West End breaks are a great way to really get to know the glitziest area of London. Staying in the West End for a few days gives you a chance to see the capital and really get familiar with one small part of the metropolis. London can seem a bit overwhelming when you have to whiz about on the tube. Staying in one area where everything is within walking distance really helps you to connect with the city and start to feel comfortable with it.

Things to do in the West End

See a show, or even two.

West End breaks - The Mousetrap

The West End has some of the best shows and theatres in the world. Everything from the quintessentially English The Mousetrap to the Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof can be found within a few minutes walk. If you are booking a West End break to see one show why not try fitting in a matinée of another as well? You can get half price tickets for many matinees actually on the day at the Official Ticket Booth on Leicester Square. Do not be seduced by deals at the other so-called discount booths as these are often overpriced once you add in booking fees etc. If you do not feel like another show you could even check out the latest films in Leicester Square. If you are lucky you might happen on some stars attending the latest world premier!

Shop till you drop

Shopping during a West End break is easy and fun. You are within walking distance of Covent Garden where there’s a wonderful selection of interesting little shops, the Apple Market (which is full of crafts and antiques) and The Jubilee which is a fascinating market. On Mondays, Antiques; from Tuesday-Friday clothing and household goods, and on Saturday and Sunday arts and crafts.
Venture a little further and you find one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe in Oxford St, Bond St and Piccadilly Circus. There you will find all the high end fashion and major shops you might want. Where the West End really scores though is with little unique shops in Seven Dials and Carnaby St which will intrigue and tempt you in to look at and buy things you didn’t even know you needed.

Eat the world

Food on a West End break is very easy to organise. You might want to book your pre-theatre dinner when you book your break. Most companies offer good deals on early dinners and restaurants are used to making sure you have had your meal with plenty of time to spare for what is usually a short walk to the theatre. It is so much more relaxing than trailing across London after you’ve eaten and worrying about getting to the show on time.
The West End has lots of restaurants and they are always changing. You can eat in just about any style you fancy from Classic French to Japanese and just about everything in between. In Covent Garden you can even get a real Cornish pasty and a pint of genuine Cornish beer if that is what you fancy. Check the menu boards outside if you are worried about the prices but most places are fairly reasonable. London’s reputation for being expensive really is not deserved and prices compare very favourably with tourist traps like the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. For real food bargains head for Soho and explore China Town. It is just a short walk but a world away.
West End breaks are a great way to get to know London and I hope this little introduction will help you to see that London is definitely worth getting to know.

Flaming June comes around just after Spring has well and truly sprung, but before the main Summer holidays, which is in some ways ideal for theatre breaks with outdoor things to do in London. The river trips and topless bus tours come into their own at this time of year, as do the green spaces and parks.

West End Live

For the West End, there’s one special event which comes around each year usually around the third week and that’s West End Live. It’s a free entertainment festival put on in central London’s Leicester Square, right in the heart of theatreland, which serves to promote individual shows which take part and the West End as a whole. Participation varies, for example with Hairspray sending a full cast in costume to perform one number to kick of the show in 2009, and others such as Oliver and Wicked sending along one star to do a big number solo.

West End Live takes place over one weekend towards the end of June and I’m not suggesting anybody hangs around for the whole thing from start to finish, especially if your time in London is limited. Standing up for that length of time is exhausting enough and there’s a certain amount of waiting about between acts. It’s not really worth arriving early and queuing up to get inside the square for the start either, as the queues do build up to quite a length with people wanting to bag a place near the front but it definitely is worth dropping in for an hour or as proceedings get going and the crowds stabilise , and catching any shows you particularly want to see by keeping an eye on the programme of events. This will be found each year on the London Theatre Breaks blog in the West End Live section and they do stick very closely to the times stated because the singers and dancers need to know exactly when they will be on so they can schedule it in amongst rehearsals and even matinee performances on the Saturday.

To give a sample of the happy atmosphere and the kind of performances to expect live in the square here are a few crowd videos from theatre breaks youTube.

Wicked

Alexia Khadime from Wicked sings The Wizard and I.

Priscilla Queen of The Desert

All singing All dancing All camp Priscilla

We Will Rock You

Every year the cast from We Will Rock You put on a big show with a full cast in costume doing several numbers

Oliver!

Jodie Prenger from Oliver sings As Long as He Needs Me

Chicago

In 2009 the cast of Chicago included none other than Jerry Springer

Other Things to do in June

Long light evenings are conducive to wandering about outdoors and pavement cafe meals in interesting side streets. Hyde Park and Regents Park are best known but the smaller St James Park is close by Victoria and Westminster and features a bandstand with live music sometimes, an airy Inn The Park with beautiful roof terrace, and a lake with exotic ducks geese and pelicans.

West End Live

West End Live is an annual event usually held in Leicester Square towards the end of June. Most of the big musicals take part and extracts are performed live on a stage in the Square. The whole event is free and, although it can get very busy, well worth a visit. If you are in London for a theatre break anyway it’s a great way to add even more excitement to your trip.

WEST END LIVE 2009

When- Sat 20th June, 11am to 6pm and Sunday 21st June 12 noon to 6pm

Where – Leicester Square

This summer as usual some of the biggest shows on in the West End and Off will be taking part in the free entertainment.

You can expect to see performances from all these shows, plus some surprises.

• Wicked,
• We Will Rock You,
• Thriller LIVE,
• Stomp,
• Sister Act,
• Priscilla Queen Of The Desert,
• Oliver!,
• La Cage Aux Folles,
• Jersey Boys,
• Hairspray,
• Dirty Dancing,
• Carousel
• Avenue Q.

Now in its 5th year West End LIVE offers world class free entertainment. There will be lots of cool activities, stalls and freebies. The event is expected to be attended by 150,000 people.

I’ll add a running order as soon as it’s available.