After another cold and dreary Friday night with nothing on the telly I couldn’t help but think wouldn’t it be lovely to be off to see a show in London instead?
Well, Show and Stay think so too. They’ve got a really good new offer, just for Friday nights. They are calling it their Friday Night Club. You can choose from some of the most popular musicals in London and get a 3* hotel room as well for just £69 per person! Wow!

Shows in the offer:

There are a limited selection of shows in the offer but there’s bound to be something here that you might enjoy. It includes a last chance to see Oliver! the perfect show for this time of year, so that would probably be my pick of the bunch either that or join in the celebrations for Les Miz’s 25th anniversay.

Hotels

Some of the hotels are a bit further out than you might think of being ideal for theatre breaks. This can be a good thing though if you are going by car. They are outside the congestion charge and won’t charge exorbitant parking fees. Use public transport to get you into and out of central London and leave the car safely at the hotel.
If you are going by train then for an extra £10 per person you can upgrade to something 4* and be nearer the theatres.

Things to do on the Saturday

Friday night shows are a great idea at this time of year as you can spend Saturday morning doing a bit of shopping in town. The London shops are full of lovely clothes for the new season so why not indulge yourself?
Maybe even pop down to Hamleys and get ahead with the present buying!
Attractions like The London Eye are much quieter now than they were in the summer and you can usually add them on to your theatre break when you book.

Selling Fast

I think it is a great offer and these special prices mean that these breaks will sell quite fast. If you want one check now if your choice is available. The offer has only just become available so you have a really good chance of getting a bargain!
Here’s the link again so you can check your choice of show and dates:

Top Plays for Theatre breaks

There are some excellent plays coming to the London stage in the next few weeks, well worth planning theatre breaks to see.  Here are just some of those that look particularly good.

• Blood and Gifts – National Theatre
  ” a hideously topical docudrama about the origins from 1981-91 of the present war in Afghanistan.” – full of insights into what is happening now in that troubled place this should be fascinating.
• Passion – Donmar
  Stephen Sondheim’s rather gothic story based on an Italian film has fewer songs than you might expect and a rather magnificent male chorus. Argentine actress Elena Roger is highly praised.
• Krapp’s Last Tape – The Duchess Theatre.
  Gambon and Beckett. Not much more to say except perhaps don’t forget to turn off your mobile!
• Tribes – Royal Court,
  Nina Raine’s new play revolves around Billy, who is profoundly deaf and his family. “a fascinating dissection of belonging, family and the limitations of communication”
• Hamlet- The Olivier,
  Rory Kinnear is directed by Nicholas Hytner. Should be well worth seeing what Kinnear makes of the morose Dane.
• Yes, Prime Minister – The Gielgud
  They are all there and yet not quite as we remember them in this up dated production, transferred from the Chichester Festival.
• Birdsong – The Comedy Theatre
  Sebastian Faulk’s 1993 World War I best-selling novel is in safe hands here adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and directed by Trevor Nunn
• The Donmar takes over Trafalgar Studios, beginning with a play about devastation in New Orleans, “Lower Ninth,” continuing with the story of a jazz great, “Novecento” and then Cocteau’s “Les Parents Terribles”
• “Onassis: The Play” by Martin Sherman, starring Robert Lindsay as the naughty Greek millionaire.

What’s On Now In The West End

We thought it might be useful to provide a quick reference of musicals in alphabetical order to help show what’s on in the West End as we go into the winter season. Starting with just the top musicals for London theatre breaks

Avenue Q	Billy Elliot	Blood Brothers	Chicago
Dirty Dancing	Dreamboats And Petticoats	Flashdance	Grease
The Jersey Boys	Love Never Dies	Legally Blonde	Les Miserables
The Lion King	Mamma Mia	Oliver	Phantom of the Opera
Priscilla Queen of the Desert	Sister Act	Stomp	Sweet Charity
Thriller Live	We Will Rock You	Wicked

Last Chance to see:

Avenue Q finishes on October 30th 2010 then embarks on a UK tour.

Sister Act also finishes on October 30th 2010

Sweet Charity closes on November 6th 2010

Oliver! finishes 8th January 2011

Grease with Lauren Samuels closes on 30 April 2011

What’s on *Soon* in the West End:

There are lots of short run plays and comedy acts coming up but these are the confirmed musicals in the pipeline:

Love Story A new musical version for the stage produced by Michael Ball, opens Saturday, 27 November 2010

Shrek The Musical Replaces Oliver! at the New London Theatre January 2011

The Wizard of Oz – with Danielle Hope as Dorothy and Michael Crawford as The Wizard opens March 1st 2011

Ghost the Musical a stage adaptation of the sensational film opening in July 2011

Viva Forever A brand new musical story using the songs of the Spice Girls opening in 2012

 

What’s on in the West End

What’s On In The West End – Musicals was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog