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West End Theatre Tour: 400 Years of Stage History
4.9
33 Ratings
Greater London
Embark on a captivating walking tour of London’s West End and South Bank, delving into 400 years of theatrical history. Explore iconic theatres, uncovering the biggest names, greatest successes, and infamous disasters. Don’t miss this immersive journey through the world’s theatre capital!
Embark on a captivating walking tour of London’s West End and South Bank, delving into 400 years of theatrical history. Explore iconic theatres, uncovering the biggest names, greatest successes, and infamous disasters. Don’t miss this immersive journey through the world’s theatre capital!
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- London Coliseum - Learn the history of the Coliseum. The largest theatre in the West End!
- Duke of York’s Theatre - Discover the many stars who made their debuts on this West End stage. Including Peter Pan!
- Noel Coward Theatre - Hear of the great productions of the past. The only theatre where two significant theatre giants ever shared a…
- London Coliseum - Learn the history of the Coliseum. The largest theatre in the West End!
- Duke of York’s Theatre - Discover the many stars who made their debuts on this West End stage. Including Peter Pan!
- Noel Coward Theatre - Hear of the great productions of the past. The only theatre where two significant theatre giants ever shared a stage.
- Wyndham’s Theatre - Learn of the history of this beautiful theatre. See the bust of Shakespeare on the front - the only one in the West End!
- Leicester Square - Discount ticket booth - how to get great West End seats at low prices! Old music hall spots - historic theatres such as The Alhambra & The Empire.
- Haymarket Theatre Royal - A theatre favoured by both Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench. There’s also rumour of a haunting…
- His Majesty’s Theatre London - The second oldest active theatre site in London. Also home to the second-longest running musical - The Phantom of the Opera!
- Harold Pinter Theatre - Opening in 1881, the Harold Pinter Theatre is one of the oldest playhouses in the West End. Hear of the stars that have caused a great sensation here - including Marilyn Monroe!
- Prince of Wales Theatre - Now home to The Book of Mormon, the Prince of Wales has had a rich history of comedy & musical spectacles. Famous names who’ve appeared here include The Beatles, Peter Sellers and Barbara Streisand!
- Shaftesbury Avenue - The road with more theatres than any other! Hear about the history of Shaftesbury Avenue and theatres including The Lyric, Apollo, Gielgud, Sondheim & The Palace.
- Lyric Theatre - The oldest surviving theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue! Also the place where a British comedy icon tragically died…
- Apollo Theatre - The first Edwardian Theatre, opening in 1901. Also once home to a truly legendary production of our time!
- Gielgud Theatre - Now named after the great Sir John, the Gielgud has seen a few famous faces give their West End debuts. Including Harry Potter himself!
- Sondheim Theatre - Learn the history of Les Miserables, the world’s longest-running musical. Also - a few famous faces who debuted here in the 80s!
- Palace Theatre - Once a famous music hall venue, now home to Harry Potter & the Cursed Child. Discover the origin of the phrase ‘bring the house down’.
- Ambassadors Theatre - Although unremarkable on the outside, the Ambassadors has had a rich theatre history. Legendary theatre stars who debuted here include Vivien Leigh & Paul Robeson.
- St. Martins Theatre - Home of The Mousetrap - the world’s longest-running play! Discover the history of this unlikely theatrical hit.
- The Arts Theatre - The West End’s smallest theatre. Also once home to the most controversial play of all time!
- Covent Garden - See the legendary Covent Garden Market! Also, London’s official Actors Church, street theatre spots and two of the oldest theatre sites in London.
- Royal Opera House - One of the oldest theatre spots in London - est 1732. Now home to the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet.
- Fortune Theatre - Home to The Woman in Black - the longest-running horror play ever. Hear of the spooky stories that have occurred during the play’s 30+ year history…
- Theatre Royal Drury Lane - The oldest active theatre spot in the West End. Discover the legends of the past who made their names on its legendary stage.
- Lyceum Theatre - Now home to The Lion King, going since 1999 and still a hot ticket! Hear of the leading actors of the Victorian era who once dominated the Lyceum’s stage - Sir Henry Irving & Dame Ellen Terry - and also the genesis of a famous gothic horror creation.
- National Theatre - Hear about the history of our National Theatre. Also, the founder of the National, Laurence Olivier, stated the opposite.
- Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre - Discover the history of Bankside - where Shakespeare made his name. See the famous reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe and a final top-secret theatre location!
What's Included
- Access to historic programmes
- Viewing of theatre artefacts
- Access to historic programmes
- Viewing of theatre artefacts
Additional Information
Embark on a journey spanning four centuries of theatrical history in the world’s theatre hub! Explore the West End and the South Bank, getting acquainted with the biggest stars, biggest hits, and unforgettable missteps.
The theatres featured in this tour are: The Coliseum, Duke of York’s, Noel Coward, Wyndham’s, Her Majesty’s, Theatre Royal Haymarket,…
Embark on a journey spanning four centuries of theatrical history in the world’s theatre hub! Explore the West End and the South Bank, getting acquainted with the biggest stars, biggest hits, and unforgettable missteps.
The theatres featured in this tour are: The Coliseum, Duke of York’s, Noel Coward, Wyndham’s, Her Majesty’s, Theatre Royal Haymarket, Harold Pinter, Prince of Wales, Lyric, Apollo, Gielgud, Sondheim, Palace, Ambassadors, St Martins, The Arts, ROH, Fortune, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Lyceum, The National, Shakespeare’s Globe…plus a mysterious final stop kept under wraps!
Location
Oscar Wilde Statue
Adelaide Street
Across the street from Charing Cross Station.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(33 Ratings)
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Guide63331173576
Aug 19, 2025
Enjoyable and so informative! - A truly great experience, very friendly and knowledgeble guide, so many interesting facts,curiosities and anecdotes. Very easy and pleasant to follow, and lots of memorabilia to look at. Definitely good value for money. We really enjoyed it and would thoroughly recommend to book your your with Charlie!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_h
Jul 10, 2025
Amazing and unique tour of the West End - This tour was perfect for all theater lovers! Charlie gave us a very detailed tour around the West End to see many of the most well known theaters and finished our tour across the river to visit the National Theatre and the Globe. This tour would also appeal to history lovers. He was so informative with the details of the history of each theater. We enjoyed all of the sights of the West End as well. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting to spend the day learning about the West End theater life and its history. One of the best tours we have taken in London!
Review provided by Viator
Jet501967
Jun 25, 2025
Take the Whole tour. Seriously. It's worth it. Avoid the generic large groups. This tour rocks. - I am an American theatre professional (Actor/Director etc-and an interdisciplinary artist and educator, 40 years+) and this was top notch! Charlie is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and I was so completely blown away by being able to see so many places and venues I have spent my life studying and hearing about the productions and folks that played in these houses. Our tour got off to a very slightly rough start due to raging construction work on a busy west end street, but Charlie was a true pro and took it all in stride. High marks for him on all fronts. He went above and beyond to ensure we were both comfortable and getting what we were hoping for. The tour is well paced and covers a great deal, but so very worth it. Wear comfortable shoes and don't be afraid to ask questions and take photos..... This is a great tour for anyone with even a little interest in London theatre-but for a theatre nerd or professional- this is a must do on your visit to London. (Incidentally, it was also a great way for me to begin to acclimate myself to London-as I took the tour on my first full day in town). The end of the tour was particularly effecting to me and a bit of a surprise-no spoilers-but I found myself standing in a place I never ever thought I would be, that truly resonated to this artsy fartsy actor clown's soul. Perhaps a bit dramatic, but that's what the tour is about......and if you are part of the tribe- you will understand! It was wild. I felt like I had come home just a bit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
655elizabethj
May 26, 2025
Well worth it. - South Bank Centre to see and hear Handels Messiah an afternoon performance . Relaxed and very helpful staff, inside the building, nothing was too much trouble. As a wheelchair user, it was a very responsive, respectful experience. A once in a lifetime trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
159hamishr
Mar 26, 2025
Really informative and enjoyable tour - highly recommend - Charlie was an extremely informative and friendly guide. We had a small group of only three on my tour, which meant we were able to ask lots of questions of Charlie as we wandered to each of the theatres. Not only did we learn about the history of the theatres, Charlie pointed out a number of significant spots around the West End and Covent Garden that I hadn't realised the significance of when wandering the streets on my own.
The tour route was more or less completely flat with a number of regular stops (including bathroom and rest stops) so is suitable for almost anyone. If you're not a big walker, I wouldn't recommend adding on the Southbank portion of tour as it does end up being a big walk but if you like a good walk, then it's definitely worth doing as you get to learn about the National Theatre and see the Globe.
Very good value and an enjoyable day out in London - thank you, Charlie!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hal_s
Sep 5, 2024
Excellent walking tour! ... - Excellent walking tour! Charlie does a great job! Didn’t realize there were that many theatre's in the West End.
Review provided by Viator
Janmckarlington_va
Apr 11, 2024
A MUST-DO TOUR FOR FANS OF LONDON THEATRE AND/OR ITS HISTORY - Charlie is EXCELLENT. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the West End and its theatre history and he conveyed it authoritatively. He also was genuinely interested in our own knowledge and interests. He supplements his verbal narratives with interesting and possibly rare printed materials relating to the individual theatres; plays and musicals; actors and actresses; and city history. This tour is a MUST if you are a fan of London's rich theatre history. By the way, the weather was not good: signficant wind; cloudy skies with intermittent rain; chilly temperatures. Yet his tour was so good the weather didn't bother us until towards the very end of the tour. We enjoyed it so much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lori_m
Jan 18, 2024
We enjoyed this walking... - We enjoyed this walking tour seeing the beautiful theatres and hearing all the old stories about the stage actors and actresses.
Review provided by Viator
Robert_s
Sep 5, 2024
Exhaustive West End theatre walk tour. - Charlie our guide was well prepared to give insights, history, and fun facts on each of the many theatres we visited. It’s an exhaustive tour- we clocked almost four hours - but learnt plenty from the tour, which is what I intended at the outset. If you’re interested in West End theatre this is for you (ad make sure you have comfortable footwear)
Review provided by Viator
503olgaz
May 3, 2024
Learn about theaters - Charlie is very passionate about theater and actors . No wonder , as after the tour I have learned he has a degree in Drama theater . He is an actor and lead tours …
I would suggest this tour to people who are knowledgeable in theater, as all tour is about the actors and history of theater and without knowing the subject you can get lost .
We walked around part of Covent Garden , stopped in front of some theaters and were presented with some interesting facts , shown some old programs , photos .
Review provided by Tripadvisor