London Theatre Breaks – Popular Choices

The top 5 shows that people we worked with chose for London theatre breaks in 2008/9 were:

1. We Will Rock You – a classic rock opera based on Queen’s hits
2. Dirty Dancing – the 80s film brought to the stage with great songs and, of course, stunning dancing.
3. Jersey Boys – Award winning jukebox musical, full of classic 60s hits.
4. Mamma Mia – 10 years and the Abba musical is still going strong. If you loved the film you will be blown away by this!
5. Hairspray – more 60s fun with lots of laughs

These shows were closely followed by a couple of classics.

• Les Miserables – the ultimate classy musical. Still great after over 20 years in the West End
• Phantom of the Opera – As fresh and thrilling as ever Phantom is a classic choice for theatre breaks.

I was a bit surprised because Hairspray has been a huge hit in terms of ticket sales. I thought it would have been higher up the list. Maybe people are a little more cautious when they are choosing a theatre break. Having said that Jersey Boys, although a new show, has quickly settled into a top 5 choice.

These are not the only shows on offer and lots of people went for other shows. Billy Elliot, Blood Brothers and Chicago are very good choices for people who want a good night out at a lower price.They may not be the most popular tickets but they are great for bargains.

It is obvious that Oliver! is moving rapidly up,an ideal choice for Christmas London theatre breaks. It looks like it is set to be one of the biggest hits of 2009/10.

Of course it is fun to try something totally new and exciting. Priscilla Queen of the Dessert has quickly established itself and keep an eye out for Sister Act too. (Nuns, dancing, comedy and great 1960s style songs, and Shelia Hancock. What is not to love about it?) The big new shows coming into the West End are Legally Blond and, of course, Love Never Dies (the sequel to Phantom of the Opera).

Booking a package is a great way to get into ’sold out’ shows

One last tip. You may not realise that even if you are already pretty sure what show you want is sold out it is worth checking the agency websites. The theatre breaks agencies often have London theatre breaks packages that include tickets for shows that are otherwise sold out.