London Theatre: Something Old, Something New, and Something Cheap in 2023

Cover image by @Pedro Szekely, used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license. | In today’s London theatre scene, the biggest stars regularly appear, and new talent has the chance to learn and take to the stage. The area comprised of Piccadilly, Soho, and Covent Garden is a sight to behold – especially during the Christmas season, when twinkling lights dangle from the rooftops, and you can find a Pikachu wearing a Santa suit socialising with a Darth Vader in Leicester Square. I’d choose the West End over Broadway any day. London is the home of musical phenomena and indie hits, a seat of theatrical history and innovation – where directors, writers, designers, and actors are remaking the status quo and addressing socio-political issues, often drawing on lived experience to do so.

Just after Christmas, I went back to London to see two of my favourite musicals for the second time (buying the cheapest possible seats for each): Moulin Rouge! and Matilda.

The latter has been the pride of the UK for ten years, and the production is still selling out nightly. This show is full of youthful wonder, brought to life by a rotating cast of almost thirty child actors. Matilda remains a heart-warming spectacle, and an unmoving pillar of the London theatre scene; the Cambridge Theatre has been its home since it debuted in 2011.