London Trip!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 12:09am

So I'm finally visiting London - April 25-May 2 - I'm staying in Chatham (Don't know where that is, but it was a nice priced Air BnB). 

Any words of advice? Things to get? I got my Oyster Card already. I can use that on the Tube, or no? 

Best way to get from Hethrow to Chatham? 

What are THE shows to see? I want to see Les Miz as I've never seen the original staging, and I was looking around and saw the immersive Alice in Wonderland at Waterloo?

[ggersten]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 1:28pm

Bookmark theatremonkey.com.  Great advice on day seats and seating opinions and deals.  

Touristy thing to do: visit the Tower of London.

Yes - the Oyster card is for the Tube.  

 

[ggersten]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 1:37pm

Shows to see?  Harry Potter.  

Daniel Radcliffe and David Haig in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead?  

Read mixed things about Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.  

My spouse loved Dreamgirls on her last London visit - and that was without Amber Riley.

Also, don't discount going to the box office and politely asking "any day seats left?" which, even if there are not, they still might give you a discount.  

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 2:19pm

If I wanted to see Harry Potter what's the best way to try? Is there standing room? 

[Just_John]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 3:01pm

No standing room for Potter.  Try the lottery the friday before on the official website. Check the two different official brokers for ticket releases.  They always randomly release seats in the days prior to a show.  Also, you can line up any day at the box office and so long as you're willing to wait, you'll have a good shot at scoring tickets.  Sometimes people even get lucky and walk in when there's no line and snag some released seats for the day of or days ahead, which is probably from the same availability that they would release on-line. Good luck. It's incredible and you'll get to see the original cast just before they depart.  Also, I highly recommend Half a Sixpence. Some of the best musical theatre talent I've seen in London.     

The oyster card is super easy but could take a second to get used to.  You have to swipe in and out.  The tube map is also very not accomdating for those who don't know the layout of the city or the names of streets.  Using a maps app on your phone for directions will be a big help.  

[bob8rich]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 8:08pm

HALF A SIXPENCE is fantastic - pretty much a must see musical and quintessentially British.

There are also some brilliant Fringe Theatre productions of musicals on at the time you'll be here:

UK premiere of Cy Coleman's THE LIFE at Southwark Playhouse

THE BRAILLE LEGACY - new musical with a brilliantly talented cast at the Charing Cross Theatre.

WHISPER HOUSE - new musical with a score by Duncan Sheik & Kyle Jarrow at The Other Palace.

As for transport from Heathrow to Chatham - Chatham is actually quite a long way outside of London (so I think it would be something like an houror so on the tube into London and then an overground train from Charing Cross or Victoria to Chatham, which would be an hour and a half's journey. If you are able to amend your hotel booking, it may be a good idea to find   a hotel that is more central.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/31/17 at 1:45am

Oh I had no clue! It's not a hotel. It's an AirBnB, so I'm renting an entire apartment. What neighborhoods would you recommend? 

[bob8rich]

Posted: 3/31/17 at 4:24am

It depends a lot on what you want to pay - can be difficult to find cheap accommodation in London. But if you stay in Chatham, you'll end up spending a lot each day on train fares in and out of the city - Chatham is a town in Kent, so not in the city. Anywhere in Central London would be good. I usually stay in the Euston area or King's Cross or Bloomsbury (walking distance to West End theatres and easy to get to from Heathrow on the Tube to either Kings Cross or Russell Square without even changing lines. Holborn or Covent Garden are very convenient areas too (though maybe harder to find cheap accommodation) . Or Waterloo or Victoria (not as close to West End as others but still way more convenient than Chatham.)

When looking for accommodation, try googling to check if the area is in London rather than in the suburbs and whether it's near a tube station, otherwise you'll spend most of your time in London commuting   (especially as the trains are notoriously unreliable!)

[Theatrefan2]

Posted: 3/31/17 at 10:38pm

bob8rich is totally right in this.   But is an apartment a necessity?  You are going to be spending a great deal of time running for trains.  Its really not a good place if you plan on going to the WE every day.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 1:15am

True! I'm a first timer and have a very poor knowledge of London. I can cancel anytime, so might try canceling and seeing if I can find something in London proper. 

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 1:19am

Looks like train ticket for one person round trip is going to be at least 28 pounds a day. For two of you, that's 56 pounds, which is at today's rate about $70 - a day.  And that gets you to Victoria Station.  It also means that when you go to London, you are staying in London all day and not able to go back to a room and relax.  Take the  money you would be spending on transportation and use it for a different location - if you can cancel Chatham.  And if you don't need the extra room of an apartment, airBnB seems to have several private rooms/ensuites.  

[Theatrefan2]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 1:26pm

Are you committed to airbnb and an apartment? You do not say what your budget is and without know the round numbers its very hard to try to advise you.   There are travelodges and premier inns with decent rates just not the ones in Leicester square.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 10:29pm

I just like Air BnB because it's cheaper. I find a different apartment, and I'll be staying at 15 Trevor Street, London, England SW7 1DX, United Kingdom. Hopefully that's a much better/convient location as I prefer to walk around then take mass transit. 

Def want to see Sixpence, and thinking about the Wonderland immersive production. Maybe just leave some room for day of tickets, etc. 

What are the "gay" parts of town? 

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 11:51pm

SW7 is much better!  

I don't know where the actual "gay" parts of London are.

But there is a bar named G-A-Y near the Prince Edward Theatre.  

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 12:46am

Cool! Can't wait to just wander around and whatnot. PM me if any of you want to meet up/hang out/ see a show.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:51am

You're in a much better location now! It's quite near Knightsbridge tube station - so an easy trip on the tube from Heathrow direct on the Piccadilly line. 

Shame your trip falls in between two of my trips to London or would have tried to meet up (heading home to Wales from a trip on April 21 and won't be back again until May 4 - for my next concert on May 7 and then flying to New York on May 8. Have a great time in London!

Updated On: 4/3/17 at 10:51 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 2:31pm

Oh thanks! Well I'll be back in NYC by then! What concert?! PM Me?

[itsshowtime2]

Posted: 4/6/17 at 6:18am

What are the "gay" parts of town? 

One of the main gay areas is Soho, around Old Compton Street.  This is also in the west end theatre district, so should be convenient for you to check out. Here is a link to some of the gay bars in London. 

https://www.travelgayeurope.com/london-gay-bars/#soho-038-west-end

If you go to the http://boyz.co.uk/ website, click on the link for their magazine (currently, it is on the right hand side of their home page).  If you scroll through the magazine, they have listings of what is going on at each bar on the different nights of the week.

I would recommend The Girls, Dreamgirls, Half A Six Pence and Harry Potter.

Hope this helps and have a great time.

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/9/17 at 1:59am

I'm so stoked!!!! I think I'm going to do the Globe - as I just feel like it's an experience - and probably see a few other shows - Les Miz for sure. And maybe Carousel as I've never seen a production of it. 

[JBC3]

Posted: 4/10/17 at 6:18pm

I will be in London at the same time and so far have tickets to Half a Sixpence, both parts of Angels in America, and the Tiffany production of A Glass Menagerie which was fantastic on Broadway. I may add Virginia Woolf. Jude Law is in a new Ivo van Hove production but tickets have been a bit scarce.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/10/17 at 11:28pm

I found a few tickets for Jude Law as well, but not sure if I want to spend my evening there. I didn't care for either of his shows I've seen in NYC. But it does feel like an "event." 

I was also thinking about Carousel at ENO as I've never seen the show, but I've heard the acting is "eh." 

Where are you staying JBC3

[JBC3]

Posted: 4/11/17 at 3:45pm

Staying at the Marriott Park Lane as I am using award points. I also have considered Carousel.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/12/17 at 1:03am

Ideally I'd spend two days seeing Angles in America and Harry Potter, but I don't think that will happen. And I think - well, in the case of Harry Potter - they will come stateside, so I won't feel bad. 

I want to see an "English" musical, but don't feel too drawn to anything. 

[emilienutley]

Posted: 4/12/17 at 11:58am

RippedMan said: "If I wanted to see Harry Potter what's the best way to try? Is there standing room? "

I know many people who have queues for cancelation tickets and succeeded! I did once, arrived at 5am and was first in line. You must be willing to spend up to premium prices as most of the tickets available will be house seats they reserve for last minute VIPs, if you wait it out you may get slightly cheaper tickets but as you're paying for both parts know it will cost a fair bit! 

As for Oyster Card, yes it's for the tube but will also work on buses! This is great alternative to bus tours which will cost you a bomb! 

Also I may be bias as I work on it but come see The Girls! 

[Scripps2]

Posted: 4/12/17 at 5:32pm

RippedMan said: "What are the "gay" parts of town?"

Old Compton Street and Soho tends to be where gay tourists go. If you want to meet the local yokels head to Vauxhall.