To walk around London’s West End is to see some of the finest musicals the world has to offer. With a raft of sing-alongs, dancing and fun, this area plays host to some of the most fun and memorable London shows, offering a great night out for every lover of musical theatre.
Here are five of the best.
The Phantom of the Opera
Showing at: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Possibly Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s finest hour, The Phantom of the Opera is somewhat astoundingly in its 28th year as a London show.
Following the exploits of the titular Phantom as he lives out his life under the Paris Opera House, Phantom is ultimately a tale of love and beauty, and is well worth a watch for a dose of baroque drama.
The Book of Mormon
Showing at: The Prince of Wales Theatre
A musical purely for adults, The Book of Mormon comes straight from the filthy minds of South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, following two naïve and ever-cheerful Mormons as they travel to Africa to try and convert the natives.
Despite its offensive subject matter, the show has been welcomed straight to the bosom of Broadway, winning nine Tony awards in America and gaining a multitude of critical plaudits, with national newspaper The Observer calling it “bright, fierce, challenging and unashamedly scatological.”
With the same punchy humour that Stone and Parker are well-known for, The Book of Mormon is for the musical fan after a little more bite with their sing-alongs.
We Will Rock You
Showing at: Dominion Theatre
Now in the midst of its twelfth year playing in the West End, We Will Rock You is a staggering success, selling over 6,600,000 tickets in London alone.
This Queen musical, scripted by former alternative comedian Ben Elton, has outlasted the likes of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Spamalot as it has reigned supreme at the box office.
Featuring a brilliantly preposterous storyline and a set of Queen songs that bring the house down with every performance, We Will Rock You has endured as the great rock ‘n’ roll crowd pleaser of the 21st century.
Wicked
Showing at: The Apollo Victoria Theatre
Boasting 90 international awards, Wicked is a fantastic trawl into an alternate story for The Wizard of Oz.
Creating an origin tale for the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, the show pits the two as close friends splintered by an encounter with the Wizard of Oz himself, and in the process creates a musical that has gained a cult following in its seven-year run.
Les Miserables
Showing at: Queen’s Theatre
Based on the Victor Hugo book of the same name, Les Miserables tells the tale of a post-revolutionary France beset by anguish and poverty.
In what is reputably a deeply moving piece, Les Miserables puts the kitsch and camp of most musical theatre to one side and replaces it with heartfelt sentiment, most famously encapsulated by the young orphan-girl Fantine’s rendition of I Dreamed a Dream. A guaranteed tearjerker.
