5,062 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 22, 2021 21:56:12 GMT
I actively avoid West End theatres - horrible tatty old flea pits with bad seats, bad sightlines, badly-behaved audiences and expensive tickets. I've been to just over half on the list I think. One place I haven't been to is the Arts - it just isn't on my radar at all. What is it like ? Is it in the same location as when "Waiting for Godot" premiered there in 1955 ? I thought it was some sort of smaller studio venue so I don't know why it would qualify for the West End list when Soho and Jermyn Street apparently don't. Given the premise of your first sentence, I would advice you in the strongest terms to avoid the theatre you mention in your second paragraph. I don’t agree the West End is expensive, it is if you allow it to be.
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4,993 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jun 23, 2021 6:09:41 GMT
Although the Arts could be brilliant if it had a refurb. It's a lovely size auditorium with good sightlines. Just clean it up and magic a space to put the toilets.
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19,797 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jun 23, 2021 6:20:31 GMT
…and bolt the seats to the floor properly. I sat down a bit heavy when my row was empty and the whole thing tipped backwards
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5,160 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jun 23, 2021 8:44:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2021 8:49:33 GMT
Was thinking about this the other day so here’s my list;
London Palladium x2 (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Wizard of Oz) Prince Edward x1 (Mary Poppins) Theatre Royal Drury Lane x4 (Oliver!, Backstage tour, Shrek and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Cambridge x1 (Matilda) Prince of Wales x1 (The Book of Mormon) Gielgud x1 (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) Gillian Lynne (then New London) x1 (School of Rock) Garrick x1 (Young Frankenstein) Victoria Palace x1 (Hamilton)
London (non-West End) list;
National x1 (The Threepenny Opera - Olivier) The Old Vic x2 (Groundhog Day and A Christmas Carol) Barbican x1 (Jesus Christ Superstar)
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Post by danb on Jun 23, 2021 10:24:09 GMT
I haven’t been to the Arts, the Old Vic, Criterion, St Martins, the Barbican, the Fortune or the Cottesloe. Easier to do it that way round.
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410 posts
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Post by maggiem on Jun 23, 2021 11:05:44 GMT
I have been to ... Adelphi Aldwych Ambassadors Apollo Apollo Victoria Bridge Cambridge Dominion Duchess Duke Of York's Garrick Gielgud Gillian Lynne/New London Harold Pinter Her Majesty's London Palladium Lyceum Lyric Noël Coward Old Vic Palace Peacock Piccadilly Playhouse Prince Edward Prince Of Wales Shaftesbury Sondheim (Queens) Theatre Royal, Drury Lane Theatre Royal Haymarket Trafalgar Studios/Whitehall Vaudeville Victoria Palace Wyndham's
Still to visit --- Arts, Criterion, Fortune, Novello, Phoenix, Savoy, St. Martins, Shakespeare's Globe
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Post by Jan on Jun 23, 2021 12:05:50 GMT
I actively avoid West End theatres - horrible tatty old flea pits with bad seats, bad sightlines, badly-behaved audiences and expensive tickets. I've been to just over half on the list I think. One place I haven't been to is the Arts - it just isn't on my radar at all. What is it like ? Is it in the same location as when "Waiting for Godot" premiered there in 1955 ? I thought it was some sort of smaller studio venue so I don't know why it would qualify for the West End list when Soho and Jermyn Street apparently don't. Given the premise of your first sentence, I would advice you in the strongest terms to avoid the theatre you mention in your second paragraph. . Thanks for the warning. Obviously it is not at all like the image of it I had in my head.
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5,062 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 23, 2021 15:34:48 GMT
…and bolt the seats to the floor properly. I sat down a bit heavy when my row was empty and the whole thing tipped backwards Also the carpet is/was stuck down with silver gaffer tape in numerous places. The gents is so small, if someone else walks in you get pushed into the urinal, of which it is a communal urinal which I hate. They have a wash station like is seen in McDonalds, train toilets or council toilets in car parks, rather than a decent hand wash basin and soap. The theatre cannot be accessed by disabled people, which in this day and age is very unacceptable.
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4,993 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jun 23, 2021 17:53:16 GMT
It can. Wheelchair users have to sit in the circle.
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14 posts
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Post by george123 on Jun 23, 2021 20:50:28 GMT
The Arts theatre is in really bad shape. When I saw Six those were my experiences too. It's like a third rate run down cinema.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2021 20:53:50 GMT
Three i need to tick off the list Ambassadors - not even sure where it is Garrick - i was going to City of Angels St.Martins - Will only see it if they include it in an Open House Day
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318 posts
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Post by MrBraithwaite on Jun 24, 2021 5:44:25 GMT
In the West End there's only a handful I haven't been to...Dominion (weirdly enough), Aldwych, Lyric (obviously). Peacock was mentioned, never been, as well as Barbican, Royal Opera House (only done a tour) and Coliseum.. Three of them would possibly be on the list next time I (hopefully) come to London: Anything Goes, Hairspray and Prince of Egypt. Oh, and never been to the Royal Court, somehow proud of that.
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318 posts
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Post by MrBraithwaite on Jun 24, 2021 12:42:16 GMT
Weird that many people rank theatres by (and are generally obsessed with, see threads in this forum) their toilets...I normally don't use them anyway, there are others around London I usually use instead.
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Post by craig on Jun 24, 2021 15:56:27 GMT
I’ve not been to the Royal Court in an age but it’s definitely one of my faves. Gorgeous place!
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339 posts
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Post by stuart on Jun 25, 2021 12:53:55 GMT
Adelphi - Joseph / Made in Dagenham Apollo - Everybody’s Talking about Jamie Apollo Victoria - Saturday Night Fever / Wicked Arts - Mischief Movie Night Cambridge - Chicago Criterion - Comedy About a Bank Robbery Dominion - We Will Rock You Duchess - The Play that Goes Wrong Garrick - Young Frankenstein Gillian Lynne - School of Rock London Palladium - Sister Act Palace - The Commitments Phoenix - Guys & Dolls Piccadilly - Guys & Dolls Playhouse - Cyrano de Bergerac Prince Of Wales - Book of Mormon Savoy - Dreamgirls Shaftesbury - & Juliet Theatre Royal, Drury Lane - The Producers / 42nd Street Vaudeville - Magic Goes Wrong Victoria Palace - Hamilton
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Post by danb on Jun 25, 2021 14:05:54 GMT
Wow, what people saw where certainly ages them doesn’t it?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2021 9:14:11 GMT
Adelphi - Sweeney Todd/Waitress Aldwych - Beautiful Apollo - Curious Incident Apollo Victoria - Wicked Fortune - Woman in Black Gielgud - The Ferryman Gillian Lynne (New London) - War Horse/Show Boat Harold Pinter - Absent Friends/Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?/Hamlet/The Birthday Party Her Majesty's - Phantom Lyceum - Lion King Noel Coward - All About Eve Old Vic - The Duchess of Malfi/Electra/All My Sons Other Palace (St. James') - Heathers Palace - Harry Potter Palladium - Wizard of Oz Phoenix - Once/Guys and Dolls Playhouse - Fiddler on the Roof Prince of Wales - Book of Mormon Savoy - Dreamgirls Sondheim (Queen's) - Les Mis Theatre Royal Haymarket - Heathers Trafalgar Studios - Admissions Vaudeville - Constellations Victoria Palace - Hamilton Wyndham's - Don Juan in Soho/Lady Day Young Vic - Yerma
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