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Information about West End Theatre

West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland".[1] Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking world. Seeing a West End show is a common tourist activity in London.[1]

Total attendances first surpassed 12 million in 2002, and in June 2005 The Times reported that this record might be beaten in 2005. Factors behind high ticket sales in the first half of 2005 included new hit musicals such as Billy Elliot, The Producers and Mary Poppins and the high number of film stars appearing. Since the late 1990s there has been an increase in the number of American actors on the London stage, and in 2005 these included Brooke Shields, Val Kilmer, Rob Lowe and David Schwimmer. Also in 2005, Ewan McGregor made his first appearance in a stage musical in Guys and Dolls. Kevin Spacey has been artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre since 2004 and appears in some of his own productions. |

Theatreland

Enlarge picture
The Lyceum Theatre
London's main theatre district is located in the heart of the West End of the city centre, and is traditionally defined by The Strand to the south, Oxford Street to the north, Regent Street to the west, and Kingsway to the east although The South Bank Complex is now considered by some to be part of it. Prominent theatre streets include Drury Lane, Shaftesbury Avenue, and The Strand. This area contains approximately forty large theatres and is often referred to as Theatreland. The works staged are predominantly musicals, classic or middle brow plays, and comedy performances.

Most of the theatres in "Theatreland" are of late Victorian or Edwardian construction, and they are privately owned. Most of them have great character, and the largest and best maintained are splendid, featuring grand neo-classical, romanesque, or Victorian facades and luxurious, detailed interior design and decoration. On the other hand, leg room is often cramped, and audience facilities such as bars and toilets are often much smaller than in modern theatres. The protected status of the buildings and their confined urban locations, combined with financial constraints, mean that it is very difficult to make substantial improvements to the level of comfort offered. In 2004, it was estimated that an investment of £250 million was required for modernisation, and the theatre owners unsuccessfully requested tax concessions to help them meet the costs.

Long-running shows

West End shows may run for a varying number of weeks, depending on ticket sales. Musicals tend to have longer runs than dramas. The longest running musical in West End history is Les Misérables. It overtook Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, which closed in 2002 after running for 8,949 performances and 21 years, as the longest running West End musical of all time on 8 October 2006. Other long-runners include Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, still running after 20 years, and Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, currently in its 20th year. However the non-musical Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap is the longest running show in the world, and has been showing since 1952.

Longest running shows in London:

London's non-commercial theatres

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The exterior of the Old Vic
It should be noted that the term West End Theatre is sometimes used to refer specifically to commercial productions in "Theatreland". However the leading non-commercial (usually government subsidised) theatres in London, such as the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Globe Theatre[22], the Old Vic, the Young Vic, the Royal Court Theatre, the Almeida Theatre, and the Open Air Theatre[23], most of which are not located in "Theatreland", arguably enjoy greater artistic prestige. These theatres stage a higher proportion of more demanding work, including Shakespeare, other classic plays and premieres of new plays by leading highbrow playwrights. Hit plays from the non-commercial theatres sometimes transfer to one of the commercial "Theatreland" houses for an extended second run.

Other London theatre

There is a great deal of theatre in London outside of the West End. Much of this is known as fringe theatre which is the equivalent of Off Broadway Theatre in New York. Fringe venues range from well-equipped small theatres to rooms above pubs, and the performances range from classic plays, to cabaret, to plays in the languages of London's ethnic minorities. The performers range from emerging young professionals to amateurs.

Finally, there are also local theatres in the suburbs which stage a wide range of work, often including touring productions such as the New Wimbledon Theatre or the Churchill Theatre in Bromley.

Drama schools

London has several prestigious drama schools, including the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), which is by far the most famous drama school in the United Kingdom. Other equally prestigious London drama schools include the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and the Central School of Speech and Drama, as well as Drama Centre, The Brit School for Performing Arts, The Poor School, The Academy Drama School and Colins Performing Arts College. The accrediting body for UK drama schools is The National Council for Drama Training. [1]also the Arts Educational School in Chiswick is know for producing many of westends talent in musical theatre.

Awards

There are a number of annual awards for outstanding achievements in London theatre:

Notable recent performers

2006

Martin Shaw, Kevin Spacey, Eve Best, Derek Jacobi, Bob Hoskins, Alan Cumming, Janie Dee, Jodhi May, Ashlee Simpson, David Haig, Samantha Bond, David Bedella, Suzanne Shaw, Steve Pemberton, Danny Baker, Christopher Biggins, Roger Lloyd Pack, Summer Strallen, Michael Gambon, Jeremy Irons, Patrick Malahide, Cheryl Baker, Stephen McGann, Johnny Shentall, Lorna Want, Anita Dobson, Judi Dench, Diana Rigg, Martin Jarvis, Tom Conti, David Walliams, Matt Lucas, David Soul, Megan Dodds, James Fox, Christian Slater, Faye Tozer, Tim Piggott-Smith, Dave Willetts, Dawn French, Linda Robson, Jenny Eclair, Alison Moyet, Daniel Evans, Jenna Russell, Ian Richardson, Anna Maxwell Martin, Iain Glen, Ian McKellen, Timothy West, Kathleen Turner, Antony Costa, Bonnie Langford, Alex Ferns, Patrick Swayze. Claire Sweeney, Amy Nuttall, Neil Morrissey, Sally Ann Triplett, Adam Cooper, Richard Dempsey, Neve Campbell, Matthew Modine, Lesley Garrett, Connie Fisher, Reece Shearsmith, Tim Rogers, Alun Armstrong, Adam Garcia, Helen Dallimore, Idina Menzel, Nigel Planer, Miriam Margolyes, Michelle Collins, Javine Hylton, Camilla Beeput, Tim Curry and Lisa O'Hare.

2007

Maggie Smith, Catherine McCormack Matthew Macfadyen, Ewan McGregor

2008

See also

External links

References

1. ^ Christopher Innes, "West End" in The Cambridge Guide to Theatre (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), p.1194-1195. ISBN 0521434378.
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Theatres in London
West End theatresAdelphi Theatre • Aldwych Theatre • Ambassadors Theatre • Apollo Theatre • Apollo Victoria • Cambridge Theatre • Coliseum Theatre • Comedy Theatre • Criterion Theatre • Dominion Theatre • Donmar Warehouse • Drury Lane • Duchess Theatre • Duke of York's Theatre • Fortune Theatre • Garrick Theatre • Gielgud Theatre • Haymarket • Her Majesty's Theatre • London Palladium • Lyceum Theatre • Lyric Theatre • New London Theatre • Nol Coward Theatre • Novello Theatre • Palace Theatre • Peacock Theatre • Phoenix Theatre • Piccadilly Theatre • Playhouse Theatre • Prince Edward Theatre • Prince of Wales Theatre • Queen's Theatre • St Martin's Theatre • Royal Opera House • Savoy Theatre • Shaftesbury Theatre • Trafalgar Studios • Vaudeville Theatre • Victoria Palace Theatre • Wyndham's Theatre
Other major
theatres in London		Almeida • Barbican Arts Centre • Globe Theatre • Old Vic • Open Air Theatre • Royal National Theatre • Royal Court Theatre • Sadler's Wells • Young Vic
Fringe and
suburban theatres
in Greater London		Arcola Theatre • Barons Court Theatre • Battersea Arts Centre • The UCL Bloomsbury • theBROADWAY, Barking • Broadway Theatre, Catford • Bush Theatre • Chelsea Theatre • Churchill Theatre • Cochrane Theatre • Menier Chocolate Factory • The Drill Hall • Erith Playhouse • Etcetera Theatre • Finborough Theatre • Greenwich Playhouse • Greenwich Theatre • Hackney Empire • Hampstead Theatre • Hen and Chickens Theatre • ICA • King's Head • Landor Theatre • Lyric Hammersmith • Mermaid Theatre • New Wimbledon Theatre • Oval House Theatre • Pentameters Theatre • The Place • Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch • Questors Theatre • Richmond Theatre • Riverside Studios • Rosemary Branch Theatre • Shaw Theatre • Soho Theatre • South London Theatre • Theatre 503 • Theatre Royal Stratford East • Tricycle Theatre • Warehouse Theatre
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London
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London shown within England
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Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
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Motto
Dieu et mon droit   (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is "God Save the Queen".
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State of New York

Flag of New York Seal
Nickname(s): The Empire State
Motto(s): Excelsior!

Official language(s) None

Capital Albany
Largest city New York City

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Broadway theatre[1] is the most well known form of professional theatre to the American general public and most lucrative for the performers, technicians and others involved in putting on the shows.
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Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) (from French "théâtre", from Greek "theatron", θέατρον, meaning "place of seeing") is the branch of the performing arts defined as simply as what "occurs when one or more
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English}}} 
Writing system: Latin (English variant) 
Official status
Official language of: 53 countries
Regulated by: no official regulation
Language codes
ISO 639-1: en
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ISO 639-3: eng  
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Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes or the provision of services to support this leisure travel. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists
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2007: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2006: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2005
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The Times

Front page from a October 17, 2007 edition
Type Daily newspaper
Format Compact

Owner Times Newspapers Ltd
Editor Robert James Thomson
Founded 1785
Political allegiance Centre / Centre Right
Price £0.70 (Monday-Friday)
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Billy Elliot
'

West End Poster
Music Elton John
Lyrics Lee Hall
Book Lee Hall
Based upon 2000 Film Billy Elliot
Productions 2005 West End
2007 Sydney
2008 Broadway planned
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The Producers
'

Original Broadway Playbill
Music Mel Brooks
Glen Kelly
Lyrics Mel Brooks
Book Mel Brooks
Thomas Meehan
Based upon Mel Brooks's 1968 film
The Producers
Productions 2001 Broadway
2002 U.S.
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Mary Poppins
'

Current London and Broadway Poster.
Music Robert B. Sherman
Richard M. Sherman
George Stiles
Lyrics Robert B. Sherman
Richard M. Sherman
Anthony Drewe
Book Julian Fellowes
Based upon Book series by P.L.
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Brooke Shields

Birth name Brooke Christa Camille Shields
Born May 31 1965 (1965--) (age 42)
New York City, New York

Years active
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Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer in 2005
Birth name Val Edward Kilmer
Born November 31 1959 (1959--) (age 49)
Los Angeles, California
Died


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Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe, 2003
Birth name Robert Hepler Lowe
Born March 17 1964 (1964--) (age 43)  (age 43)
Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.
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David Schwimmer

Birth name David Lawrence Schwimmer
Born November 12 1966 (1966--) (age 42)
Astoria, New York, U.S.
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Ewan McGregor

McGregor at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.''

Born March 31 1971 (1971--) (age 36)
Crieff, Scotland , UK
Died

Years active
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Guys and Dolls
'

Original Cast Recording
Music Frank Loesser
Lyrics Frank Loesser
Book Jo Swerling
Abe Burrows
Based upon The Idyll Of Miss Sarah Brown by Damon Runyon
Productions 1950 Broadway
1953 West End
1955 film
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Kevin Spacey

Birth name Kevin Spacey Fowler
Born July 26 1959 (1959--) (age 48)
South Orange, New Jersey

Awards
Academy Awards

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West End of London is an area of Central London, England, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, businesses, and administrative headquarters. It also includes most of its major theatres, and indeed the term "West End" has become synonymous with London's commercial
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Strand


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Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in London, England in the City of Westminster. With over 300 shops, it is Europe's largest shopping street.[1]

It runs for approximately a mile and a half from Marble Arch at the north east corner of Hyde Park, through Oxford
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Regent Street is a major shopping street and thoroughfare in London's West End. Named after the Prince Regent (later George IV), it was built by John Nash as part of a ceremonial route from the Regent's residence at Carlton House in St James's to Regent's Park.
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Kingsway is a major road in central London in the United Kingdom. It runs from High Holborn, at its north end in the London Borough of Camden, and meets Aldwych in the south in the City of Westminster at Bush House.
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The South Bank is the area in London on the southern bank of the River Thames near Waterloo station that houses a number of important cultural buildings/institutions. It was the site of the 1951 Festival of Britain, which proposed the name for this post-war urban regeneration
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This article is about the street in London; Drury Lane is also the name of a well-known theatre on that street and of a fictional detective created by Ellery Queen writing as Barnaby Ross.

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For the racehorse, see, Shaftesbury Avenue (horse)


Shaftesbury Avenue is a major street in London, England, named after Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, that runs in a north-easterly direction from Piccadilly Circus to New
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Strand


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Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the
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