There are no doubt thousands of little theatres across the country, but here we’ll focus on the larger places you can enjoy plays, opera and other theatrical delights.
West End – London is often said to be the home of Theatreland in Britain and if this is the home then it’s heart is the so called West End – our equivalent of Broadway. With over 40 theatres in a very small area, there’s a wealth of shows to chose at any one time.
Alongside the theatres has grown up an entire dining and entertainment industry with restaurants fitting their menus and opening times around the theatre opening and closing times, so you can enjoy pre and post theatre dining or perhaps a drink in one of the many classy bars.
Along with the theatres there are also the cinemas in Leicester Square which is on one side of the West End. Some of the largest multi-screen cinemas in the country exist here including the biggest of them all – The Empire.
A couple of tips for the West End:
1) Don’t take your car anywhere near the West End as even if you find a parking space the on-street charges can be as much as a heafty £9 an hour!
2) Remember to book well in advance for major shows. It’s often cheaper to book hotel, coach/train and shows together with packages, like those from Superbreak.
National Theatre in London is actually 3 theatres with slightly less Broadway-esk productions but often featuring some of the countries best performers and writers.
One big advantage of the National Theatre is the cheap tickets which go on sale every morning. Only a few are available so keen theatre goers will need to be quick, but this gives everyone a chance to be absorbed into world class theatre.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is a realistic reconstruction of Shakespeare’s own theatre including the open roof. This was deliberate partly to keep the building as authentic as possible, and partly to use only natural light thus keeping the focus on the production rather than expensive effects.
The audience can even get right up to the stage with the cheapest standing seats, just as in the 16th Century original Globe Theatre. The only real difference is women are allowed on stage these days but that doesn’t stop the men prancing around in tights.
The Royal Opera House as it’s name suggests is the spiritual home of opera in Britain, located in the heart of Covent Garden. For lovers of opera, this is probably the pinnacle of production values. If you want a preview of the kindof production there, have a look at the videos section of their web site.
Sadler’s Wells Theatre is our final London theatre for this list. This institution specialises in “inspiring and challenging dance” although they cover pretty much every genre of dance going. Probably a place for those who prefer they’re entertainment a little bit less mainstream.
Royal Shakespeare Theatre is based in Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace and long-time home of William Shakespeare. The theatre which bears his name is home to some of the best Shakespeare productions in the world with names like John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier and Judi Dench having appeared there. The theatre itself has productions of Shakespeare’s work, plus that of other contemporary playwrights.
The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester is housed in the spectacular Victorian Cotton Trading Hall which shows off the wealth of the city during the 18th and 19th Centuries.
One rather unique feature of the theatre is the rounded stage with the audience surrounding the stage on all sides. The theatre has various productions from the modern, to classics and of course Shakespeare.
Edinburgh Theatre is not just about the annual Edinburgh Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival although they do bring new talent to the city every year.
The Edinburgh Fringe Theatre puts on productions all year round, often based on more modern plays so very little Shakespeare here. The theatre has the biggest stage of any theatre in Britain, so can offer the audience an experience like no other.
The King’s Theatre is an elegant Edwardian theatre producing all types of production and host to the annual city pantomime.
The Royal Lyceum Theatre focuses more on mainstream theatrical productions, forming a kindof West End for Edinburgh.
Glasgow not wanting to be upstaged by Edinburgh has it’s own selection of high class theatres including productions by the Scottish National Opera, Scottish National Ballet and National Theatre of Scotland.
For mainstream productions the Theatre Royal is the best option, or for more contemporary drama then the Tron and Tramway theatres are a good option.
Glasgow might not seem like the first place you would think of being very cultural, but due to various efforts over the years the city centre especially has improved markedly and now offers both high quality theatre, cinemas and restaurants.
Finally The Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff is a good all-round theatre houses in a staggering if a little controversial building in the heart of the city.
The theatre offers a wide range of productions from West End shows such as “We Will Rock You” to ballet and even productions such as Swan Lake on Ice.
Hopefully we’ve enlightened you and found something of interest around the UK’s theatrical centres. Many of these theatres offer discounted tickets as part of packages through companies such as Superbreak.
Extra links:
Hotels in London
Hotels in Edinburgh
Glasgow Hotels
Cardiff hotel accommodation
