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Andrew_JayAndrew_Jay Registered User regular
edited May 2021 in Help / Advice Forum
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  • Rabid_LlamaRabid_Llama Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Spamalot and Phantom Of The Opera are both great shows. Also, I have to put in a good word for Little Shop of Horrors. Technically it is awesome and it is also a really fun show.

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  • DioltasDioltas Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I saw Spamalot in London in January, and it was AMAZING. Really really a fun show. I would highly recommend it.

    That being said, I regret not having spent the money to go see Avenue Q. If you're not familiar with the premise of the show, you should go look it up. It contains such classic songs as "The internet is for porn" and "If you were gay", sung by muppet ilke creatures. If I was in your position, that would be my choice hands-down.

    But since you haven't seen Spamalot... well, you're going to be in London. That's the best place in the world to see that show. A lot of those shows play in the states a lot, but Spamalot, man. You have to go see Spamalot.

    Dioltas on
  • FibretipFibretip Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    avenue Q!

    Fibretip on
    I believe in angels, not the kind with wings, no...not the kind with halos, the kind who bring you home
  • Marc C.Marc C. Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    My recommendations:

    1) Les Misérables. Great show all around. The barricade is pretty exciting! I've seen a couple of musicals, and to this day, it remains my favourite.
    2) Spamalot. I haven't seen it but it's supposed to be awesome. And as it's been said, London is the best place to see it.

    Marc C. on
  • CarnivoreCarnivore Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Phantom of the Opera.


    I despise theatre and musicals.


    But it was still fucking amazing. See it for the set design if anything. It is quite something.

    Carnivore on
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  • oncelingonceling Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I have an opinion on some of your list. I haven't seen a lot of them though so I'll just comment on those that I have. Not sure who you're going with so I am just being general for family viewing:

    Avenue Q is just excellent. Just make sure you do some reading on it - it might not be comfortable/applicable to all the family though. If you look at it even on wikipedia if you want, there's some adult themes. Use your judgement but if you aren't taking small kids or prudish parents, its a *must*.

    The Mousetrap - I've seen it twice in London. It's good fun, has a lot of history, but it really is a very standard piece of theatre. If you're short on time, I'd have to say (regrettably) that it's worth missing compared to others on your list.

    Phantom is very good family theatre (IMO). Good for those that may not even enjoy a lot of theatre and always very dramatic and well liked music.

    Mamma Mia I saw here in Canada. It was a very average performance and they didn't really have all the songs I wanted to hear in it. There was some more obscure ABBA stuff.

    Billy Elliot – The Musical - I haven't seen it, but I've seen the movie. If you haven't seen the movie, it might help with the kind of themes you'll see.

    The Glass Menagerie - It's pretty heavy theatre in my opinion. It's great if you're studying it for school or something but I wouldn't take anyone that was a light theatre goer to it.

    Blood Brothers - one of my friends used to rave about this. I have the CD, its a cool theme and great music. A bit sad for me though.

    Chicago - has great music, if you like the music or like musicals, go see it. If you want more of a story, don't bother.

    The Lion King - very Disney. I love it, myself.

    Little Shop Of Horrors - yep, its fun.

    Les Misérables - everyone basically goes to see this. I love the music but can't bear to watch it on stage though. I'm an exception, I think a family would probably have a good night at this one.

    Stomp - sure, its popular for a reason.

    onceling on
  • CarnivoreCarnivore Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    The Lion King becomes exponentially better if you have kids/were a kid when the film was out.

    I hate Stomp though. They came round our High School fuckin ages ago and just seemed like bad noise to me.

    Carnivore on
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  • FawkesFawkes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2007
    The Mousetrap [OH GOD NO]
    The Hound Of The Baskervilles [OH GOD NO]
    Misérables, Les [AKA Mini-Mis, less of a spectacle since they moved it into smaller premises]
    Monty Python's Spamalot [vg gold star]
    Chicago [meh]
    We Will Rock You [OH GOD NO]
    Mamma Mia! [OH DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST SWEET SAVIOUR NO]
    Billy Elliot – The Musical [meh with added meh]
    The Glass Menagerie [meh]
    The Phantom Of The Opera [tired]

    ...and the best of the rest...

    The Lion King - I thought the first 5 minutes were worth the price of admission, pity about the Disney bits, was still fresh when I saw it 6 months ago, but it won't be significantly different to Broadway etc

    Little Shop Of Horrors - meant to be a very good production, but totally common in the US

    On The Town - meant to be a very good production, but sure you could see this in the US

    Porgy And Bess - meant to be a very good production

    Stomp - if you like drums, you'll probably like this...and yeah, you've seen it, haven't you.

    The Woman in Black - I know people who like it, meant to always be solid acting, good enough choice for a play, think Mousetrap but a thousand times better

    Avenue Q - also heard very good things
    We're going to rely on last-minute tickets to save a bit of money

    That's not a good idea if you only have a window of one day, and those days are Friday or Saturday at the beginning of summer. Most of the choices on your list will sell out. Except the Mousetrap. But, y'know, OH GOD NO!

    Fawkes on
  • MotherFireflyMotherFirefly Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    -Avenue Q is higly reccommended if you really like the adult humor, lets just say it's like the muppets ON CRACK

    -Billy Elliot was a decent movie, the musical is bound to be shit.

    -You can see the Blue Man Group anywhere, really. (The same goes for Stomp but I saw the London production and I personally thought it was better than the one that toured in the states)

    -The Little Shop of Horrors is pretty awesome on stage, I think it's cool to watch it. Lion king is also of course very good, but I also only saw it during it's american tour. It's more kiddy, not gonna lie.

    -Les Mis if you know the story is fine, just really effing long.

    -I really really really reccomend Spamalot, I saw it for it's opening show on Broadway--ridiculously good. I'm sure it's even better when surrounded by British people.

    Phantom of the opera....meh.

    MotherFirefly on
  • LeztaLezta Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    The Glass Menagerie is one of my favourite plays so going to throw in a vote for it. Don't bother with musicals - go see some actual theatre!

    Lezta on
  • DioltasDioltas Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Actually, Fawkes, several of my friends found it quite easy to purchase tickets the day of at one of the half price ticket counters. Sure, you may not get the best seats, but you'll probably get seats.

    Dioltas on
  • DeathPrawnDeathPrawn Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Avenue Q is one of the most brilliantly witty and clever shows of the past five years. Unless you have any objection to adult themes, I would say it's a must-see.

    If you want something more serious, I've heard that Billy Elliot is actually really good. In Ben Brantley's NY Times review (and he is one of those critics that hates more or less EVERYTHING), he basically said that it's too good for Broadway.

    There are plenty of other good shows playing - and plenty of not-so-good shows - but I think those are the two best musicals currently playing (can't say much as to straight drama).

    DeathPrawn on
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  • ÆthelredÆthelred Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Are ye English? Several train stations on the way to London have 2-for-1 tickets for attractions in London - including some of those stage plays. Try and pick a booklet up if you can; they have vouchers in and the theatre didn't even ask for my train ticket as well.

    Æthelred on
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  • FawkesFawkes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2007
    Dioltas wrote: »
    Actually, Fawkes, several of my friends found it quite easy to purchase tickets the day of at one of the half price ticket counters. Sure, you may not get the best seats, but you'll probably get seats.

    Dude, I live here, and I worked in the theatre for a bit. The specific problems are: beginning of summer (influx of tourists), Friday / Saturday (coach parties bussed in from all over the UK), and popularity of cited shows (high). You'll be able to get a ticket for something in the West End, but there's no guarentee that it will be anything you want to see. Also, you will likely waste half your day in London trawling the ticket booths and waiting in huge lines that way.

    Personally, I don't really think it's worth it, you can get decent enough tickets in the Upper Circle for £20-30, depending on whether it's a musical / play.

    Fawkes on
  • satansfingerssatansfingers Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    by family i'm assuming you mean somewhere around 4 people? just be aware that there is a good chance you will not get tickets to.. pretty much any of your listed shows. at least not together. those are all wildly popular, and will be hella sold out day of.

    spamalot is great, though. also i cannot recommend the 39 steps more strongly, it is one of the funniest things i've ever watched.

    satansfingers on
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I've heard nothing but good things from people who have seen Billy Elliot - the musical. Unfortunately I'm too poor to go see it for myself, but everyone i've talked to has said that if you're going to see only one musical in London then Billy Elliot should be it.

    </shill>

    KalTorak on
  • SzechuanosaurusSzechuanosaurus Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited April 2007
    The Phantom of the Opera is very popular, but be warned, it's really fucking boring. And shit. I mean, oh god it's bad. People will defend it with poisoned blades and venomous spit, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a dull, boring, uninspired trudge through stage musical mediocrity.


    Blood Brothers is a classic. Go see that.

    Szechuanosaurus on
  • Andrew_JayAndrew_Jay Registered User regular
    edited May 2021
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  • FawkesFawkes __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2007
    By all means, take your American girlfriend's one experience over the advice of two Londoners, at least one of whom has worked the West End & has a circle of friends who go to the theatre regularly. That seems like the smart option :|

    Listen to satansfingers: chances of you getting 4 upper circle tickets on the day (ie cheaper than the £20/£30 ones you can get in advance), for those shows, mid-May, on a Friday or Saturday = slim to none.

    Right. I've said it 3 times, now Jesus can say I told you so.

    Fawkes on
  • Andrew_JayAndrew_Jay Registered User regular
    edited May 2021
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