2012 Theatre Breaks 2012 is a special year for the United Kingdom and theatre breaks, not just because of the London 2012 Olympic Games, but also because it’s the The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year as well. That means a lot of extra activity and tourism in central London which will have an effect on the West End venues and on Theatre Breaks bookings.  Over twenty shows  have responded by extending booking dates early so that you can book early, right now, for all the popular musicals and plays right through into the 2012 celebration year, which may help a lot of people to combine tourism trips and spectating with theatre breaks in London. First the two main events of the year: The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

To mark 60 years of the Queen’s reign the Diamond Jubilee will take place in 2012. The celebrations will centre around an extended weekend in 2012 on 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th June 2012.

  The Department for Culture, Media and Sports is responsible for coordinating the Government’s role for Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Buckingham Palace will be coordinating the Queen’s programme for the Diamond Jubilee, including the arrangements for the central Jubilee weekend in the first week of June 2012. For further information about the Diamond Jubilee and the events taking place during 2012, please visit direct.gov.uk/diamondjubilee The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games Olympic Games 27 July-12 Aug 2012 The London 2012 Olympic Games will feature 26 sports, which break down into 39 disciplines. Paralympic Games 29 Aug-9 Sept 2012 There are 20 sports in the Paralympic programme for the London 2012 Games. Paralympic Cycling breaks down into two disciplines: Road and Track. Cultural Olympiad The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements. London 2012 Festival The London 2012 Festival is the finale of the four-year Cultural Olympiad, taking place from 21 June to 9 September 2012. Complementing the sport events at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Festival will be the biggest party the UK has ever seen, with a huge range of events from leading artists from all over the world. Theatre Breaks

To be honest, nobody really knows exactly what effect all of this is going to have on London theatre breaks during the 2012 celebration year. Obviously there is going to be a high demand for hotel accommodation and London is going to be prominent in the world’s attention.  People who are in London anyway may well wish to visit the West End theatres as part of the whole London experience, and there are certainly plenty of great shows on offer this year. Meanwhile the traditional theatre going public may decide to avoid certain dates in order not to get caught up in the crowds and busier traffic. In order to make the most of the 2012 opportunity presented though, the London theatres as a whole have announced extensions to the booking dates for more than 20 popular shows well in advance, so that those with Olympics tickets or other intentions can book theatre breaks as part of their overall London trip  of a lifetime. The shows which have extended so far are as follows: Some of the shows announcing 2012 booking dates extensions are the following West End musicals and plays: We Will Rock You Wicked The Wizard of Oz Billy Elliot the Musical Blood Brothers Dreamboats and Petticoats Jersey Boys The Phantom of the Opera Mamma Mia! Legally Blonde the Musical Ghost The Musical  Les Misérables Shrek The Musical Disney’s The Lion King Million Dollar Quartet  The Mousetrap The 39 Steps Stomp Thriller Live War Horse The Woman in Black Rock of Ages  Matilda The Musical

Today July 27th being the start of the one year countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games in Stratford, East London as part of the countdown launch, a large number of West End theatres have announced new extensions to the period for which the most popular shows can be booked. This is to allow London Theatre breaks to be booked well in advance for the period of the Olympics, and indeed the Olympic year 2012 as a whole, during which there are all sorts of special events laid on. Some of the shows announcing 2012 booking dates extensions are the following West End musicals and plays: We Will Rock You Wicked The Wizard of Oz Billy Elliot the Musical Blood Brothers Dreamboats and Petticoats Jersey Boys The Phantom of the Opera Mamma Mia! Legally Blonde the Musical Ghost The Musical  Les Misérables Shrek The Musical Disney’s The Lion King Million Dollar Quartet  The Mousetrap The 39 Steps Stomp Thriller Live War Horse The Woman in Black Rock of Ages  Matilda The Musical

Over on the Theatre Breaks Wiki, the list of current musicals for theatre breaks in London has been brought bang up to date. So here they are for you:   Current Musicals for Theatre Breaks in London

B

Betty Blue Eyes Billy Elliot Blood Brothers

C

Chicago

D

Dreamboats And Petticoats

G

Ghost The Musical

L

Legally Blonde Lend Me A Tenor Les Miserables

L cont.

Love Never Dies

M

Mamma Mia

P

Phantom of the Opera Priscilla Queen of the Desert

R

Rock Of Ages

S

Shrek The Musical South Pacific Stomp

T cont.

The Jersey Boys The Lion King The Million Dollar Quartet The Wizard of Oz Thriller Live

W

We Will Rock You Wicked

London Theatre Breaks The current Musicals for theatre breaks in London We have collated some useful facts, tips and information about London theatre breaks, starting with the most popular current West End musicals:

Avenue Q Billy Elliot Blood Brothers Chicago

Dirty Dancing Dreamboats And Petticoats Flashdance Grease

The Jersey Boys Love Never Dies Legally Blonde Les Miserables

The Lion King Mamma Mia Oliver Phantom of the Opera

Priscilla Queen of the Desert Sister Act Stomp Sweet Charity

Thriller Live We Will Rock You Wicked

And these are the biggest current plays for London Theatre breaks

The 39 Steps Birdsong The Country Girl Deathtrap

Ghost Stories The Mousetrap Onassis

War Horse When We Are Married Yes Prime Minister

New Year Theatre Breaks 2010 New Years Eve Theatre Breaks - Big Ben New Year theatre breaks are a great way to bring in the new decade. As it falls on a Friday night this year lots of shows have performances on New Year’s Eve and London is, of course, a fantastic place to be on such an important night. I’ll go through each of the shows, suggest some central hotels, cover some of the great things on in the city centre after the shows close, and suggest some things to do on New Year’s Day. Shows for New Year Theatre Breaks All the following shows have  performances  on New Year’s Eve 2010 . As of today these all still have some tickets, many only as part of theatre break packages. They are going fast so if you want a New Year’s Eve Theatre Break act now. Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break Musicals: Billy Elliot Blood Brothers Chicago Dirty Dancing Jersey Boys Legally Blonde Les Miserables Mamma Mia Matilda, A Musical Oliver! (Matinee only) Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Lion King The Phantom of the Opera Thriller Live We Will Rock You Wicked Plays: Deathtrap The 39 Steps When We Are Married Woman in Black Yes, Prime Minister Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break Hotels for New Year’s Eve Theatre Breaks You really want to be central to make the most of being in the capital at New Year.  I’ve seen quite a few locally organised breaks advertised where they whisk you back to an out of town hotel for a celebration after the show. This is fine but it does mean you miss out on the fun and excitement of Big Ben’s chimes and the magnificent fireworks displays. To me this is part of why you’ve come to the capital. To miss out on it stuck out of the city, no matter how nice your hotel, would be a shame. I’ll explain more about the fireworks and the New Year’s Day Parade later in the post. Ideally you want your hotel to be in the central area, say not more than 1 mile from the theatre. Sounds expensive? Actually surprisingly not too bad. I looked at good tickets for Phantom of the Opera and 2 nights and found I could get a 3* very central hotel for £250ish per person.  This isn’t much different to a normal weekend rate. New Year Theatre Breaks by Rail Advice – Come By Rail if You Possible Can This is one weekend you do not want to have a car in central London. Really, it’s better to come by rail usually anyway but New Year sees vast numbers of road closures and a car is really going to cramp your style. The theatre breaks agencies usually allow you to include your train tickets and can save you up to 40% on the normal price. After the Show – the fireworks. You won’t get out of the theatre in time to grab a prime position for the displays. They will all be filled by about 10pm. However, no need to despair. Wrap up warm and get yourself to a spot where you can see the London Eye and you will be able to see a really spectacular show. The chimes of Big Ben are broadcast down the length of the river and then the display starts. If you prefer you can head for Trafalgar  Square. There are no events planned but there is a huge screen which will relay the countdown and chimes and then show the fireworks. Just try to keep out of the fountain! No, really, it’s a really bad idea. Once it’s over you can smugly watch everyone head for the overcrowded tube as you stroll back to your cosy central hotel. By the way alcohol is not prohibited in the centre of London on New Year’s Eve so if you did happen to have a hip flask with you it might be a very nice way to bring in the New Year! New Year’s Day Parade After a full English breakfast, ( see hip flask above!) and a gentle potter round the hotel it’s time to head off for the parade. This has become a really fun event. It starts at 12 and goes on till 3. This year is the 25th anniversary of the parade and it looks set to be an extra special one. There are numerous marching bands, floats and performances. You can get a taster of it from this video: Click here to view the embedded video. Ideally why not book tickets for one of the grandstands. They are not too expensive with even the V.I.P. one at Whitehall only costing £20 each. These give you the best view of the parade. Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break New Year Theatre Breaks was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

The best theatre breaks deal this month is with Show&Stay. From now (August) until September 21st you can choose from 13 of the top shows in  a free hotel package. Prices start from just £50 per person including your hotel, and they are good tickets too! Shows The following shows are included in the offer but act fast as some of these will go quickly:

All the Fun of the Fair Blood Brothers Billy Elliot Burn the Floor Chicago Dirty Dancing Dreamboats and Petticoats Grease (with Lauren Samuels, Over the Rainbow runner-up) Hair Jersey Boys Sweet Charity Sister Act (with Whoopi Goldberg!) We Will Rock You

Find out more The free hotel room offer is available for booking until 21st September. Upgrades One of the best things about this offer is that you can upgrade to a 4* central hotel from just a tenner each! Buy two theatre tickets for any show in the offer and enjoy a 4-star hotel stay from just £10pp The other great upgrade is  that you can stay an extra night from just £30 per person. This gives you the chance to see some great shows and have a mini-holiday at a very reasonable price. Here’s that link again: Check if your dates are available

Theatre Breaks with Free Hotel Offer was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

Kylie Minogue, the pocket-sized pop diva yesterday confirmed that there will be a musical of her greatest hits. What’s more it is likely to be coming to the West End. In an interview in the Daily Mail she says: “It’s definitely happening. We’ve brought a scriptwriter in and are working on a few synopses now. “And the critics … music critics are one thing but theatre critics are something else. I suppose if it doesn’t work then that’s it — it’s a closed book. I need to get through this album launch first, and then I’m probably touring, but we’ll get to it after that. It’s early days but it’s very exciting.” Kylie is writing the production with her stylist William Baker. It will be based on her back catalogue of hits and she hopes it will be rather like Abba’s Mamma Mia! She’ll need quite a strong story line for that to work out! So rather than tell the story of Kylie’s own rise to fame it will tell another tale. I think it’s a shame that more performers haven’t learned the lesson of Jersey Boys. I’d be quite interested to see the story of her rise to mega stardom told against the backdrop of her greatest hits.

Short breaks in London with a show are a great choice for mid-week or weekend holidays. Here are my top 3 recommendations for shows this coming Spring.  Couples who just want to see a show as part of a trip to London, perhaps as part of a special occasion have lots of choice when it comes to shows and things to do.  London is a great place for  short breaks and there is a lot for couples to do and see. There are all the art galleries, lots of classy shops and, of course, the sights of London. That’s the thing about the capital it’s still fun even if you’ve seen it all before. When you are choosing the show for your short break I’ve got three top recommendations for you at the moment. Choose Your Show Les Miserables In your position I’d go for Les Miserables as a first choice. Tickets have got a little bit trickier to get hold of due to the SuBo effect but the theatre break agencies still have plenty of availability. If you can be flexible about your dates and can travel mid-week there are some brilliant deals for Les Miz. Traveling mid-week also gives you a good choice of 3* and 4* hotels at very reasonable rates.  Les Miserables is one of the longest running shows but it still remains one of the best. People always seem to enjoy it and it still seems as fresh as it ever was. Dress Code: best frock or jeans, this is London – no one cares! Hair However if semi-classical score is not to your taste you could try revisiting the 60s and trying something brand new but re-cycled. Hair is coming to the West End in April and it’s going to be huge. This is the full Broadway revival production, all singing, all dancing, full of colour, life and energy, just like time traveling back to those days. They say if you remember the 60s you weren’t there but Hair is all that you might have missed and more. There is flower power, hippies and The Age of Aquarius, not to mention a bit of nudity and other, rather innocent naughtiness! Dress code: Afghan waistcoats, bell bottoms and patchouli (only kidding!). Though it might not be a bad choice of costume if you want to join in with the onstage party at the end of the show:

Jersey Boys Maybe  Jersey Boys is more your scene, sing along as you watch the story of Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons unfold. Walk Like a Man, Sherry Baby, and a host of other tunes you’ll enjoy discovering you still know all the words to are woven into the story of five young lads from New Jersey.
Dress code: Very snazzy Trilby hats available in the foyer of the theatre So there you are three top shows to choose from, all of them ideal to fit in with your short breaks in London with a show. a

London theatre packages come in a variety of shapes and sizes but they all have one thing in common. They make delightful gifts! Choosing presents for loved ones is never easy and when it’s for a much loved Mum and Dad it can be really hard. What can you get the couple who have everything? A giant food hamper perhaps? Well, maybe, but it’s just food. Might be, dare I say it, a little dull? After all your Mum is just going to add it to that already overstocked pantry and freezer and while your Dad might enjoy the bottle of malt whisky it doesn’t really show much thought does it? London theatre packages are much more interesting and entertaining. First of all you get the fun of choosing what show you think they’ll enjoy. I’ve got some more advice about that in a minute. Then you can pick them a nice hotel, maybe throw in a pre-theatre dinner, and book their train journey as well. If there are a few of you sharing the expense you could add in an extra night and maybe one of those river cruises with dinner if it’s an extra special occasion. By now you are probably thinking this is going to cost a fortune but theatre break packages for London are really quite good value at the moment. You can get weeknight tickets for Les Miserables and one night in a 3* London hotel for under £100 at the moment. Adding  an extra night only adds around £35 each! Dinner is around £15 – 20 per person. All very affordable really. And just think of the brownie points on Christmas morning! London Theatre Packages Choosing a show

So how do you choose what they’d like to see? Sometimes it is obvious and easy to just choose their favourite show. If your parents are not quite so predictable I’d start with their music collection if I were you. Here’s some tips: Lots of classical stuff, some light opera, SuBo’s new CD = Les Miserables or just possibly Phantom of the Opera. If you are feeling adventurous book for Love Never Dies so they can brag to their friends about being the first to see it! Not much after 1965, except maybe some Shawadiwadi. Your Dad goes a bit funny when anyone mentions Olivia Newton John – they are going to love either Jersey Boys or Grease! Your Dad’s rock collection is rivaled only by your Mum’s passion for Freddie Mercury – has to be We Will Rock You Your Mum knows all the words to Dancing Queen and still has all her signed photos of Bjorn. Your Dad liked the film – Mamma Mia of course

I expect you get the idea by now. You could always surprise them and choose tickets to Chicago (still the sexiest show in town) or even Dirty Dancing. They’d have a great time at either whatever their musical taste. That’s the thing really. All the shows that are on in London are worth seeing. Oh and it’s not just musicals, you can get London theatre packages to see plays, opera and even ballets! a

Related posts:London Weekend Breaks By RailFriday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and HotelWeekend Theatre Breaks in London

London Theatre Break I’m just running through a few options here for a London theatre break. It’s going to be fun and I’m getting excited already at the thought of going back up to the West End for what seems like the first time in ages. The last time we went to see a big musical was around this time last year when we went on a short London theatre break to see Oliver. Jodie Prenger was great and Fagin was good too, I think we caught the show at a good time after they’d all relaxed into their parts and before the Fagins kept changing. Still you can’t blame any of these people for whom the London stage is perhaps not their main sphere of activity for not wanting to carry on and do really long runs. It was definitely the singing and classic song that made the show so I think that makes up my mind which genre I’d like to book up this time around. Musical London Theatre Break Much as I do appreciate a bit of Shakespeare , Oscar Wilde, Pinter or Beckett if I’m going to splash out on the whole London theatre break thing with a posh hotel, meal out and everything like that then I like to know with absolute certainty that I’m going to laugh and cry and dance in my seat, and come away with several great chorus lines ringing in my ears so once again it’s going to be a Musical London theatre break this year. Now there would appear to be about 25 musicals on offer in theatreland at present so that doesn’t really narrow down the choice of show very much does it? I’ll list them down, then cross off the ones that aren’t really my cup of tea shall I? Avenue Q, Billy Elliot, Blood Brothers, Chicago, Dirty Dancing, Dreamboats And Petticoats, Grease, Hairspray, The Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, Les Miserables, Lion King, Mamma Mia, Oliver, Phantom of the Opera, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Sister Act, Stomp, Thriller Live, We Will Rock You, Wicked So what does that look like? Well obviously we can cross out Oliver as we saw that  one last year. Out of the rest, I think it’s got to be either Phantom or Grease. Different ends of the spectrum in some ways, but we know some of the songs from Phantom after hearing the CD whereas Grease is a musical we could perform half of by heart without any mugging up at all! OK, we plumped for Phantom  of the Opera, and if it comes up to expectations then we might just go and see Love Never Dies for next year’s London theatre break, or even earlier if some of my investments come through in time. Next we need to choose a Hotel and dates. That’s the slightly precarious part because it all depends on availabiity. Choice of  Hotel for a London Theatre Break I like to be near the City of London, which is a bit further east from the West End but only a short cab ride away, but I’m going to be flexible and if something comes up in Holborn, Westminster or the Strand that’ll be fine for a weekend London theatre break. We are lucky enough to be able to take Mondays or Thursday off too though, or any day really, so access to the City next day would be convenient, if I can get away with it. Right, I’m off to check the online theatre breaks booking sites now, wish me luck! This was a guest post by a reader from London Theatre Break who wishes to remain anonymous

Jersey Boys Theatre Breaks in London I watched theatregoers young and old coming out of the Prince Edward Theatre into Greek Street one summer evening and they were all oozing with enthusiasm for the show. So what may have seemed an unlikely musical for the London audiences has in fact turned out to be a strong favourite for theatre breaks. The Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons which captures the heady rush to stardom of a group of ordinary boys, and that’s the kind of story which, when done well, can take the audience on a journey that pulls all the emotions in succession. For people of the right age, just the sound of the music is highly evocative but for those too young to remember, the catchy tunes and rich harmonies quickly provoke the same, fingersnapping sense of fun.

Soho Theatre Breaks with the Jersey Boys The fabulous Art Deco Prince Edward Theatre is right in the centre of London’s theatreland, by old Compton Street and Greek Street in the lively Soho area where the nightlife buzzes and a myriad of different cultures converge in the streets, shops and pavement bars.

You might try and get a hotel as close to the centre as possible, to take advantage of the freedom afforded by being able to stroll back to the quiet comfort of your private room at whatever time feel inclined to retire. The Strand Palace down by Charing Cross, St Giles Hotel up at Tottenham Court Road or any of the Drury Lane hotels would be perfect. The whole area is brimming with little bistros and restaurants all doing pre-theatre and post-theatre menus as well so whether you book in advance to eat at the hotel or else wander the streets until somewhere takes your fancy you’ll be guaranteed to find something to suit all tastes. Try not to spend too long making your mind up though! Jersey Boys Cast The London cast of Jersey Boys are all very talented singers and performers in their own right, and have got the Four Seasons’ sound down to a tee. They do also have a strong following amongst female fans who seem to split along lines of opinion as to which Jersey Boy is the best looking, but don’t worry – there are plenty of very attractive Jersey Girls in the stage show as well, and there are many more than just the main stars on stage for the breathtakingly choreographed set pieces. Jersey Boys at West End Live This promotional video follows the Jersey Boys backstage as they prepare for the West End Live event in 2008 and gives a great idea of the rapport and fun between the cast that undoubtedly helps to make the show the success it has become, putting Jersey Boys Theatre Breaks at the top of the London visitors choices. Click here to view the embedded video. ** book Jersey Boys Theatre Breaks  **

a Jersey Boys Theatre Breaks

Related posts:The Jersey Boys at Prince Edward TheatreThe Jersey Boys Opens – updatedJersey Boys Live

West End Live 2009 Saturday 20th June 11.05 Hairspray 11.15 Been So Long 11.30 Wicked 11.40 Dirty Dancing 11.55 The King and I 12.05 Oliver! 12.15 Sister Act 12.25 We Will Rock You 12.45 Priscilla Queen of the Desert 12.50 Chicago 13.10 Jersey Boys 13.30 Thriller Live 13.50 Forbidden Broadway 14.05 The Sylvia Young Theatre School 14.25 The South Bank Centre presents ‘Tom Tom Crew’ 14.45 Little Big Club 15.10 So Jest End 15.25 Avenue Q 15.45 Zanna Don’t 16.05 The London Gay Men’s Chorus 16.30 Too Close to the Sun 16.50 Faithless Bitches 17.05 The KB Fusionnaires 17.45 La Cage Aux Folles 17.55 Stomp West End Live Sunday 21st June 12.00 Stomp 12.15 Little Big Club 12.35 West End Kids 12.55 Jersey Boys 13.15 Thriller Live 13.35 Noise Ensemble 13.55 Zanna Don’t 14.10 Honk! 14.20 SOLT – Competition 14.25 Royal Albert Hall presents ‘The Red Stripe Band’ 15.05 Chinatown Arts Space Presents ‘TheBathroomGirl’ 15.25 Bar Rumba presents ‘Salsateca’ 15.40 Players Theatre presents ‘Victorian Music Hall’ 15.55 National Youth Music Theatre 16.10 Lord Mayor of Westminster’s West End LIVE presentations 16.20 Octave8 presents ‘Yot.K’ 16.50 Dover Street Restaurant and Jazz Bar presents ‘The Blues Engineers’ 17.25 Ain’t Nothin But Blues Bar present the ‘West Western Bluesonics’

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West End Live Quick Update Latest confirmed shows according to the official web site include: Avenue Q, Been So Long, La Cage Aux Folles, Carousel, Chicago, Dirty Dancing, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Oliver!, Priscilla Queen of The Desert, Sister Act, Stomp, Thriller Live, Too Close To The Sun, We Will Rock You, Wicked OOh I can’t wait! It was great last year but this looks even better! Be there: Leicester Square on the weekend of the 20th and 21st of June 2009!

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Theatre Breaks as time travel When you are planning which show to see for your theatre break a good start can be think about what kind of music makes you feel good. Of course you don’t have to be old enough to remember it the first time around. It’s perfectly possible to be nostalgic for a time before you were even born! The music of the 60s is full of optimism and energy. It takes us back to a time when anything seemed possible and far away from doom and gloom. Theatre breaks to shows like these are a kind of time travel so sit back and enjoy visiting a very different world.

Theatre Breaks Back to the ’60s In this post I’m going to concentrate on the 60’s and if the 60’s are your choice then there’s a couple great shows on in the West End right now that are perfect for theatre breaks. Hairspray

Has to be a contender for your 1960s theatre break. The show is full of the music, colour, costumes and feel of the ‘feel good 60’s’. The plot is uplifting and there’s lots of laughs. You’ll come out singing “Good Morning Balitmore” and feeling anything is possible.

Jersey Boys Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and their rise to fame. They wrote masses of hits in the early 60s. You’ll be singing along to songs you know and love and audience participation is positively encouraged. Just have a look at a few of the 60s classics you’ll hear.

Other 60’s Things to do on your Theatre Breaks You might want to keep to a sixties theme on your theatre break and London is just the place to do that. Check out some of these cool attractions to really get that ’60s vibe. Madame Tussauds Theatre Breaks Tussauds visit. You could spend a whole day here there’s so much to see and do but your quest is to experience the Swinging 60s. To do that you hop into a time travelling black cab and take a journey back through London’s history. The small version of London’s world famous taxis have room for just two and will drive you through the historic and cultural events that have shaped London. So sit back and enjoy the ride as you move all the way from Tudor times to Carnaby St. You can add a trip to Madame Tussauds to your theatre break when you book for only an extra £15 and there’s masses to do there. After a £1 million+ make over Tussauds is much more than a waxworks these days with several interactive exhibitions. It’s a great addition to your theatre break! If you do go you must arrive early to avoid the long queues that build up as the day goes on. Make your way there straight after breakfast and be there just around opening time (9:00am weekends, 9:30 week days). Carnaby Street Theatre Breaks - Carnaby St Carnaby Street is not quite what it once was but the spirit of the 60s is kept alive by fascinating shops like The Face. Here you can browse and explore both new reproductions and vintage 1960s items. The sixties were one of the most stylish decades of the last century and they still influence current fashions so indulge your nostalgia itch and treat yourself! Today’s Carnaby area is more than just Carnaby Street itself. The pedestrianised area just behind Regent Street has lots of new stores and a passage through to Kingly Court. Set around an open courtyard, there are three floors of one-off ‘concept’ shops and studios where it can be possible to find items not sold anywhere else in London. Original Bus Tour Theatre Breaks Routemaster bus What could be more iconic of the 60s than a red London Routemaster bus? The Routemaster still runs on a couple of routes in central London. If you want to ride one it costs the standard £2 ticket for each ride. The Routmaster runs on routes 9 and 15.

Route 9 -Royal Albert Hall — Hyde Park Corner — Piccadilly Circus — Trafalgar Square — Strand — Aldwych. Route 15 -Trafalgar Square — Strand — Aldwych — Fleet Street — Cannon Street — Monument — Tower Hill.

The red Routemaster is the authentic 60s way to see the city but it’s definitely not the most comfortable or the best view. For that you need The Original Bus Tour. This is a comfortable modern alternative that will let you see all the sights from a comfortable, modern, open-topped bus. You can hop on and off at several points and there’s an interesting commentary. The whole Original Bus Tour takes around two hours to complete and visits: Buckingham Palace - Piccadilly Circus -National Gallery -Downing Street - Big Ben - London Bridge - St Paul’s Cathedral - Tower Bridge - Tower of London- Westminster Abbey Your tour can be booked at the same time as your theatre break and costs £18 each for adults. (To see all these sights by Routemaster could end up costing your considerably more!) Time Travel Theatre Breaks to other Eras Of course the 60s aren’t the only times you might want to visit on your theatre break. Do you like to rock out and remember the stadium rock concerts of your youth? Maybe Tamla Motown rings your bell? Or are you a Disco Diva? I’ll be writing posts about each of these eras to help you choose the show for your perfect theatre break.

London Breaks this Spring Spring is a super time of year for a London break. The city is just warming up, the parks are full of spring flowers and the weather is mostly pretty good. Obviously you are not guaranteed sunshine but you are a lot less likely to get rained on than you are further north or west in the UK. This means you can really enjoy the sights of London without the city heat or the summer crowds. St James Park in March Days can be warm and sunny but the evenings can be quite chilly. So pack a light coat and maybe a pashmina for coming back from the theatre. You probably won’t need an umbrella. Three top shows to see on your spring London break I’m going to suggest three shows that could be good choices for your London break this spring

Priscilla - A new show but not a new production. It’s been going for several weeks now, so it’s pretty slick. It’s getting good reviews, the music is great (think 70’s disco standards We Will Rock You - still great and still packing them in. But there are persistent rumours of the show closing. Definitely worth seeing or seeing again! Hairspray - if you can act quickly you’ll be able to see Michael Ball before he leaves the production in June. I’m sure Billy Conley will make a great Edna but Michael has made the role his own and has to be worth seeing.

London Breaks this Summer London breaks in the summer can be great too. The city is generally a couple of degrees warmer than the rest of the UK and this is even more the case in summer. The city buildings hold the heat so a hot day can mean it doesn’t cool down all that much in the evening either. This makes strolling round the West End after the show soaking up the atmosphere very pleasant. Do the London thing and buy yourself some bottled water for use during the day. Use it to keep your cool, especially if you go on the tube. I also use Evian spray sometimes if it gets very sticky. Great for cooling off!

Dress in cool fabrics for the theatre as they can be quite hot, even if air-conditioned. Some of the theatres are ‘air-cooled’ rather than air conditioned. This means that the front stalls are coolest seats in Summer. Avoid the highest circle and the back rows as these are the biggest heat-traps. This won’t be an issue if you are buying your theatre break through a theatre breaks agency that guarantees you the best available seats. Anyway it’s the perfect excuse to buy that little black linen dress you’ve been eying up! A cashmere shawl or cardigan is all you’ll need on top. 3 Top Shows to see on your summer London break These 3 shows would be good choices for London breaks this summer: Sister Act - very new, not even open as I write, Sister Act should have settled down by the summer. It’s looking all set to be a hit show. Phantom of the Opera - a long running classic but still looking good. See the original production this summer before the sequel comes out in the Autumn. Jersey Boys - good fun, high energy, a feel-good show. Jersey Boys has quickly become a real favourite. They’ve just released a new batch of tickets for the summer so you should be able to get the dates you want. London Breaks at other times of year London breaks in autumn and winter have their own advantages but I’ll save them for another post later.

Before starting the regular theatre news updates I thought I’d do a bit of a roundup of news from the previous month and the first half of April just so we know where we are starting from. And it’s been a busy month! War Horse War Horse, the sensational play with giant equine puppets arrived at the New London Theatre after an acclaimed run at the National. War Horse is based on the celebrated novel by Michael Morpurgo. The First World War is the backdrop for this exciting tale of bravery, and the extraordinary bond between a young recruit and his horse.

Sister Act News Patina Miller and the rest of the cast of Sister Act continue to build up the expectation for the Palladium’s new show. Whoopi Goldberg herself managed to overcome fear of air travel in order to appear on the Jonathon Ross show and other publicity appointments in London. Avenue Q - Theatre News is good! Avenue Q announced that it won;t be closed forever afaterall, but is due to reopen at the Gielgud Theatre on 1 June after a month-long break from the Noel Coward Theatre.

Spring Awakening The cast of Spring Awakening brought a refreshing new musical to the West End’s Novello Theatre after a successful run at the Hammersmith Lyric theatre. Previewing from March 21st this youthful, exhuberent but also dark musical play has had nothing but good reviews. Moonshadow - Theatre News not good One piece of bad news this month is that the Yusuf Islam / Cat Stevens musical Moonshadow failed to find a West End theatre available for potential transfer and thus postponed opening at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton in July as originally planned. Jersey Boys Wins Olivier Awards The Jersey Boys musical goes from strength to strength coming top of the New Musical category amongst other awards at the 2009 Olivier Awards. Consolation for Zorro!, a great flamenco musical which closed this month was an award for Best Supporting Role in a Musicalwhich wentdeservedly to Lesli Margherita who was sensational in Zorro!. Emergency New Fagin for Oliver! In a surprise announcement, Russ Abbot was asked to return to the role of Fagin in Oliver for a couple of weeks in April. Rowan Atkinson was forced to pull out for three weeks to undergo minor surgery for a hernia. Russ Abbot played the role of Fagin in the 1997 production and also in a couple of touring productions. New Edna for Hairspray

Michael Ball has been a riot as the lead role in Hairspray for around two years so now a new Edna has been announced for July and it’s non other than Brian Conley whose West End theatre experience includes Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2005.

Fridays are a good choice for Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel. Here’s why:

You can easily travel to London on a Friday afternoon Once you get to your hotel all you have to do is book in Go to you room to relax and freshen up Next stroll down to the hotel restaurant. Then you have your delicious pre-theatre dinner in the restaurant of a classy 4* London hotel. You get to your chosen show in nice time Blood pressure remains within normal range as you’ve had none of the stress or hassle of wondering when and how you are going to eat.

Stress Free Theatre Breaks. Show and Stay’s latest Friday Dinner, Theatre and Hotel Offer lets you have a totally stress-free break and even save money. What they’ve done is put together an inclusive package. You’ve got the choice of 27 top shows and 4 great *4 hotels, all with good restaurants. Just as an example we all know that Priscilla Queen of the Dessert is the latest hot ticket. Prices for Priscilla for a Friday in May.

Stay at the 4* Holiday Inn Bloomsbury (handy for the theatre) 3 Course Dinner in the Junction restaurant Cost per person only £148

The list of participating show also includes:

Spring Awakening Blood Brothers Billy Elliot Hairspray Oliver Jersey Boys Sister Act Dirty Dancing Wicked The Lion King We Will Rock You

All you have to do is select your favourite musical and a Friday date then look for the “Hotel with Dinner” packages at the top of the results. Not only that but with the Show and Stay deal you can book your rail fare at the same time and save up to 40% on that too. This is really the best way to get into London for a stress free theatre break. You can bring your car but don’t forget you’ll need to pay the congestion charge if you bring it into central London and also hotel parking rates are not cheap (allow £17 - £20 a day for hotel parking). Limited Offer This is a limited offer. There are only a limited number of these Friday deals available so you’ll need to be quick to grab the best shows and be sure of getting your dates. Last date to book May 31st 2009 Last Stay date June 26th 2009 Act now to book your Dinner, Theatre and Hotel Stay Participating Hotels and Restaurants

Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum’s Consortia Cafe/Bar. Choice of 2 courses from set menu. Holiday Inn Bloomsbury’s Junction Restaurant. Choice of 3 courses from set menu. Crowne Plaza London St James’ Brasserie Restaurant. Choice of 2 courses. Crowne Plaza London City’ Spicers Restaurant. Choice of 2 courses.

Related Posts:Book Zorro and get a free hotel!Buddy theatre breaks with free hotelStomp with Free Hotel in AugustMarguerite - theatre breaks from £60!Cheap Theatre Tickets with Meal - Summer Offera Friday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel

Prince Edward TheatreOriginally uploaded by LindaH Jersey Boys the musical comes to Prince Edward Theatre. ** book Jersey Boys theatre breaks **