5 West End theatre productions you really shouldn't miss

A nighttime shot of the Royal Albert Hall, LondonThere are many reasons why people fancy visiting London, and seeing a West End show or theatre performance is one of the biggest.

There is such a wide variety of them that sometimes it can be hard to make a decision on which one would be best for you and your companions.

So, we thought we’d give you a rundown of five of the best productions on now – as of July 2014 – in the West End of London.

1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The National Theatre’s acclaimed production of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ is based on Mark Haddon’s award-winning novel, adapted by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott.

Three theatres, three casts, one major disaster and seven Olivier Awards on, Christopher Boone, the teenage ‘mathematician with some behavioural difficulties’ remains a thing of unbridled wonder.

2018 update: ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ played its last show in the West End on 3rd June 2017. However, it is now travelling around the world.

2. The Crucible

Richard Armitage stars in Arthur Miller’s classic American drama brought vividly to life in this visceral new production by internationally acclaimed director Yaël Farber.

In a small tight-knit community, personal grievances collide with lust and superstition, fuelling widespread hysteria.  Miller’s timeless parable attacks the evils of mindless persecution and the terrifying power of false accusations in this must-see show.

2018 update: as of February 2018 ‘The Crucible’ is still playing regularly at the Old Vic.

3. Miss Saigon

Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production has made its highly anticipated return to the West End, and is breaking box office records.

Since Miss Saigon’s sensational record-breaking run at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane 25 years ago it has played in 300 cities in 15 different languages, winning awards around the world.

This epic musical love story tells the tragic tale of young bar girl Kim, orphaned by war, who falls in love with an American GI called Chris – but their lives are torn apart by the fall of Saigon.

2018 update: Miss Saigon played its final West End show on 27th February 2016. However, it continues to tour the US, UK and Ireland.

4 & 5. ‘Wolf Hall’ and ‘Bring Up The Bodies’

This is a combined review of both productions.

Back in Tudor times, the good yeomen of England would probably have burned writer Mike Poulton as a witch for pulling off the superhuman feat of turning Hilary Mantel’s titanic historical fiction novels ‘Wolf Hall’ and ‘Bring Up the Bodies’ into a pair of coherent stage plays.

In our more enlightened era, he deserves enormous credit for the RSC’s triumphant brace of plays set in the fractious court of Henry VIII.

Each book is well over 600 pages long, and the sprawling ‘Wolf Hall’ has a ‘main’ plot in only the loosest sense.  Yet with director Jeremy Herrin’s help, Poulton makes Mantel’s mass of subplots and secondary characters sing.

The result is a brooding but snappy dance of microscenes and short vignettes in which Poulton unerringly pulls out the wittiest and most important bits of each novel, delicately cutting or consolidating everything else.

2018 update: both ‘Wolf Hall’ and ‘Bring Up The Bodies’ are no longer playing. However, they both enjoyed successful runs at the Aldwych Theatre and we’d recommended keeping up-to-date with their current events should the shows return.

Staying at DUKES and enjoy the West End

These are just five of the best and most popular shows on now in London.  And to compliment the world class entertainment, why not visit one of the world’s leading classic boutique hotels right here at DUKES Hotel?

Should you decide to stay, we suggest you allow yourself to enjoy a Sunday with us; our lazy Sunday afternoon brunch is a must.

If you prefer, you can visit us for a thoughtfully prepared meal in our ever-popular GBR.

Whatever your plans, at DUKES we promise you an unforgettable and luxurious experience; once inside it’s hard to leave.  We look forward to welcoming you to DUKES hotel, your home from home in the heart of the city.

So, what are you waiting for?  Get your theatre tickets booked and enjoy some unforgettable, world class entertainment and luxury.