London Theater

One of my favorite things to do is to attend the theater both at home and abroad. Without a doubt in my mind London is the top destination to enjoy a theater themed vacation abroad!

Day 1 – One of the best ways to get your bearings in to take a tour. For this theater themed trip, start with an included walking tour of the theater district.

Enjoy an afternoon at leisure, stroll along Leicester Square, the hub of the theater district. Follow up with dinner and a play in the West End.

Day 2 – Take a back stage tour of the iconic Royal Drury Lane Theater, one of the most historic in all London. This is the theater where Miss Saigon was originally performed, due to New York theaters not being available. Most astounding of all, they landed a real helicopter on stage. It was awe inspiring and the impact was better in the Royal Drury Lane Theater than I have seen anywhere else.

Enjoy another afternoon at your leisure. Better yet, stop by the Clock Tower in Leicester Square for a last minute matinee ticket at discounted prices. In the evening, follow up with dinner and another wonderful West End play.

Day 3 – The Globe Theater on the South Bank of the Thames performs plays in the style of the original Globe. Seating was and is around the circumference of the theater. Standing room is available in the Yard, but in Shakespeare’s time it was known as the Pit. The Yard has one of the best view of the stage, but there’s no sitting so don’t try to bring a chair.

Tours are available of the Globe Theater and Bankside, which is the theater district. There you will see neighboring areas and where the original Globe Theater stood. Also see the site of the old Rose Theater. When the site was first discovered, many well known actors rallied to keep it from becoming a parking garage. It didn’t work but the tour includes inside the parking garage.

Enjoy an afternoon strolling along the South Bank of the Thames. Take some time to stop at the book stalls, and the Tate Modern Museum. Then have a bite to eat before coming back to the Globe for a performance.

Day 4 – Royal Albert Hall is another iconic theater – often seen as the backdrop for the BBC. Here’s a video of the closing ceremony of the BBC Proms. It is a rousing and patriotic end to the Proms Season. A behind the scenes tour would be a great addition to the day. End the day with dinner and performance in the evening.

There are many other options for theatrical entertainment. Open air theater in Regent’s Park and other parks for instance. Don’t miss a performance of an English farce. They are hilarious, irreverent and fun! All the world’s a stage, and London has more than enough stages, venues and genres to offer everyone!

Did you know I offer free travel design consultations? As a travel designer, I help people who are interested in learning more about culture and history, whether it’s their own ancestral history or world history, and bringing it to life in the place where it happened.

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