Yep you’ve heard the news. Theatre in the capital is all commercial. Predictable. Repetitive. Uncontroversial. If you believe the whingers, it’s all boring stuff. Don’t, because it’s not. Yes, the West End, that heartland of commercial theatre around Shaftesbury Avenue, is filled with tourist-grabbing, crowd-pleasing musicals. Yes, there are more star-dominated, tried-and-tested plays than ever. Yes, the Mousetrap is still taking up the space at St Martin’s after 58 years of we-bloody-well-know-whodunit.
But all that’s only half the story. To find the other half, look beyond the glittering billboard signs to find the daring, small West End theatres, such as the Donmar Warehouse (Map 13), bringing the innovative and unusual to Theatreland. There are the Off-West End theatres that proudly fly the flag for new writers, unafraid of being political, controversial and in-yer-face: The Royal Court (Map 19), The Soho (Map 11), The Bush (Map 33). There are the unconventional, anarchic ensemble companies, such as PunchDrunk, shaking up things all the way from the fringe to the West End, while innovative short-play evenings are popping up at pubs across the city (see below).
But let’s not forget the cracking double-whammy of the National Theatre (Map 104) and The Old Vic (Map 104), two artistic powerhouses currently going from strength to strength. At the National, the unstoppable Nicholas Hytner brings original works to this Southbank concrete colossus (coupled with a £10-tickets offer), while down the road, Hollywood-star-turned-theatre-connoisseur Kevin Spacey is returning the Old Vic into its former glory. The refurbished Young Vic (Map 104), meanwhile, is one of the best places to see fresh, new theatre (and get drunk afterwards). And, whatever you do, you’re never far from a good Shakespeare production.
The Donmar Warehouse (Map 13), the West End’s smallest theatre, has gained a reputation for being one of Theatreland’s most innovative, yet still crowd-pleasing houses. It’s quite common for good new plays that have successfully kicked off at a fringe or Off-West End venue to transfer to the West End, such as Tom Stoppard’s guitars-meet-politics cracker Rock’n’Roll. Dean Street’s Soho Theatre (Map 11) hunts out some of the most original, fearless or hilarious theatre around, while the Comedy Theatre (Map 23) may play it a little more safe but packs its shows with jaw-dropping casts. The West End is also a great place to catch up on those classics you always wanted to see but never got round to: from Beckett to Shakespeare.
The underground-led, breakneck guerrilla heyday might be over, but theatre outside the West End is in rude health. Head to rough-around-the-edges Dalston, where the Arcola Theatre (Map 86) continues to thrive in its scruffy ex-factory home, thanks to eclectic programming, an early-fringe-days feel and heaps of creative energy. The tiny Bush Theatre (Map 33) has long been a fierce champion of new work, and after being rescued by a star-studded tantrum in the face of funding cuts in 2008 it will doubtless continue to discover exciting new talent. So will The Royal Court (Map 19) on Sloane Square, which is one of London’s finest. For new, innovative work, also keep your eyes on the Battersea Arts Centre (Map 140), to watch what others will pay £50 to see next year (such as its premiere of Jerry Springer The Opera while other theatres nervously wrung their hands).
Theatre can’t change society? Try telling that to the conviction-led crew of Kilburn’s The Tricycle (Map 65)—easily London’s most radical and most dedicated, political theatre. Islington’s Almeida (Map 80) is far more conventional, but pretty—and that’s got to count for something. If you’re up for a laugh, check The Hackney Empire (Map 87), a turn-of-the-century music hall, hosting some of London’s best variety shows. The Old Red Lion (Map 80), home inside an Islington pub, stubbornly clings to its unconventional, ale-fuelled fringe attitude, while Battersea’s Theatre 503 (Map 132) is as provocative as ever. Be surprised.
If the thought of being in a theatre at all is too bourgeois for you, then you’re still well catered for. London thesps it up wherever it can so you’re never too far from a performance and its sometimes unwitting audience. Recent outings have included an opera about domesticity and flatpack furniture in the Wembley Ikea, and a thriller performed in an office while the audience watch with binoculars and audiophones from the terrace opposite. Or if it’s sunny, squeeze among the crowds and their bottles of rosé for the occasional performances at The Scoop.
If you know what you’re after, check the theatre’s website—they will either have their own system, a link to a ticket selling site, or provide a phone number. If not, check www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk, which lists shows by name, theatre and genre. The site also displays shows that are just opening, or just closing, and links straight to the appropriate ticketing website, once you have made your mind up. There’s a handy map of all West End venues, too.
Fancy a bargain? The iconic TKTS ticket booth on Leicester Square sells on-the-day tickets for most big shows, half-price. The queue can be mind-boggling, so go early. There’s a £2.50 booking fee, but it’s included in the price shown. Many theatres also have their own discount schemes. If you don’t mind standing, you can get Royal Court tickets for as little as 50p. Yes, that’s 50p. Just show up between 6 pm and 6.30 pm on the day of the performance. The National has £5 standing tickets for all shows, but the view ain’t always great.
Enter the ensemble. They are multi-skilled, imaginative and are shaking the cosy, venue-obsessed Theatreland with a vengeance. Ensemble companies like PunchDrunk and Kneehigh are touring their way through London’s venues in vigorously anarchic fashion. The result is increasingly physical, increasingly unconventional—and increasingly exciting theatre, which you’d be mad to miss.
PunchDrunk (punchdrunk.com) have gained a reputation for site-specific productions, inviting the audience to walk around and follow actors and themes as they please. Their 2006 treatment of Goethe’s Faust at the National Theatre was widely hailed as one of the best things to have happened to British theatre in years. Kneehigh (www.kneehigh.co.uk) enjoy setting their nightmarish productions in outside mystical locations, but aren’t afraid of West End constraints either. The award-winning Cheek by Jowl (www.cheekbyjowl.com), which have been producing Shakespeare and European classics since 1982, keep discovering hot talent—and ways to innovate.
If that’s not grassroots enough, visit one of the themed short-play evenings that are popping up across town. Bringing together writers, actors and directors for twenty-minutes-or-so mini-shows, they have become a popular theatre alternative. Take your pick: Established organisers Nabokov (www.nabokov-online.com) have found a West End home at the Trafalgar Studios (Map 24) and relative newcomers DryWrite have made Whitechapel’s The George Tavern (Map 97) their own. The message is spreading. What you thought was a boozer, really is a stage. The possibilities are endless.
From small company shows to big stage spectacles, contemporary dance is having one hell of a ride. Sadler’s Wells (Map 6) (www.sadlerswells.com), the grand old lady of dance venues, is still doing a fine job bringing some of the world’s best dance to London. Check their Sadler’s Wells Sampled programme, showcasing dazzling future talent for as little as £10. The Barbican (Map 7) (www.barbican.org.uk) has established itself as a reliable source of powerful dance performances, while the Royal Festival Hall (Map 104) attracts increasingly bold and interesting works to its refurbished riverside location. For London’s most innovative dance performances, check The Place (Map 4), a stylish venue that combines performance, training and dance education (www.theplace.org.uk).
