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West End Shows
Going to the theatre in London is a favorite pastime for residents and tourists. The theatreland district congregates around Drury Lane, Shaftsbury Avenue and The Strand. These streets are home to many historic theatres and long running West End shows. The musical productions tend to be the most popular but comedies and dramatic plays also do well here.
It's every director and actor's ambition to be involved in hit West End shows. It's the route to fame and fortune for many. The longest running stage production in the world is an old fashioned mystery play, based on Agatha Christie's novel, called The Mousetrap. It was first produced in 1952 and Richard Attenborough was in the original cast. It can be seen at St. Martin's Theatre and audiences are requested that they don't reveal the ending to anyone!
Andrew Lloyd Webber has enjoyed a lot of success in West End shows and tickets for his musicals are hot property. Starlight Express, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita were all hugely successful. Phantom of the Opera has proved just as popular and can still be seen at Her Majesty's Theatre. The original cast starred Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman as Christine. They both appeared in the Broadway production too and the show is the longest running musical in Broadway history.
Lloyd Webber's Cats, based on the poems by T.S.Eliot, was the longest running West End musical ever and ran for twenty one years. This was until Les Miserables overtook it. Based on Victor Hugo's novel, it didn't seem a likely candidate for a hit musical but it has captured the imagination. The original cast included Michael Ball and it has transferred across the world in productions that are based on the West End show. It is produced today in the Queen's Theatre.
The success of the Disney film, The Lion King, inspired a stage version with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice. It opened in 1999 and is still on at the Lyceum Theatre. It was a challenge to re-tell this story for the stage and it is cleverly recreated with the use of giant puppets and actors in animal guise. The most famous song from the show is Circle of Life. It is one of the most popular West End shows for the whole family to attend.
Farce has long been a favorite form of entertainment in the UK and the most successful stage production in this genre is No Sex Please, We're British. It ran from 1971 - 1987 and originally starred Michael Crawford. Critics didn't like it but it was a hit with the public and a film version came out in 1973.
Summary
West End shows in London include all of the hot shows you would expect to see. Musical productions are the most common including Lion King, Cats, and Les Miserable. Farce was a giant hit with the public, not so much with the critics, and ran from 1971 to 1987 with a film version created in 1973.
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