Location: Westminster
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The 6 Best Performances in Westminster, England
The crown jewels, Buckingham Palace, Camden Market…in London, history collides with art, fashion, food, and good British ale. A perfect day is different for everyone: culture aficionados shouldn't miss the Tate Modern and the Royal Opera House. If you love fashion, Oxford Street has shopping galore. For foodies, cream tea at Harrod’s or crispy fish from a proper chippy offers classic London flavor. Music and book buffs will love seeing Abbey Road and the Sherlock Holmes Museum (at 221B Baker Street, of course).
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1. Trooping the Colour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 295 reviews
Reviewed By UOtterTravel - Port Saint Lucie, United States
We attended the Colonel's Review of Trooping the Colour, which is the second and final dress rehearsal. This was the reason for our trip! If you like history, the royals, and pageantry you should attend one of the dress rehearsals or the actual Trooping the Colour. Tickets must be purchased in advance to sit in the bleachers, and you must dress for the occasion. They also asked that out of respect to the royals, to wear a hat, so of course I bought a fascinator! There are numerous regiments and bands, all dressed in their best uniforms. The carriages that would carry the royals on the day were part of the dress rehearsal. The only difference between the dress rehearsal and the actual day is the absence of the royals, however this was reviewed by the Duke of York. We saw some people in the windows of the Horse Guards Building. Speaking to the ladies behind us (Londoners) we were pretty certain that we saw the Duchess of Cambridge, and her children. We also probably saw the Duchess of York and her daughters. The parade was fabulous and the bands were great. We had an "usher" who let us know when we had to stand and sit. You can buy a program, there are restrictions as to what you can bring in with you, you must go through security, and there are port-o-potties. It's an amazing experience!
2. Trafalgar Studios
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 286 reviews
Owned and operate by Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG). Formerly the Whitehall Theatre, the building consists of two intimate theatres created by ATG in 2004. Studio 1, the larger of the two spaces, opened in June-04 with the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Othello. One of the most exciting and unique spaces in London, Studio 1 plays host to a wide range of diverse theatre, offering audiences a refreshing change from the norm and a chance to see work which otherwise would not be presented in the West End. Award winning productions in Studio 1 have included Othello with Lenny Henry, Pinter's The Dumb Waiter with Lee Evans and Jason Isaacs, and more recently, in the Trafalgar Transformed season directed by Jamie Lloyd, Macbeth starring James McAvoy, The Hothouse starring Simon Russell Beale and John Simm. Currently, the theatre is hosting The Pride, starring Hayley Atwell and Matthew Horne. Currenly home to the Second Season of the Award-winning Trafalgar Transformed season. Productions in this season include Richard III, starring Martin Freeman and East is East, starring Jane Horracks.
Reviewed By sharonsR2794AI - Bromley, United Kingdom
Great theatre with a good height between each row so no-ones head can get in the way. Great actors & lovely show.....we had seats F3 & F4 which were excellent! Would definitely go back to this theatre - nice little place with good atmosphere.
3. Billy Elliot The Musical
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,692 reviews
Now celebrating ten extraordinary years, Billy Elliot the Musical has won the hearts of millions since it opened in London's West End, becoming one of the most beloved, award-winning shows on stage today. Set in a northern mining town, against the background of the 1984/'85 miners' strike, Billy Elliot is the inspirational story of a young boy's struggle against the odds to make his dreams come true. The story follows Billy's journey as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever. Featuring a timeless score by Elton John, sensational dance and a powerful story that has captivated audiences around the world, Billy Elliot the Musical is a funny, uplifting and spectacular theatrical experience that will stay with you forever. Now seen by over 10 million people worldwide, there's never been a better time to see Billy Elliot the Musical.
Reviewed By 975lindao - Northampton, United Kingdom
I bought tickets for this show as a Christmas gift for my partner, we went on 9th June. I like the theatre in Milton Keynes it's a good venue, seats are comfy and spacious, and the production quality and sound are always good. Billy Elliot was absolutely amazing, the story really makes you think about how children experienced the miner strikes of the early 80's. Everything was brilliant but Billy needs a special mention, for a young boy to have such talent and presence to be so central to the telling of this story is astounding, I thoroughly recommend, best musical i have seen with perhaps the exception of the Lion King.
4. Household Division
5. Changing of the Guard
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 2,221 reviews
A must see in London, outside Buckingham Palace, but check out the schedule as it only happens daily from May to July, otherwise on alternate days
Reviewed By F5256EWpauls - London, United Kingdom
If you read through the reviews on Tripadvisor, you'll notice one thing for certain; either people love it or hate it because they had a terrible time and think it's nonsense. This event really requires some initial research into it prior to attending to really understand what it is you're seeing, if you just rock up and hope to get a good view straight away you'll be sorely disappointed, it's by far one of the most famous ceremony's in London and the one attended to by thousands each time it runs. Outside of the core summer months it runs on Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun and during the core months it's daily, which means on a daily summer basis you've got even more spectators attending the site, not the mention Buckingham Palace opens to the public from late July to September making it even more mad than normal. If you don't want to do much research then rock up here at something like 8am with a foldable chair, some snacks and a strong bladder because you won't see much until 11am and then only for around 20 minutes. The thing is the Changing the Guard service really takes place in 3 different sites around the Royal area, the old guard appear at St James' Palace at around 1030am and march down to Buckingham Palace, the new guard appear at Wellington Barracks and march off just before 11am and the Horse Guard (cavalry) appear at the Horse Guard Parade ground and change at around 1120am. The old and new guard meet at Buckingham Palace forecourt - so if you're by the gates you'll see them [far far away], maybe they'll play a piece of music, maybe they won't, but they basically just stand there for around half an hour and then the old guard march off and the new guard set up. That's kind of it. Really to experience this properly, and in my view what you want to do is actually see the guards marching and get some great shots, head up to St James' or Wellington Barracks and get a good position and you'll find they'll march right at you! If you're at Buckingham Palace however...I mean it's OK, but it's debatable how good the view is and you'll probably be disappointed. If you've done your homework, you can really get a tonne of guard action taking place, if you haven't and you just arrive hoping for the best you'll be disappointed. The best thing about this is that if you fail just try again the next time it's on and give it a better go, if you read this review and don't research how to actually take advantage of the guard change and end up not having a great time then it's just a shame because this actually is a great thing to view, but you'll need a map, the route and timing and layout of the area really down - I'm not sure I'd recommend a guided tour, probably that's the easiest if you don't want to do it on your own, the main issue there is if you have one and it rains on the day you go - man it sucks. Rain basically stops the change, the guards still appear but there won't be any music and it'll be super fast - if it's raining think again and do it another day, absolutely not worth it in the rain and if it's raining everyday you're visiting - then don't even bother.
6. Hamilton
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 438 reviews
Reviewed By X9535JHalanr
Having listened to the original Broadway recording for this show for the past few months the show had a lot to live up to. Fortunately it surpassed all hopes and expectations. The cast were phenomenal, especially Allyson Ava-Brown as Angelica Schuyler, Emily Louise Israel as Maria Reynolds, Karl Queensborough as Alexander Hamilton, Nuno Queimado as Thomas Jefferson and Gavin Spokes as King George. The swing and ensemble were outstanding, so slick and never lacking in energy. Costumes were fantastic and the set simple but effective. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to see a musical on the West End.
