Hello, hello, hello!
As you will have gleaned from the title of this post (brownie points for all those that get the reference!), I am a fan of musical theatre. Therefore, I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend to you what I consider to be the best of what’s on in the West End.
I’ll start by saying that you will always be entertained by what I consider to be the ‘Tourist Classics’. In London, you can see ‘Wicked’, ‘Hamilton’, ‘Les Misérables’, ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘The Book of Mormon’. These are incredible productions of crowd-pleasing musicals and if you haven’t seen them, they are definitely worth it. The only downside for me would be that they can be seen anywhere and some will be pricier because of their reputation (looking at you, ‘Phantom’). While you’re in London, why not try something newer, something British-er, if you will.
For this, I cannot more strongly recommend ‘& Juliet’ at the Shaftesbury Theatre. A feminist take on Shakespeare’s play that tells its story through the iconic music of Britney Spears, Katy Perry and the Backstreet Boys, to name but a few. This musical is fun, uplifting and musically nostalgic and everyone I’ve sent to see it has loved it! What more could you want?
Another must-see is ‘Matilda’, a musical rendition of the beloved children’s book and film. It’s got Tim Minchin’s witty lyrics, an appropriately imaginative set design and a cast of charming and insanely talented children. I have seen ‘Matilda’ three times and would happily go again!
Finally, I have to mention ‘Six’, which started at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has recently gone international. ‘Six’ is a musical concert during which the six wives of Henry VIII, one of our better-known Kings, get to tell their side of the story. The message is powerful, the outfits are killer and you’ll likely recognise a few of the songs from TikTok!
I’ll leave you all with a few shows I have yet to see but are top of my list: ‘Moulin Rouge’, ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Life of Pi’. I’ve heard amazing things and will hopefully be seeing them in the near future.
That’s all for now! If you do end up catching a show while you’re here, please pop by the office and let me know what you thought (even if you hated it!).
Noemie