British theater recommendations for visitors and residents of all ages — and inclinations.
London’s theaters offer something for everyone. Whether in big West End venues or on stages tucked away above a pub, the city’s shows include the classics, new plays and some productions that defy classification. Open air playhouses attract audiences willing to brave the unpredictable summer weather, and venues spread throughout the city make for an accessible theater landscape that extends far beyond the heavily trafficked tourist hot spots.
Whether you’re looking for frothy musicals or fiercely charged political writing, chances are your wishes can be answered somewhere around town. Below, in seven categories, are some of the shows vying for the attention of visitors and residents seeking out London theater this summer.
Give Me Serious Drama
Alma Mater
Few London playhouses generate as much buzz as the Almeida, and expectations are high for its run of this new play from the Australian playwright Kendall Feaver, whose theatrical debut, “The Almighty Sometimes,” impressed British critics when it played in Manchester, England, in 2018. Feaver’s latest is set on a university campus rocked by sexual assault allegations, and Polly Findlay directs a cast led by Phoebe Campbell and Justine Mitchell. Through July 20 at the Almeida Theater.
The Boys from the Blackstuff
The regional accents may prove a challenge — especially if English isn’t your first language — but there’s no denying the passion and power that course through James Graham’s stage adaptation of this era-defining 1982 British TV show. Through a community of Liverpool road builders’ struggles, Kate Wasserberg’s empathic production reminds us that employment is crucial to self-esteem. Through Aug. 3 at the Garrick Theater.
Buying tickets
The box office is often the best port of call, if you want to avoid online fees or get “rush” seats that are sometimes available shortly before curtain up. The TodayTix app, familiar to New York readers, operates in London as well, and there are various websites featuring reviews and features that also sell tickets, for example whatsonstage.com.
As in New York, London, has a TKTS booth, too, offering discounted tickets in Leicester Square. Student tickets — a rarity in the United States — are fairly widely available in London. One bit of advice is never to be afraid to ask: London box offices will sometimes negotiate on price under the rationale that a full seat is better than an empty one.
Drinks
Reusable Sippy Cups may be the norm on Broadway, but they are often rare outside the United States. “Interval drinks,” as intermission beverages are known in Britain, are often served in actual glasses that — depending on the venue — can sometimes be taken into the auditorium and which can be ordered before the performance to avoid a crush at the bar in the break. Does this more accommodating attitude to alcohol sometimes make for occasional reports of audience inebriation and inappropriate behavior? Um, yes.
Programs
The pleasures of a free Playbill don’t exist in London, where programs — not Playbills, which is an American brand — must be purchased. Some theaters (the Young Vic for example) have gone paperless and make program information available only by scanning a QR code or looking online.
Refunds and exchanges
These policies vary venue to venue, and sometimes show to show. Some theaters — the National, for instance — will issue a credit that can be used for other productions under the same roof, but London is stricter than New York about offering money back if a star is absent. Read the fine print regarding ticket transactions, and you’ll see that you’re purchasing a ticket for the show itself and not for a specific performer: An actor’s presence, as the Brits like to put it, cannot be guaranteed.
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Source: Theater - nytimes.com
