Theatres

THEATRE
London's first theatre was built in Shoreditch more than 400 years ago in the 1570s - now there are hundreds! One of the most respected worldwide, the London stage attracts some of the globe's finest thespians as well as Hollywood and musical greats: Madonna, Nicole Kidman and Gwynneth Paltrow in recent times!
The London theatre scene can roughly be divided into three categories: West End, high art and cutting edge, and often alternative, Fringe. The latter genre is normally low-key, often in rooms above pubs, and under funded but the most ground breaking, contemporary and mesmerising. The West End (Soho) is London's answer to Broadway! And the high-art timeless classics can be found at the major venues scattered about the capital. Whether you're a serious drama addict, or just fancy an uplifting Lloyd-Weber type musical, these are our recommendations.

Shakespeare?s Globe
Most tourists won?t fail to have a mind-blowing evening here. Firstly it?s a wooden, open air-theatre built in the style of the original Shakespeare?s Globe (it was burnt down in 1613 during a Henry V111 play). Secondly, the performances are excellent ? you can see anything from an authentic Hamlet production to a Zulu rendition of Macbeth! If you fancy a cheap ticket, you can stand in the ?mob? area at the front for around £8 and imagine how it would have felt to see Shakespeare 400 years ago.
Admission: £5-£27
Where: 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, SE1, 020 7401 9919, www.shakespeares-globe.org
Tube: Mansion House, Blackfriars
Open: May-Sept. Box office, daily 10am-8pm.

Open Air Theatre
Set in the midst of Regent?s Park, it?s the perfect venue for the summer. Weather permitting, performances here are magical; you can enjoy Shakespeare or a musical against the backdrop of bird?s evening song, and midsummer?s rosy hue. Ideal for romance and family-fun alike; this year is the theatre's 70th Anniversary so they're celebrating with new productions of two of Shakespeare's best-loved plays, Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It. Look out for the children's shows also.
Admission: £9-£23
Where: Regent?s Park, Marylebone, NW1, 020 7486 2431, www.open-air-theatre.org.uk
Tube: Regent?s park or Baker Street
Open: May-Sept

Royal National Theatre
This is the capital's most revered theatre. Divided into three venues - the Lyttleton, Olivier and Cottesloe - the National's website proclaims it 'performs to all age groups from all communities'. This is a fair summery. From Checkhov to South Pacific, its vast and hosts a wide array of plays so that child and adult alike are fulfilled. An added bonus is there's a brasserie offering international cuisine if you're peckish before the play starts.
Admission: Anywhere between £10-£32 depending on the play, seat etc.
Where: The South Bank, SE1, 020 7452 3400, www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Tube: Embankment, Charing Cross, Waterloo
Open: Box office, Mon-Sat 10am-8pm

The Barbican
Aesthetically challenging to the eye, The Barbican - a modernist architectural vision - offers cinemas, galleries and theatres all under one roof. There's two stages - an epic stage, excellent sightlines (the Royal Shakespeare company moves here during the winter) and a high standard of comfort, and The Pit, an intimate performing space. It often puts on innovative world-class dance cum theatre productions and it's a major player in this genre.
Admission; £6.50-£35
Where: Silk Street, the City, EC2, 020 7638 8891/4141, www.barbican.org.uk
Tube: Barbican
Open: Box Office daily 9am-8pm
LIN TO ART/GIGS SECTION

Musicals:
Just wander around Drury Lane, Shaftesbury Avenue and Covent Garden in the West-End and see which musicals take your fancy. Most have evening shows from Monday to Saturday and tickets costs anywhere between £10-£40. Current shows to see include Les Miserables (a depiction of Victor Hugo?s revolutionary Paris); My Fair Lady (a story about a perky cockney flower-girl who?s taught to be posh); and Boy George?s very popular and new musical, Taboo (a tale of the decadent Eighties, pop culture and dazzling fashion.)
Admission; £10-£40
Where: West-End, Soho,www.albemarle-london.com
Tube: Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road, Covent Garden
Open: Daily
SEE KIDS SECTION (LINK)

Fringe ? Grace Theatre:
A lot of the most prestigious of actors came out of the modest Fringe venues, and this is where you'll find some of the most exciting, ground-breaking performances. If you catch a successful experimental play, it?ll be bold and artistic - often actors are attracted to this under-funded section of drama because it's where they have the most artistic liberty. It is difficult to suggest particular theatres for Fringe as all are under-funded. However, one venue that is reliable and worth a visit is the Grace Theatre.
Admission: Depends on the play
Where: 503 Battersea Park Road, SW11, 020 7794 0022
Tube: Battersea
Open: Call for details