West End Musical Shows are something you should not miss if you fly from Sydney to London as a person who is in love with the live theatres! The magical designs, amazing performances and the nice music- no matter where you see it the Lyceum Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Apollo Victoria Theatre will surely make an unforgettable memory in your life. While there are hundreds of shows out there, below I have listed the best London Musical Shows for you to watch when you fly into London!
- The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre
Directed by Julie Taymor, Walt Disney’s 1994 ‘The Lion King’ today runs as a spectacular theatrical musical show at the Lyceum Theatre in London. With the music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, Lion King features songs “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”, “Be Prepared”,”Hakuna Matata, “The Circle of Life” and brings out the story of the lion prince Simba of Pride Lands. The story goes exactly as we know it- Simba the lion cub runs off from Pride Lands and meets two friends Timon and Pumba and makes his journey back to Pride Lands with the help of his love Nala. At the end he saves the Pride Lands from his evil uncle, Scar. But the play is 10 times more delightful than the movie with extra effects, incredible facial expressions, stunning costumes and vibrant background colors.
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre
Wicked is one of the most popular musicals in the world, based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. It is a must-see musical show for anyone who visits London. The musical is narrated by the witches’ view in the Land of Oz, and it explores everything that happens in the Land of Oz before and Dorothy Gale there from Kansas. The musical focuses on the friendship between two witches- Elphaba (later known as the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (later known as Glinda the Good Witch). Wicked the musical has won over 100 international awards, and it is the 15th longest running show in the history of West End Theatre.
Duration: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre
Les Misérables was adapted from Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name, and today it is the longest running musical in the West End’s Sondheim Theatre. The story is set around a man named Jean Valjean, a French peasant who gets released from the jail after serving his time for 19 years. The musical shows each and every adventure that comes across this man, until the time of French Revolution. The story also features the songs “At the End of the Day”, “I Dreamed a Dream”, “Fantine’s Death: Come to Me”, “On My Own” to bring the true essence of the original play.
Duration: 3 hours
- The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre
The Phantom of the Opera was adapted from the French novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux, and it has been running in the West End Theatre for over three decades starting from 1986. Now it is run in the Her Majesty’s Theatre of London. The story revolves around an opera ghost living beneath the Paris Opera House, and how he becomes obsessed with a beautiful soprano named Christine Daaé. It includes appealing music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and features songs like “Think of Me”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “The Music of the Night” and “All I Ask of You”. The Phantom of the Opera is the second longest running Musical in the West End Theatre, after Les Misérables.
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre
Matilda the Musical was adapted by Dennis Kelly, from the 1988 children’s novel of the same name written by Roald Dahl. So, if you loved Matilda as a child this is something you should not miss in London. The story revolves around a 5-year-old girl named Matilda who have been blessed with telekinesis. She loves reading but her family doesn’t want her to become a bookworm. She overcomes all the obstacles put forth by her family and helps her teacher too, to reclaim her life by the angry headmistress Trunchbull.
Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre
Seen by over 65 million people, Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus’ Mamma Mia is known as the ‘feel good musical’ for a good reason! The musical has funny characters, hilarious moments and some amazing songs. Mamma Mia! has become one of the most popular musical shows since the opening in London in 1999. The story revolves around a girl named Sophie, and her single mom Donna. It is the wedding day of Sophie. It happens in a Greek island…all is well, until three men, Donna’s past lovers and that means three possible dads show up in her wedding to walk her up the aisle. The quest is to discover who is the real dad of Sophie. Mamma Mia features famous songs like “Lay All Your Love on Me”, “Dancing Queen”, “Knowing Me, Knowing You”, “Take a Chance on Me” and “Mamma Mia”.
Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes
Now, how are you going to book flights from Sydney to London? You can book online through Cathay Pacific. Team Cathay Pacific’s mission is to make the most out of your travels…so this applies when you fly into London too. You can book tickets on this website https://www.cathaypacific.com.
