restaurants to have a leisurely lunch, it’s one of my favourite areas of London. There is always lots going on in the area and you can just wander round or be amused by the constantly changing street performances.
That makes it the perfect romantic area for a Sunday stroll after your hotel breakfast and before you catch your train home.
Check Availability for Chicago London Theatre Breaks
** Chicago London Theatre Breaks via Show And Stay **
Theatre Breaks Agents Compared
Theatre Breaks Agents
Theatre breaks agencies come in many shapes but here at the London Theatre Breaks blog we like to work with three in particular. We get a small commission from each reader who books a theatre break through our links and that helps to fund our blog. The theatre breaks agents offer somewhat differing services and the best one for you depends on what you are looking for when you start searching for a theatre break package.
You need to decide what your priorities are first before you look at the various deals on offer because you are not really comparing like with like. (If you need help with this have a look at this post on our sister site Theatre Breaks Magazine.) The agencies specialise and offer various options, they often work with particular hotels or a particular level of ticket. Some agencies have offers on rail fares which you can bundle in with the cost of your tickets, other optional extras like meals can also be added. Often agencies offer discounts on London attractions when they are booked with your theatre break.
We only work with reputable agencies where we can be sure that not only will you get a good deal but that your tickets and hotel room will be honoured. Some of the other theatre breaks companies add lots of hidden extras, like booking fees, on to your final bill. We think this is not acceptable so we only recommend the following package deals:
Show and Stay London Theatre Breaks
Show and Stay is a long-established theatre package company. They are part of the larger Holiday Extras group and we have been working with them for the last 2-3 years. Feedback from customers has been very positive and we continue to recommend them. Show and Stay really specialise in getting you top quality tickets at a good price and combining them with a good choice of 3 or 4* hotels. They also offer a very good deal on rail tickets, with up to 40% discount as standard. Show and Stay often has the hot tickets that no one else has. For example when Jodie first appeared and Oliver! London was the hottest ticket in town, Show & Stay London was able to offer Saturday night, best seats, when there was no other way to get them and everyone else said the show was sold out.
Now despite what I’ve said about them offering top quality tickets don’t assume that Show and Stay only do expensive theatre breaks. Their breaks are very competitive. For example someone just booked a midweek evening at Oliver! and 1 night in a 3* hotel for 2 people for only £213.96.
Superbreak Theatre Breaks
Superbreak is where you go for bargains. They offer a range of ticket prices so if you don’t mind being in the Upper Circle you can get a very good price indeed. They have more limited availability sometimes, than Show and Stay but if you are looking for particular dates rather than a specific show they can be very good value. The hotels they work with are just as good as Show and Stay and are usually 3 or 4*.
Superbreak are a large company and they do all sorts of London breaks and breaks to other cities too. They are less specialised than Show and Stay but they still offer a good service. Their web site can be a bit harder to find your way around, as it is so large, but if you persevere you can definitely get some great deals.
Weekend Theatre Breaks in London
Weekend theatre breaks in London
Weekend theatre breaks in London are a good way to fit in a mini holiday. You may not be able to afford the time or money for a full blown break but a weekend in London with a show can be enough to make you feel that you have actually had a holiday. It is all down to very careful planning.
Choose your travel times
You have to choose your travel times with care so that you make the most of your weekend.
If you decide to travel by rail you need to watch out for any planned engineering works that could add frustration especially to your return journey. These are often planned for Sundays so if you can take an extra day and travel back on Monday you can avoid the problem all together. Hotels often offer an extra night for a very reasonable amount and you get an extra day in London. See below for more about Sundays in the city. It would be a shame to spoil your relaxed mood with a disrupted homeward journey.
Luckily you can easily check using the trainline.com and find out if there is any work planned for your chosen dates. If there is then it might be best to re-think your dates or travel to London by car.
How many days are there in a weekend?
Friday
If you travel on Friday and return on Monday you can have 3 nights and 2 full days in London. This is ideal if you can manage it as for just 1 extra day off work you can turn a weekend into a mini-break. Travel on Friday afternoon and you can arrive at your hotel, freshen up and go out for a nice meal, or an evening’s entertainment.
Saturday
Then you have all day Saturday for shopping, galleries or what ever takes your fancy. After an early (5:30-6:30 ish) pre-theatre meal you can get to the theatre in plenty of time, pick up your tickets from the box office, have a relaxing drink and be settled ready for the performance.
Most shows finish around 10 – 10:30pm so after the show you will have time for a stroll round the West End, a light supper, a nightcap somewhere or even a club if that’s what takes your fancy. Then make your way back to your hotel, which, if you were wise when you were booking, will be only a short walk away.
Sunday
London is a different place on a Sunday. The tourist ‘traps’ are less busy, especially in the morning. London isn’t a city that wakes up early on Sundays so if you are an early bird you can see the sights before most people are even awake. London is famous for its street markets and these are great fun on a Sunday morning. Try Covent Garden’s Jubilee Market or, if you are feeling adventurous, try Brick Lane or Columbia Rd Flower Market. There’s lots of street food available and most of it is very good, so lunch won’t be a problem.
After lunch you’ve got the luxury of a relaxing afternoon ahead of you. If you are into art you might try having a look at Tate Modern and if you are really energetic why not take the Tate to Tate ferry that runs between that and Tate Britain? Or just have a stroll along the Southbank. There’s usually something going on and it’s a great spot for people watching. If the weather is not so good there is lots of indoor entertainment too, maybe even visit the TKTS booth in Leicester Square and fit in an extra show! More shows are doing matinees on Sundays so it is definitely worth checking. You could even just find a good pub and settle in. Fullers pubs are quite traditional, have very nice real ale and are famous for their pies. If you are near Covent Garden you could try a real Cornish pub, complete with pasties and Cornish beer.
Monday morning
After the rush hour, and a good breakfast, you check out of your hotel for a leisurely journey home.
So you can see how weekend theatre breaks in London really can work for you as a mini holiday if you plan them carefully.
Theatre Breaks 2009 Roundup
Theatre Breaks Roundup for 2009
Winter 2009 is here and I’m just wondering what sort of a year this has been for theatre breaks. There’s been a recent survey that assures us reality TV has actually boosted ticket sales. The box offices are claiming the credit crunch has had little effect on bookings with theatre usually full. So what’s been the reality?
Theatre Breaks Shows
In terms of shows one or two have closed early but the old favourites like We Will Rock You carry on. Avenue Q was saved from oblivion by popular demand and has moved to a new theatre. The Lion King is as popular as ever and proudly boasts that it is so well booked that it has NEVER released tickets to the reduced ticket agencies.
Some good shows reached the end of their natural life and wonderful though Spamalot was it really was time for it to say goodbye. It’s been replaced by Priscilla and that has been a fair swap. Carousel never really quite hit the spot and its closure wasn’t any great surprise. It was sad to see the end of Cabaret and a shame they couldn’t take a leaf out of Chicago’s book and find a constant stream of new familiar faces to keep us going back. Joseph went too and no doubt was mourned by thousands of Lee Mead fans but it was another one that seemed ready to go. No doubt it will be back someday.
One show I thought should have done better was Spring Awakening, which I just loved. All that energy and a theatre full of young people the night we went. I felt positively ancient, and that’s a good thing! (honest!)
Oliver has of course been a total triumph with Jodie Prenger making a real name for herself. Who would have thought she’d still be there doing 8 shows a week nearly a year later? What a star. I saw her at West End live this year and she has a super voice and a lovely stage presence. She managed to upstage Christopher Biggins, to great comic effect and that takes some talent for comedy! I think we’ll see more of Jodie once she moves on but for now she seems happy where she is. She’s on her 3rd Fagin and this is the one I’d really like to see. I think Griff Reese Jones will make a great Fagin and be well worth seeing.
Hairspray has seen some major changes with the departure of Micheal Ball. Still Phil Jupitus is doing a grand job and Brain Connely was very well received in the part. I wonder how long Micheal will stay away, I’m sure I heard somewhere that he’s thinking of coming back to Edna. We hope!
Wicked is going from strength to strength and is the most popular musical at this witchy time of year. Kerry Ellis is just a distant memory now and Alexia Kadhim has made her own interpretation of Elphaba. I think she has a lovely voice, quite different to Kerry’s but wonderful all the same:
New shows coming in include Legally Blonde which I was less than keen on when first announced. Since then I’ve had a good look at the videos on youtube and listened to the cast recordings and I might just change my mind. It might be fun and has the sort of casting that makes me want to see it.
What to say about Love Never Dies (apart from “I can’t wait!!”)? Well it’s definitely going to be a huge event and it should be a spectacular in the best Lloyd Webber tradition. The Coney Island setting should give it a great atmosphere, you know how creepy fairgrounds can be. We’ve all seen Scoobydoo 
It’s got two fabulous stars in Sarah Boggess and Ramin Karimloo (I’ve been doing this so long I can now spell these names without flinching!)
In the next part of this series of posts I’ll look at the travel aspects and prospects for theatre breaks in London 2010.
What is it, Dylan Moran?
Dylan Moran “What It Is” Theatre Breaks
Dylan Moran, star of TV’s Black Books, Shaun Of The Dead and Run Fat Boy Run is back in London with his show, What It Is.
At The Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue London until December 5th, Dylan Moran “What It Is” tickets are also available as Comedy Theatre Breaks in London, with tickets and hotel room included.
I saw him head the bill at the Hackney Empire’s New Act of The Year show many years ago and very much enjoyed his surrealist monologues.
Since then, Dylan Moran’s legendary stand up rants have sold out across the world cementing this unkempt wordsmith’s reputation as one of the foremost comics of his generation. Likened to Dave Allen and labelled ‘The Oscar Wilde of Comedy’ Dylan is unpredictable, bizarre, elegiac, often cruel but above all painfully funny.
Dylan Moran sees through the joys and disappointments of human existence with the sensibility and intense perception of a man teetering on the edge. He chews life up and coughs it out, he’s a one of a kind.
Booking Until: Saturday, 05 December 2009
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 8pm
Running Time: 2 hours
Suitable for ages 14+
Dylan Moran on Germany
** Book Dylan Moran Theatre Breaks **
The Lion King 10th Anniversary Theatre Breaks £60
The Lion King - theatre breaks
Lion King Anniversary theatre breaks
As you may well know by now, the Lion King musical is celebrating a tenth anniversary in London’s West End. It’s a great family show and we’d like to offer this special theatre break package from Superbreak of Lion King theatre tickets and a three star hotel for only £60 per person:
The Lion King Celebrates its 10th Anniversary, ticket & 3*, £60.00pp
Show Available until August 2010
The Lion King Theatre Breaks
Disney’s marvellous musical about the young Prince Simba, his father King Musafa and evil Uncle Scar. An award-winning score with fantastic choreography continue to make The Lion King one of London’s favourite shows.
Lion King London Video
Theatre Breaks – The Movie
In our first Theatre Breaks video story production two theatre fans are having a discussion about what to do for the weekend.
Do you fancy going away somewhere next weekend?
Yes that’s a really good idea
Where shall we go?
How about going to London. That’d be nice
That’d be brilliant
Yea I could get some shopping done as well
We could go roller skating
I don’t want to go roller skating!
We could go skateboarding
Don’t be ridiculous!
We could hire a boat and go rowing on the Thames
I’d rather go and see a show.
As long as it doesn’t have….
We could go and see Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia Mamma Mia Mamma Mia – you mean We Will Rock you?
No, Mamma Mia you like the film Meryl streep was in it.
What’s wrong with We Will ROck You?
Nothing. I’ve always liked Queen
So we go up to London and we go and see a show?
Yeah
And stay in a hotel as well?
Well, yes!
Do we book them separately or together?
It’s going to be a real faff to book them seperately!
So we book them together
Yes
I don’t fancy taking the car into London
So we go by train?
Yes, why not?
So we go by train, drop the bags off at the hotel and go out and see the show.
So long as the hotel’s not too far from the West End
I’d want it near the shops too
But there are shops everywhere
No, there aren’t!
Laughter
No we need to be near the shops as well. I like Covent Garden
RIght then, let’s book it. Shall we phone up one of the theatres or what.
No you know what, if you go online you can get really good deals, I’ve seen
Ah go on the internet?
Yes
What deals, like theatre and hotel deals?
Yes, sometimes you can get them with the rail fare included as well
So Theatre breaks and trains?
Or theatre breaks and rail?
Get google up and stick theatre breaks and train in. Let’s see what we can get.
OK I’m sure we’ll have a lovely time!
If you go online you can get really good theatre breaks deals.
Thanks for reading Theatre Breaks articles about Theatre breaks on the London Theatre Breaks Blog
