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When the weather turns brisk after a wet and none-too-warm summer we Brits well know that now is the time to enjoy London. The winter is too cold and miserable and the summer is generally blighted by hordes of tourists. But the Spring and Autumn are the highlights of the year with the best cultural events and reasonable weather to enjoy them. This Autumn there is heaps to do with theatre a particular highlight. What plays or musicals should I see? Right now there are a number of particularly good productions on stage in London. Whether you are interested in musicals or serious theatre there are in excess of 75 plays in production. However, as I know that many visitors in London are after a jolly show I have profiled three musicals below as well as a serious piece theatre which promises to be one of the most talked-about productions of the decade. The 39 Steps has just past its second birthday at the Criterion and has just announced that its run has been extended yet again. The play is adapted from the novel by nineteenth century novelist John Buchan and the 1935 film of the book by Alfred Hitchcock. The play is a comedic spoof-thriller about Richard Hannay a London gentleman who is drawn into a foreign plot and ends up on the run himself after a woman is found murdered in his flat. I saw the original London show at the Tricycle before it opened at the Criterion and it is heartily recommended. The production won "Best New Comedy" at the Olivier Awards in 2006. A Broadway spin-off won two Tony Awards this year. The trend of Hollywood or TV stars treading the boards on the West End continues appropriately enough with the premiere of film-to-stage show Rain Man which debuts at London's Apollo Theatre on the 19th of September. Rain Man has been adapted for the stage by Dan Gordon and tells the same story as the film starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman for which Hoffman won an Oscar. The story revolves around the discovery by car salesman Charlie that he has an older brother, Raymond, who had been institutionalised since he was a kid. Ray is an autistic savant with all the social difficulties the condition entails. However, he has a genius for numbers which turns in handy when Charlie's business is in trouble. The play stars Hollywood actor Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down, The Black Dahlia) and well-known London thespian Adam Godley. Another show better known as a film than a play is The Sound of Music at the London Palladium. The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic won 6 Tony Awards on Broadway 1959 and we have been singing the songs ever since. Revived in London with the help of a BBC talent show it has been a great hit and is a fabulous family outing. Mamma Mia! You have seen the film. Now see the stage show which inspired the ABBA revival. You will be singing and dancing in the aisles. It is unforgettable. The stage show was written by English author Catherine Johnson, and the project's originator, Judy Craymer while Bj?rn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson from ABBA worked on the music for the show. The result is a stunning feel-good show with romance, comedy and incredible music. The story is the same as the film ? a young woman, Sophie, invites three men she suspects may be her father to her wedding, but without telling her mother, Donna. The story is a search for identity which leads to unexpected romance for Donna as love is rediscovered. Before or after the show have a meal at one of the literally hundreds of fabulous restaurants and cafes in Soho, Covent Garden and around Leicester Square. The food in London is now better than ever thanks to the national rediscovery of cooking led by celebrity chefs. Transport to the West End is easy with tube stations at Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Holborn close-by and hosts of buses and cabs to take you back to your hotel or rented accommodation. For those interested in getting a deal, many theatres offer cheaper tickets same day. Details are on the theatre websites.
Article Source: http://www.articleselections.com
Andrew Mitchell loves plays and London. He welcomes friends from around the world to stay with him in London. Professionally he helps out people with back and other health issues. Visit his website if you need an osteopath in London or elsewhere in the UK.
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