Theatre Show

Here are some more information for Theatre Show:

The three main genres of theatre; comedy, tragedy and satyr also emerged in Athens, paving the way for theatre to come. Western theatre originated from this fascinating city and top London shows still incorporate the theatrical ideas of Greek Theatre.

A fabulous art form, many still flock to London to enjoy theatre breaks which includes tickets to one of the many fantastic London shows on offer. The ever-increasing range of technological devises mean that theatre is quite different from what it used to be, however, many of the fundamental ideas connected to theatre are the same.

So, the next time you enjoy a theatre break, sit back and think how the Greeks might have done things.

The centre point of a Greek theatre was a semi-circular space called the orchestra and this would be where the action took place. It was often built at the bottom of a hill so that the audience could see the show from a range of inclines. Theatres constructed in London are also built on different levels, so that many people can fit into a small space and enjoy London shows with ease.

A trip to the theatre wouldn't be fun if you could not hear what was going on, so mathematics and design were crucial in creating the perfect acoustics in Greek theatre. Apparently the acoustics of ancient Greek theatres rival those in the UK today which would have been important, as they did not have the technology to amplify sound. London shows today use microphones and great sound effects, so do not have to rely on the natural acoustics of a building to be top notch. If you book a London theatre break to Sister Act or Mamma Mia! you won't leave upset that you could not hear the songs.

In ancient Greece, the audience used to sit on the ground, before wooden seats were introduced. Eventually they began inlaying stone blocks into the hill which were called prohedria reserved for priests and respected members of the community. I guess these are the same as the boxes you see in London theatres, where people enjoy London theatre breaks in luxury.

Ancient Greek theatre used to also include a backdrop or a scenic wall. It was common for death scenes to take place behind this screen, as it was seen inappropriate to perform a death in front of the audience. Actors also used to pop behind the screen to change their costumes. A backdrop is still used in London shows today and often changes a number of times. With all the blood and guts on TV today, however, audiences would not be offended by a re-enactment of a death on stage.

The actors and chorus used to enter through a parodoi and exit through the eisodoi. Although knowing where to enter and exit the stage is not exactly brain surgery, it is a simple and necessary technique which is often used today. They even used to used trapdoors - a theatrical technique still incorporated into many shows.

The Ancient Greeks were also very much into masks, known in Greek as personas. The chorus - who help the audience know what a character is thinking - often wore elaborate masks to represent a character. Masks are still used in theatre today, however, they are not as common in the West End.

You may have heard of the phrase "sock and buskin". This originated from Ancient Greece when actors with tragic roles wore boots that elevated them above other actors and actors with comedic roles wore thin soled shoes called socks. Comedy and tragedy were very distinguished genres, along with satyr shows. Today, different styles of shows are represented in a whole range of ways.

Theatre has been a form of entertainment for many years and is still entertaining audiences in the West End and across the world. Book a theatre break to London today to enjoy the excitement of Theatreland. London shows are truly astounding and a great way to spend time in the city.

Show and Stay offers the best hotel and theatre breaks. Book your theatre and hotel with us and choose from more than fifty London theatre breaks.

Customers can visit the Show and Stay website for more information.

The Apollo Victoria Theatre

The Apollo Victoria Theatre, a 2,208 capacity, West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, was originally built in 1929 as a venue for cinema and variety theatre. Built by Provincial Cinematograph Theatre architects William Edward Trent and Ernest Wainsley Lewis, the Apollo Victoria featured mainly concrete construction, two identical façades, and, along the exterior of the auditorium, horizontal banding. The theatre's entrance uses chrome trimmings and an original Art Deco-style, nautical-themed interior featuring concealed lighting, scallop shell decorations and several columns. On June 28, 1972, the theatre was Grade II listed. When the theatre first opened on Oct. 15, 1930, the super-cinema was called the New Victoria Cinema and played a George Arils film in Old English, which was based on a John Galsworthy stage play. The Apollo Victoria was equipped with a theatre organ, which was played opening night by Reginald Foort. Aside from the films shown, the theatre also offered variety shows to the public. Soon after the theatre's opening, the management diminished the number of variety shows and began to specialize in film showings and the occasional performance by big bands. In June 1939, the cinema became one of three sites in London used to present The Epsom Derby in live, experimental transmissions. The theatre closed temporarily, due to World War II, from September 1940 to May 1941, but did not suffer any serious damage and reopened quickly thereafter. In the 1950's, plans were made to demolish the theatre, but these plans fell through the venue was used for a combination of live shows, films, and ballet. In November 1975, the cinema played its final show, a double showing of "Legend of the Werewolf," starring Peter Cushing, and "Vampire Circus," starring Adrienne Corri. The theatre was closed after this showing, and underwent extensive renovations. It reopened in 1981, renamed the Apollo Victoria Theatre, and specialized in presenting concerts, the first of which was performed by Shirley Bassey. Other musical acts shown during the early 1980's include Bucks Fizz, Dean Martin and Liza Minelli. During this time, the theatre also began staging musical theatre performances. Theatrical performances in the last two-and-a-half decades or so include "The Sound of Music," which ran from Aug. 17, 1981, to Sept. 18, 1982; "Camelot," running from November 1982 to February 1983; "Fiddler on the Roof," which ran from June to October 1983; 1984's "Starlight Express," a show which required the theatre to undergo interior modification to allow roller-skating performers to skate through the audience, running for an extremely successful 18 years; Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Bombay Dreams" in 2002; "Saturday Night Fever," shown in 2004, "Movin' Out," a musical based on the songs of Billy Joel, in 2006; and Stephen Schwartz's "Wicked," which is playing currently and which began its run Sept. 27, 2006. "Wicked," has proven to be exceptionally successful for the theatre, as it pulled in £761,000, a record-breaking amount, during the first eight performances of the show and has, to date, grossed more than £50 million in London.

About the Author

If you fancy visiting the Apollo Victoria Theatre or buying London Theatre Tickets visit the website.

I will be in London during August. Can anyone recommend a good theatre show?

My preference would be a comedy, but a good drama will also be nice.

Well, if you're a fan of the rock band Queen, then you HAVE to see We Will Rock You! It's a cheesy show to be honest, but so much fun. In the musical all the songs are by Queen, and it's set in the future where real music is banned by the Killer Queen, but the dreamer named Galileo Figaro and his gal pal Scaramouche get with the Bohemians to change that. At the end the entire audience stands up and sings along, and I haven't had as much fun at a show in a long time.

Guys and Dolls is also great, though I saw it with Ewan McGregor, who was amazing. I don't know about the new cast, but that cast that I saw had such a fun time during the show, and really nailed songs like "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" and "Luck Be A Lady." It's a fun show, so no matter the cast it should be great.

The Producers is hilarious! Definitely worth seeing, if you can get tickets. It shouldn't matter who you see in the two main parts, though I saw Jason Alexander and Martin Short, and they were great. It's just a funny show with some great catchy songs...one of the best is the nine minute performance of "Springtime for Hitler" where "our Hitler was so gay, he nearly flew away..." it's great, see it if you can!

I've heard Billy Elliot is good, and Elton John was a part of it, so the music should be great. Lion King is amazing, and such a sight to see with all the characters and their masks and costumes. The music is excellent, the people in it are always good, and it's just an experience that everyone should have! Avenue Q is very, very funny, but also rather dirty. If you don't mind songs such as "The Internet is for Porn" and a sexual puppet scene, then it is worth seeing. I enjoyed it, though I did close my eyes during one song, just too risque for me, even with puppets!

For dramas, you can't beat Les Miserables, it's one of my favorite musicals ever. They always seem to get the best singers, and the story is great. Plus since it's been playing for so long, it's fairly easy to get discount tickets to the show, same with Phantom of the Opera. If you've never seen it, it's a classic like Les Mis, and definitely worth seeing. Be warned though, if you're not a big fan of musicals, the opera stylings might be too much, though it is beautiful, and amazing to see the chandelier plummet to the stage and the Phantom pop in and out scenes.

Another drama, with some great comedy, is Wicked. It truly is a spectacular musical, with great songs and amazing effects. It's something to watch the wicked witch above the stage singing "Defying Gravity." The hype on this show is true, and I would recommend this one to everyone.

And, if you like Shakespeare, check out what is playing at the Globe when you are there. They always put on great productions, and it's in the open air. It's a great chance to see some Shakespearean classics, and they often do all male casts, or even all female casts, which is such an experience!

And finally, if you still can't decide, just head down to a half price ticket booth in Leicester Square and see what's playing. They're really honest at the booths about what shows are good, or ask the other people in line to see what's worth seeing. Also check this website to see if any new shows are going to be playing right when you get there: http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/ It has all the shows that are playing at any given time.

So I think that's it...I know it's a lot, and I didn't really narrow it down too much, but hope it helps! You really can't go wrong on the above musicals, just depends on your tastes. Good luck!

‘Ring of Fire’ — Johnny Cash musical show — coming to Brubeck Theatre
A 17-member cast of talented vocalists, under the direction of Sue Schriber (above) will celebrated the music of Johnny Cash in the upcoming community theatre production of “Ring of Fire” coming to the Wabash Valley College Brubeck Theatre on March 18, 19 and 20.

Thanks for visiting!