London's West End
The West End is a flexible term used by Londoners to describe the entertainment district in central London, notably the streets surrounding Leicester Square, Covent Garden and the shopping districts of Regent Street, Oxford Street and Bond Street, along with the bright lights of Piccadilly Circus.
Widely covered on a Private London Tour, The West End is however much more than just shopping and restaurants. It is also used to mean the capital’s theatreland!
Showing live shows every day of the week, London boasts the biggest commercial theatre scene in the world – over 14 million visitors last year spent just under $1 billon in ticket sales.
The longest running play in the world is Agatha Christie’s The Mouse Trap, which opened at the Strand Theatre back in 1952 and continues until today, breaking all kinds of records. You can catch everything in London, from modern day musicals like Mama Mia, We Will Rock You and The Lion King, to classic Shakespearian productions both in the heart of town or at the Globe Theatre on the banks of the River Thames.
The Mousetrap - The World's Longest Running Show
One of the more famous venues is Her Majesty’s Theatre located on Haymarket. It is the original home to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera and is unique in the sense that its name changes with the gender of the monarch – it was known as His Majesty’s Theatre from 1901 to 1952, and became Her Majesty’s on the accession of Queen Elizabeth II.
Next time you’re in London, ask your professional London Magical Tours guide for hints and advice on where to get the best tickets in town – the only difficult choice will be deciding on which show to go and see!