West End theatre facts for kids

West End theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue in 2016.

The London Palladium in Soho opened in 1910. This theatre hosts many shows, including the Royal Variety Performance.

West End theatre means professional plays and musicals shown in the big theatres in and around the West End of London. It's like the top level of theatre in the English-speaking world, similar to Broadway theatre in New York City. Many tourists visiting London love to see a West End show. You might even spot famous actors from movies and TV performing live on stage!

There are 39 theatres in the West End. The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is the oldest, opening way back in May 1663. The Savoy Theatre was special because it was the first public building to be fully lit by electricity in 1881. It was built to show the popular comic operas by Gilbert and Sullivan.

In 2018, more than 15.5 million people went to West End shows, which was a new record! The theatres made over £765 million that year. Most West End theatres are owned by big groups like the Ambassador Theatre Group and Delfont Mackintosh Theatres.

History of West End Theatre

Theatre in London became very popular after the English Reformation. The first public playhouse, called The Theatre, was built in 1576. It was in an area called Shoreditch. William Shakespeare's acting company used this theatre. Later, in 1599, the wood from The Theatre was used to build the famous Globe Theatre.

However, in 1642, theatres were closed by a group called the Puritans. They thought theatre was wrong. Actors even wrote a protest letter about it!

Theatre Returns to London

The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. It opened in May 1663 and is London's oldest theatre.

When the king returned to power in 1660 (this was called the Restoration), theatres opened again! Two main companies were allowed to perform. The first West End theatre, called Theatre Royal, opened on May 7, 1663. It was built where the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane stands today. Sadly, it burned down nine years later. A new theatre, designed by Christopher Wren, was built in its place. One of the first actresses on stage, Nell Gwyn, became a big star.

Outside the main West End area, Sadler's Wells Theatre opened in 1683. It was known for opera, not plays. In the West End, the Theatre Royal Haymarket opened in 1720. The Royal Opera House opened in Covent Garden in 1732.

A show called The Beggar's Opera was very popular in 1728. It ran for 62 performances, which was a record for almost 100 years! Another musical show, Tom and Jerry, or Life in London (1821), was the first London show to reach 100 performances in a row. These early musical shows helped lead to modern musical comedies.

New Theatres and Famous Plays

For a long time, only a few theatres were allowed to perform plays. Other theatres could only put on musical shows. But in the early 1800s, new types of entertainment like music halls became popular. Melodrama, which was plays with music, also became a way around the rules.

Original inside of Savoy Theatre in 1881. It was the first public building in the world to be lit completely by electricity.

The West End theatre area grew with many new theatres opening. The Adelphi Theatre opened in 1806. South of the River Thames, The Old Vic opened in 1818. A new law in 1843 made it easier for theatres to perform plays. The Vaudeville Theatre opened in 1870.

Many more theatres opened in the late 1800s. The Criterion Theatre opened in 1874. In 1881, the Savoy Theatre opened, built especially for the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. It was the first theatre to use electric lights! Five days later, the Comedy Theatre opened. In 1886, Alice in Wonderland had its first big stage show at the Prince of Wales Theatre. The author, Lewis Carroll, even helped with the play. The Palace Theatre opened in 1891. In 1904, J. M. Barrie's famous play, Peter Pan, started at the Duke of York's Theatre.

A Gilbert and Sullivan play at the Savoy in 1881.

Oscar Wilde was a very popular writer in the 1890s. His play A Woman of No Importance opened at the Haymarket Theatre in 1893. Famous actress Ellen Terry was known for her Shakespearean roles. The New Theatre opened in 1903 and showed The Scarlet Pimpernel. This theatre was later renamed the Noël Coward Theatre after the famous writer Noël Coward. The building of new theatres continued until around World War I.

In 1930, Laurence Olivier became famous in Noël Coward's play Private Lives. Other great actors like John Gielgud and Vivien Leigh also started their careers in the West End before World War II. For a while, plays were censored by the government. But in 1968, a new law stopped this censorship.

Theatreland: London's Theatre District

The Lyceum Theatre, home to Disney's The Lion King.

"Theatreland" is London's main theatre area. It has about 40 theatres and is right in the middle of the West End of London. It's usually thought of as the area between the Strand to the south, Oxford Street to the north, Regent Street to the west, and Kingsway to the east. Some theatres just outside this area are also considered "West End" theatres. Important theatre streets include Drury Lane, Shaftesbury Avenue, and the Strand. You can find musicals, classic plays, modern plays, and comedy shows here.

Many West End theatres were built a long time ago, during the Victorian or Edwardian times. They are often beautiful buildings with grand designs inside and out.

Queen's Theatre showing Les Misérables. This musical has been running in London since October 1985.

Because the buildings are old, the seats can sometimes be a bit cramped. Also, things like bars and restrooms might be smaller than in newer theatres. It's hard to make big changes because the buildings are protected due to their history. In 2003, experts said that a lot of money was needed to update the theatres. They also found that in 60% of theatres, some seats didn't have a full view of the stage.

The Victoria Palace Theatre (showing Billy Elliot in 2012) was updated in 2017.

Sometimes, there have been problems like plaster falling from ceilings. In 2013, part of the ceiling at the Apollo Theatre fell, and 76 people were hurt. Because of this, many West End theatres have been updated. For example, the Victoria Palace Theatre was refurbished in 2017. The Dominion Theatre also got a big update in 2017, including a huge new LED screen outside.

In 2013, ticket sales for West End shows went up by 11% to over £585 million. More than 14.5 million people attended shows that year.

On March 16, 2020, all West End theatres had to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were allowed to open again with social distancing in May 2021, and then at full capacity in July 2021. In October 2022, @sohoplace opened. It was the first new West End theatre in 50 years!

Long-Running West End Shows

The length of time a West End show runs depends on how many tickets it sells. The musical Les Misérables is the longest-running musical in West End history. It has been playing in London since October 1985! It took over from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, which closed in 2002 after 8,949 performances over 21 years.

Other musicals that have run for a very long time include The Phantom of the Opera, Blood Brothers, and the Abba musical Mamma Mia!. But the play The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie is the longest-running production in the world. It has been performed continuously since 1952!

St Martin's Theatre, home to The Mousetrap, the world's longest-running play.

Matilda the Musical, based on Roald Dahl's book, started in 2011. It won a record seven Olivier Awards in 2012. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a two-part play based on a story by J. K. Rowling, started in 2016. It won a record-breaking nine Olivier Awards in 2017.

List of West End Theatres

Upcoming West End Productions

Here are some shows that are confirmed to open in the West End soon. We might not know the exact theatre yet, or another show might be playing there right now.

Other London Theatres

The outside of the Old Vic theatre.

Besides the commercial West End theatres, London has many other important theatres. These are called "non-commercial" theatres. They are known for their artistic quality. Some famous ones include the National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe, the Old Vic, and the Royal Court Theatre. These theatres often put on serious plays, Shakespeare plays, and new plays by famous writers. Sometimes, successful shows from these theatres move to a West End theatre for a longer run.

The Royal Court Theatre. The Rocky Horror Show first played here in 1973.

The Royal Opera House is one of the best opera houses in the world. It's often called Covent Garden because of its location. It's home to the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet. Many of George Frideric Handel's operas first played here.

The London Coliseum is where the English National Opera performs. The English National Ballet also performs there. The Peacock Theatre is used for dance performances by Sadler's Wells.

Fringe and Local Theatres

The Donmar Warehouse opened in 1977.

London also has many stage shows outside the West End. This is known as fringe theatre or "Off West End." It's similar to "off-Broadway" in New York City. These theatres can be small, well-equipped spaces or even rooms above pubs. They show all kinds of performances, from classic plays to comedy. The performers can be new young professionals or amateurs. For example, the play Educating Rita, which later became a movie, was first performed at the Donmar Warehouse.

There are many other theatres across Greater London. These include the Lyric Hammersmith, Theatre Royal Stratford East, and the New Wimbledon Theatre.

These theatres outside the West End also played a part in the early history of drama schools. In the 1800s, actress Frances Maria Kelly ran a dramatic school at the Royal Strand Theatre. This was one of the first drama schools in England.

Theatre Awards

Each year, awards are given for amazing achievements in London theatre:

• Laurence Olivier Awards
• Evening Standard Theatre Awards
• WhatsOnStage Awards
• Critics' Circle Theatre Awards
• National Dance Awards
• West End Cares Awards
• West End Frame Awards

See also

• Culture of London
• Great West End Theatres
• List of former theatres in London
• List of London venues