I wanted to go to one of London’s famous West End theatres while I was here, and I also wanted to see something quintessentially British. That last bit was harder than I would have expected. Many of the plays on offer were ones that have been running for years now (Wicked, Hamilton, La Cage aux Folles) or were about music (Tina Turner, the Temptations, Elton John). A musical about Twiggy sounded perfect, but that doesn’t open until September.
I chose “Horrible Histories: the Terrible Tudors”. It doesn’t get much more British than that, right? They covered the peccadilloes of every monarch from King Richard III (with a dig about him ending up under a parking lot) to Queen Elizabeth I in a humorous way. And it’s a musical, too!
There was even an American reference when they described the aging King Henry VIII as “plump like Trump” and desirous of “making Britain great again.”
The Terrible Tudors are no longer playing in London; instead, they’re doing a tour around the UK. However, if you’re in London and looking for a play to see, go to officiallondontheatre.com to find all the current shows, synopses of their plots, and to buy tickets
August 18, 2023
A week later, I tried again to find another quintessentially British play. Based on a friend’s recommendation, I booked a ticket for The Mousetrap, a play based on an Agatha Christie novel. Since my mother was a murder mystery aficionado and particularly loved Agatha Christie, I practically teethed on Dame Christie’s novels. “The Mousetrap” is famous in the West End as the longest-running production ever: continuously since 1952! And the theatre was packed last night.
St. Martin’s Theatre was completed in 1916 and has beautiful dark woodwork throughout. I had a great seat just four rows from the front, center. The actors did a great job of bringing the story to life and everyone enjoyed the twisty ending.
August 24, 2023