River Deep, Mountain High – Tina – The Tina Musical

What better way to kick off our list than with a Tina Turner classic? Perfectly suited to the musical stage, the Tina Turner Musical setlist is packed with wall-to-wall, swinging melodies. Our favourite? The sensational River Deep, Mountain High. Featured in Glee and part of the Royal Variety Performance in 2018, this classic will make you want to get off your seat and sing more than any other song on our list. Have a sing along with the previous cast members of Tina – The Tina Turner Musical as they perform the song at the Olivier Awards 2019 with Mastercard in the video above- it’s truly showstopping!

And You Don’t Even Know It – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie 

If you haven’t seen Everybody’s Talking About Jamie we’re guessing you’ve probably been living under a rock for the last few years. First performed in 2017, ‘And You Don’t Even Know It’ is the stand out song of this totally unique and inspirational musical. With the line ‘I’m a superstar and you don’t even know it’, Jamie speaks for all those kids with dreams of becoming a superstar.

Defying Gravity – Wicked

We’ll be honest, there’s way too many incredible Wicked songs to pick just one. But this time, we’ll go for the Act One closer ‘Defying Gravity’. A back and forth between Elphaba and Glinda, the classic song is one of the many high points of Wicked: The Musical. Throughout the song, each witch begs the other to change their course, with the tune ending with both characters parting ways and the citizens of Oz joining in with the chorus. If you haven’t belted this one out while making breakfast – you’re missing out.

I Believe – The Book of Mormon

A stirring ballad if ever there was one, ‘I Believe’ from the hit musical The Book of Mormon is the perfect example of why musicals are amazing. In this classic song, the Mormon missionary sings to convince himself to commit to his religion and carry out his duties. Written by the creators of South Park, it’s no surprise that the whole song and musical is sprinkled with hilarious lines. Our favourite? ‘A warlord who shoots people in the face, what’s so scary about that?’ Keep an eye out on dates for The Book of Mormon in London in 2021.

You Will Be Found – Dear Evan Hansen

If a tear isn’t falling down your cheek to ‘You Will Be Found’ from the musical Dear Evan Hansen, you’ve got a heart of stone. As the final song of Act One, ‘You Will Be Found’ tracks the growth of Evan’s viral speech online. If you’ve ever felt as if you haven’t fit into your workplace or school, this beautiful song is one of many in Dear Evan Hansen that will give you inspiration by the bucketload. There’s no doubt that this emotional ballad has already made its way into the Musical Hall of Fame.

Do You Hear the People Sing? – Les Misérables

Could we end our list with anything else? ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?’ is as rousing a song as you could find in any musical. Sung at the climax of the masterpiece Les Miserables musical, ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?’ perfectly condenses all that the story stands for into one incredible song.

So, there you have it – our top six favourite musical performances! If you’re as big a fan of musicals as us, make sure to check the Official London Theatre listings and snap up your tickets for 2021 before it’s too late.

The West End Flea Market will take place on Saturday 18 May 2019 at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden. Outside, there’ll be a whole host of stalls, hosted by your favourite West End shows and packed with showstopping goodies.

There’ll be stalls from the likes of Hamilton, The Book Of Mormon, Only Fools And Horses The Musical, The Royal Opera House, The Phantom Of The Opera, The Mousetrap and Les Misérables – and more will be announced in due course!

You’ll be able to pick up signed posters, props and photos of some of Theatreland’s favourite performers (there’s nothing as cathartic as a little advance Christmas shopping!) – as well as a few surprises and the chance to meet the stars of hit shows.

What’s more, each pop-up shop will compete to win the Best Dressed Stall award, which will be judged by Christopher Biggins (head judge), alongside Celia Imrie and Bill Paterson.

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The winner of the Best Dressed Stall will be announced at 10.45am, with the event then free and open from 10.45am to 1pm.

The day will also see Biggins host Biggins’ Bargains – where two showbiz teams will go head-to-head hunting for goodies at the Flea Market to auction for Acting for Others – as well as live entertainment, a prize-stuffed raffle, Theatre Cafe refreshments, fortune-telling from Su Pollard, and a signing and selfie area with Annette Badland, Hayley Mills, Wendi Peters, Harriet Thorpe, Layton Williams, Tom Read Wilson and more.

The event will be in aid of Acting for Others, a fundraising organisation for 15 UK theatrical and welfare charities. These institutions provide financial and emotional support to all theatre workers in times of need. And even if you can’t make the event, you can still support Acting for Others by donating online.

First published 30 January 2019; updated 30 April

Stay calm. We have the solution. You just need to take our quiz to find out which West End character you should dress up as.

So were you a Heather from Heathers The Musical? Elphaba from Wicked? Phantom from The Phantom Of The Opera? Genie from Disney’s Aladdin? Elder Price from The Book Of Mormon? Or Lola from Kinky Boots?

Whoever you got make a splash about your costume on Twitter! And if you got Elphaba, here’s a handy-dandy tutorial on how to green up!

If you’ve been inspired to see a London musical, click here.

For the next fortnight, bucket collections will be held at the end of performances in almost every theatre across London and throughout the whole of the UK.

The initiative last year raised a staggering £250,000 with 95 theatres across the UK taking part. This year, over 100 will participate.

Last year’s Golden Bucket Award-winners (the highest-raising companies) both return: The Book Of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre, and The Wipers Times (at Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in 2017, now playing at the Arts Theatre).

All donations go to Acting for Others, an umbrella organisation for 15 theatrical charities which use the funds raised to offer emotional and financial support to all theatre workers in times of need. These are the only theatre collections endorsed in London by Society of London Theatre and nationally by UK Theatre, and supported by almost all the leading theatre groups across the West End and nationally.

The Acting for Others charities are: Actor’s Children’s Trust, Dancers’ Career Development, Denville Hall, Drury Lane Theatrical Fund, Equity Charitable Trust, Evelyn Norris Trust, Grand Order of Water Rats Charities Fund, International Performers’ Aid Trust, King George V Fund for Actors and Actresses, Ralph and Meriel Richardson Foundation, Dance Professionals Fund, The Royal Opera House Benevolent Fund, The Royal Theatrical Fund, Theatre Chaplaincy UK and The Theatrical Guild.

More information can be found, and further donations made, at the Acting For Others website.

To mark today, we’re looking at theatre’s best buddies. The dynamic duos which make us want to be better friends. The characters that inspire us to run off and start a new life. The ones that help us learn important life lessons. Celebrate your International Friendship Day with these stage pairings.

Aladdin and The Genie

There’s always give and take in friendships. Sometimes, there’s a lot more give on one side than the other and that was the case with Aladdin and The Genie in Disney’s Aladdin. The magical wish granter may have been bound to the Prince Of Thieves by an ancient curse, but his intentions and friendship to Aladdin is legit. And though this comradeship may seem a bit one-sided, Aladdin comes good for his pal in blue in the end.

Elder Price and Elder Cunningham

Opposites attract and though that might not be the case at the start of The Book Of Mormon, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham became the picture of supportive buds by the end. This rocky friendship may have been forced to begin with, but after living through difficult and trying times, a bond based on respect, love and acceptance was formed. These two made each other better people… well, mostly.

Anna and The King

We’ve all had people in our lives that blur the lines of enemy and friend, employer and friend, and lover and friend. Anna and the King may dance around these lines and cause each other to lose their minds from time to time, but when it comes down to it, they teach each other and enrich each other’s lives. Offering different perspectives of the world and traditions, this unlikely pair from The King And I showed us that friendship can be found in the most unconventional of places.

Lola and Charlie

These two are the definition of chalk and cheese. One is a conservative suit wearer afraid to chase his dreams. The other is a fabulous drag queen who stands up to bullies and refuses to let negative forces get her down. But when they come together, they create something spectacular. From a chance meeting, the driving forces of Kinky Boots form a business, a mutual respect and a bond that will last longer than the indestructible heels they end up creating.

Donna And The Dynamos

There’s a lot to be said about lifelong friends. If they’ve stuck by you throughout the years despite your missteps, indiscretions and stubbornness, they’re basically family. In Mamma Mia!, Donna has her trusted friends Tanya and Rosie who don’t just support her emotionally and vocally but don sparkly jumpsuits to entertain the guests at her daughter’s wedding. Now, that’s friendship.

Galinda and Elphaba

These Wicked witches were brought together by fate, not common interests. Loathing each other on first sight, Galinda and Elphaba defied the odds by becoming best friends after a prank went a bit too far. Through forgiveness, acceptance and a joint goal, these best friends learnt to embrace people for who they are. Unfortunately, they also learnt that sometimes it’s best to go your separate ways – though a mutual support and love will always be there, no matter how hard itmight be.

Now in their second century of continous operation as public buildings, four venues will require temporary closure for several months to ensure the historic buildings will last another 100 years. The renovations will include preserving the venues’ fine plaster work, strengthening and extending the life of their ceilings, and completing the restoration of their auditoriums.

Queen’s Theatre, which has played host to the world’s longest-running musical Les Misérables since 2004, is scheduled for works in 2019/20. The venue requires a major backstage renovation, and has had little refurbishment since reopening in 1959 following heavy World War II bomb damage.

Plans are being finalised to ensure the hugely successful show, which in its 33rd year still regularly plays to 95% capacity, continues its West End run at an alternative venue. These will be announced in due course.

Wyndham’s Theatre (where Red concludes its run this weekend) will undergo works from early next month, while the Noël Coward Theatre and the Gielgud Theatre will undergo improvements in 2019.

Some theatres will not require immediate closure. Over half of the necessary work has already been completed at the Novello Theatre (home to Mamma Mia! since 2012), and the remainder be achieved without any loss of performances. Having already undergone major reconstruction in the last 15 years, the Prince of Wales (The Book Of Mormon) and the Prince Edward Theatres (Disney’s Aladdin) do not require immediate works.

Owner Cameron Mackintosh said, “Having just completed the hugely rewarding but very expensive restoration of the Victoria Palace [reopened in December by Hamilton], news of the timing of these works, which are necessary to ensure that my other theatres will be in tip top condition for actors, producers and audiences, long after the final curtain has dropped on me, was not the most welcome. There are major financial consequences, not just the considerable cost of the capital works, but the knock on costs of closing these theatres for several months will run into many millions of pounds.

“However, I love these buildings and luckily my success as a Producer has given me the resources to preserve their life for another 100 years – so that the show can go on and on and on!”

Here are five top shows to see sans kids while you still can…

The Book Of Mormon

It’s been on your list forever and there’s no time like the present. This cheeky show from the creators of South Park is less kid-friendly than an open box of Tide pods. But it’s brilliant entertainment for adults with a wicked sense of humour.

Following two Mormon missionaries, The Book Of Mormon travels from Utah to Uganda where Elder Pryce and Elder Cunningham must try to convert the locals to Mormonism. But when met with the plight of the village people, their faith is tested – as well as their morals.

Absolutely chocka with crass jokes, genius one-liners, memorable songs and a whole education on Mormons, it’s no wonder it won nine Tony Awards and four Olivier Awards. It really is unlike anything else on the West End and it will appeal to the sense of humour you’re not allowed to let out around your kids.

To find out more and book tickets, visit The Book Of Mormon ticket page.

Consent

As the title may suggest, this courtroom thriller deals with socio-political issues that are at the forefront of many conversations happening right now in the world.

When friends take opposing briefs in a contentious legal case, the justice system is as much on trial as the defendant. The key witness’ past and circumstances are questioned but the defendant’s isn’t. When the case unfolds, we’re left to question: why is Justice blind? Is she impartial? Or is she blinkered?

Nina Raine’s clever, provocative and timely play sold out during its National Theatre run last year. Now, at the Harold Pinter Theatre, Consent has received rave reviews from both critics and audiences. So if you love a crime drama and a springboard for an evening of conversation, this is the one for you.

To find out more and book tickets, visit the Consent ticket page.

Killer Joe

Orlando Bloom playing a cop-cum-contract killer hired to murder the matriarch of a family. Quite a one-liner, huh? Killer Joe is multi-award-winning Tracy Letts’s blackly comic thriller which has made its London return after 13 years. 

Telling the story of Joe Cooper (Orlando), Killer Joe sees the Smith family plot the murder of their estranged matriarch for her insurance money. They hire Joe to do it, but once he comes face-to-face with their innocent daughter, the plan spirals out of control.

Thought-provoking, dark, funny and tense. Plus, it has a stellar cast.

To find out more and book tickets, visit the Killer Joe ticket page.

Chicago

Though strictly not for adults only, Chicago is definitely a steamy little number that’s fun for grown-ups to watch while the little one’s at home.

Set in prohibition Chicago, it focuses on two rival performers – and murderers – locked up in the same County Jail, and satirises corruption within the criminal justice system. Laced with deception, affairs, jazz hands and some good ol’ razzle dazzle, it’s a timeless tale with classic songs.

Just don’t blame us if you want to paint the town after you’ve watched it…

To find out more and book tickets, visit the Chicago tickets page.

The Jungle

It sold out during its Young Vic run and has received five-star reviews across the board. The Jungle is a moving and harrowing show which brings a modern-global event to life before your very eyes.

Set in Europe’s largest unofficial refugee camp – known as the Calais Jungle – which became a temporary home for more than 10,000 people in 2015, it covers the lifespan of the camp from its creation to its destruction. Visit the Afghan Café and experience the intense, moving and uplifting encounters between refugees from many different countries and the volunteers who arrived from the UK.

Maybe on this one, you shouldn’t leave the kids at home… at least not the teenagers. It’s an incredibly unique show which will help you gain a new perspective on refugees and the treatment they receive.

To find out more and book tickets, visit The Jungle tickets page.

There are plenty of other shows to see in the West End. Click here to see more London shows.

A musical playing to the West End is the culmination of many months (and sometimes years) of effort. Even then, London theatre runs can vary in length. To be successful, a musical must have memorable music, a moving story, and compelling characters played by believable actors. And to be a classic, a show must have these elements as well as something extra special to excite and delight audiences.

These 20 top London musicals sustained success for years—some for decades—as they entertained both residents and global visitors performance after performance.

The top 20 longest-running musicals in West End history*

1. Les Misérables 

1985 – present (over 15,527 performances)

Les Mis debuted in Paris in September 1980, before arriving in London’s West End on 8 October 1985. Based on Victor Hugo’s novel and set in revolutionary-era France, Les Misérables is the story of former convict Jean Valjean and his quest for redemption.

Its first three-month engagement at Barbican Theatre sold out, and the show has been running continuously in the West End ever since, making it the longest-running musical in the world after The Fantasticks (off-Broadway). It is currently playing at the Sondheim Theatre.

2. The Phantom Of The Opera

1986 – present (over 15,236 performances)

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom Of The Opera opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in October 1986 and celebrated its 10,000th performance in 2010 and 30th anniversary in 2016.

The story of a deformed musical genius’s obsession with a talented soprano, Phantom has won more than 70 major theatre awards and has been seen by more than 140 million people. It is the longest-running show in Broadway history and the first to reach 10,000 performances in New York.

3. Mamma Mia! 

1999 – present (over 10,194 performances)

Another world premiere that took place in the West End, Mamma Mia! opened 23 March 1999 at the Prince Edward Theatre. It transferred to the Prince of Wales Theatre in June 2004, before moving to the Novello Theatre in September 2012.

This jukebox musical is the story of a young bride seeking her father on a Greek Island, told through the music of Swedish band Abba. It has been seen by over 60 million people in 50 productions in 16 different languages. The show celebrated it’s 9,000 performance on 3 March 2022.

4. Blood Brothers

 1988 – 2012 (10,013 performances)

Originally conceived as a school play, Blood Brothers is a musical about twin brothers who were raised separately but fall in love with the same woman.

It debuted and had a moderately successful but short run in the West End in 1983. A national tour in 1987 reignited interest in the musical, and it returned to the West End in 1988. It ran for more than 24 years before finally closing in November 2012.

5. Disney’s The Lion King

1999 – present (over 9,934 performances)

While many blockbuster musicals are adapted for the big screen, Disney’s The Lion King is a musical that was adapted from a film, specifically the 1994 animated Disney film of the same name.

Like the movie, Disney’s The Lion King follows the Hamlet-inspired story of Simba, a young lion who challenges his murderous uncle for the throne of Pride Lands, and features music by Elton John. The Lion King recently overtook Starlight Express to become the 6th longest-running show in the West End.

6. Cats

1981 – 2002 (8,949 performances)

An Andrew Lloyd Webber-scored musical, Cats is about cats—specifically, a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and their decision as to which cat is to be reborn into a new life.

Cats opened in the West End in 1981 and closed 21 years later in 2002, making it London’s longest-running musical until Les Misérables overtook it in 2006. An updated West End revival of Cats ran from December 2014 through April 2015, then again from October 2015 through January 2016.

7. Starlight Express

1984 – 2001 (7,406 performances)

Performed by actors wearing rollerskates and featuring sets with racetracks extended into and around the audience, the rock musical Starlight Express wowed West End theatregoers for 17 years, finally coming to a halt in 2001.

The story of rival trains battling for supremacy lives on in Germany, where it has been performed continuously since 1988.

8. Wicked

2006 – present (7,054 performances)

Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz, an alternative version of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz as told from the perspective of Oz’s witches, premiered on Broadway in 2003 and the West End’s Apollo Victoria Theatre in September 2006.

More than 8 million people have seen the London West End production.

9. Chicago 

(1997 revival production), 1997 – 2012 (6,187 performances)

Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, this musical explores the criminal-as-celebrity theme with its story of two rival nightclub stars-turned-murderers.

It initially opened at the Cambridge Theatre in April 1979 and ran for 600 performances. In November 1997, the revival Chicago: The Musical opened at the Adelphi Theatre where it ran for 9 years before transferring to the Cambridge Theatre in April 2006, running there until September 2012.

After a five year absence, Chicago reopened in the West End at the Phoenix Theatre in early 2018 until 5 January 2019.

10. Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story

1989 – 2003 (5,140 performances)

Considered the first jukebox musical, Buddy is the story of Buddy Holly’s rock ‘n’ roll career, including his years in a country & western band, his efforts as a solo artist, and his untimely death at age 22.

The bio-musical ran in the West End for more than 14 years and continues to play throughout England and at international venues.

11. Matilda The Musical

2011 – present (over 4,874 performances in the West End)

The beloved Tim Minchin and Royal Shakespeare Company musical announced its arrival in the West End with a record-breaking (at the time) seven Olivier Award wins in 2012.

The story of a child with an incredible talent for learning – and getting her own back on her cruel parents and tyrannical headmistress – the stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s story started life at the RSC’s Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2010, making the move to London in 2011. Since then, it’s delighted theatregoers in their droves, reminding us all that, “Sometimes, you have to be a little bit naughty!”

12. We Will Rock You

2002 – 2014 (4,659 performances)

Featuring songs by Queen, We Will Rock You was originally intended to be a biography about lead singer Freddie Mercury, but ultimately became a fantasy story about resistance against conformity in a dystopian future.

Despite initially harsh critical reviews, the jukebox musical drew approving audiences to the Dominion Theatre and remained popular until it closed in 2014.

13.  Thriller Live

2009 – 2020 (over 4,657 performances)

More choreographed concert than musical, Thriller Live is a non-stop playlist featuring highlights from Michael Jackson’s 45-year career, from his time with the Jackson 5 to Thriller and beyond.

Originally scheduled from January 2009 to May of the same year, the show ran to 2020 and continued to draw Jackson and pop fans to London’s Lyric Theatre.

14. Billy Elliot The Musical

2005 – 2016 (4,566 performances)

Like The Lion King, Billy Elliot is based on a movie and also features the music of Elton John.

The musical tells the story of a boy’s pursuit of ballet in a town beset by a mining strike. It premiered at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 2005 and ran through April 2016.

15. Miss Saigon

1989 – 1999 (4,264 performances)

This retelling of Madame Butterfly takes place during the Vietnam War and portrays the doomed relationship between an American G.I. and his Vietnamese girlfriend.

Miss Saigon ran for 10 years at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane before closing in 1999, but returned to the West End in 2014 for a 760-performance revival run that included a 25th-anniversary performance. The revival closed in 2016.

16. Book Of Mormon

2013 – present (4,239 performances)

Written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez, The Book Of Mormon is a satirical musical that takes shots at everything from organised religion to consumerism, the state of the economy and the musical theatre genre itself.

After nearly seven years of development, their musical opened to sold-out audiences on Broadway, before transferring to Prince Of Wales Theatre in London. The show went onto win four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.

*Information supplied to Society of London Theatre, correct as of 7 February 2020. Ranked by number of performances.

You can see tickets for all current West End shows here.

17. Jersey Boys

2008 – 2017 (3,787 performances)

The jukebox musical Jersey Boys played the West End for nine years at Prince Edward Theatre, before moving to the Piccadilly Theatre in 2017.

Presented as a documentary dramatising the career arc of 1960s rock ‘n’ roll group The Four Seasons, Jersey Boys features well-known hits like “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Sherry,” among others.

18. Jesus Christ Superstar

1972 – 1980 (3,357 performances)

Loosely based on the last week of Jesus’s life according to the Gospels, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar first opened on Broadway in 1971, closing two years later.

The show thrived in London, though, playing for eight years at the Palace Theatre and becoming the UK’s longest-running musical at the time. The musical was revived at the Lyceum Theatre in 1996 and ran for a year and a half, then returned again in 2016 and 2017 at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, a production which won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.

19. Me And My Girl

1985 – 1993 (3,303 performances)

This musical is set in the 1930s and tells the story of Bill Snibson, an unapologetically unrefined cockney man who learns he is the heir to the Earl of Hareford.

Me And My Girl had a successful original run in the West End in 1937, playing for 1,646 performances. It was revived in 1941, 1945, and again in 1949. A revised production opened in 1984 at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre and transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in 1985 where it played for eight years before closing.

20. Evita

1978 – 1986 (2,900 performances)

Another successful Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice production, Evita follows the life of Eva “Evita” Perón, the Argentine actor who became the country’s First Lady and a popular political leader.

The production opened in the West End in 1978 and on Broadway a year later, becoming the first British musical to win the Best Musical Tony Award. Its original run went until 1986 and it was revived twenty years later (2006) at the Adelphi Theatre.