A visit to the theatre is criminally under-rated in my view. The right combination of words, said in the right way and by the right actor or actress can inspire everything from howling laughter to heartfelt tears. Fortunately, we here in England are lucky enough to have some of the finest theatres in the world on our doorstop. Here, then, are what I believe to be some of the best theatres in the UK:
The Globe. Like this one wasn’t going to be on the list! The Globe Theatre as it exists now is a reconstruction of the original, which was where Shakespeare presented his plays when they were first performed. Conforming to the original blueprint, the modern version was designed so that, like the first Globe, the focus was on performance and atmospherics, rather than on special effects. Just like Shakespeare’s day, the cheapest standing seats go almost right up to the stage. Seeing a Shakespeare play at the Globe is a once in a lifetime experience.
The Edinburgh Fringe Theatre. Though it’s best known for being used as the main hall during the yearly Edinburgh festival (something everyone should participate in, by the way), the Fringe theatre puts on productions all year round, a great deal of them focused on the development of new talent. If you’re in Edinburgh when a production is being shown, you should go and check it out.
The National Theatre. Another London venue, the National theatre actually covers three different venues which prolifically put on new plays by up-and-coming writers and performers, as well as the more established names. Every morning, some cheap tickets are released for the latest shows, so it’s worth grabbing a coffee and queuing to see if you can get in to see a big name or two for a bargain price.
The Dominion Theatre. If there was such a thing as the Rock’n’Roll theatre, it would probably be the Dominion. In its younger days, the Dominion played host to a great deal of musicals, such as the theatrical versions of Grease, Scrooge the Musical and Beauty and the Beast. However, in recent years the theatre has been engaged in a non-stop run of the Queen Musical, We Will Rock You. Perhaps the most legendary performance at the theatre, though, came not from music but from comedy: US funnyman Bill Hicks filmed his legendary Revelations special at the venue.
The Old Vic. Throughout history the Royal Theatre has played host to some of the finest actors and actresses in history. Almost every acting legend has played at least one role on the famous stage: Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Ralph Richardson, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Peter O’Toole a few of the names that spring up in the venue’s illustrious history. Since 2004, the Old Vic has been under the direction of the top-notch American actor Kevin Spacey, who has continued to put on some superb productions, as well as starring in a few himself (his Richard III sold out every single night of its run).
Rohmir