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Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Ultimate guide to the London Coliseum
The London Coliseum is one of the most recognisable and famous theatres in the West End. It's also the largest theatre in the capital, offering a huge space for staging epic opera productions, dance and theatre shows. Find out more about the Coliseum London, including its storied history, what shows are on, and all about London Coliseum seating and booking London Coliseum tickets. History of the venue The Coliseum Theatre London first opened on St Martin's Lane in the West End in December 1904, although it was originally called the London Coliseum Theatre of Varieties. It was designed by the celebrated theatre architect Frank Matcham, and the intent was to create the finest music hall of the age – the 'people's palace of entertainment'. It took a while for the venue to find its true purpose; in the meantime, the owners experimented with everything from plays, operettas and variety acts to hosting a cricket match. Musicals proved a big hit from the 1940s onwards. In 1968, the Sadler's Wells Opera Company (later the English National Opera) moved into the London Coliseum. What's on at the London Coliseum The Coliseum is now the official home of the English National Opera (ENO) and English National Ballet (ENB), so their shows make up the bulk of the programming. It also regularly stages large-scale musicals during the summer. In 2025, for example, the London Coliseum is hosting the ravishing stage musical version of The Great Gatsby. Current and upcoming shows The Great Gatsby is currently playing at the Coliseum. This spectacular stage musical version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's seminal novel was a sensation on Broadway and is the perfect fit for this spectacular venue. Upcoming shows include ENO's productions of Rossini's Cinderella, Bizet's Carmen, Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring, and Handel's Partenope. Dance productions include ENB's gorgeous family Christmas show, Nutcracker, and Akram Khan's spine-tingling version of mystical ballet Giselle. Past events The London Coliseum has seen a number of extraordinary ENO opera productions and ENB dance productions over the years, as well as musicals such as Queen's We Will Rock You, classic musical My Fair Lady, and the joyful Hairspray and On Your Feet. What you need to know about booking London Coliseum tickets It's simple to find the best seats at the Coliseum and make the most of your visit. How to book online Visit Telegraph Tickets to find all the latest shows playing at the Coliseum. Once you've chosen your preferred show, select the date you want to go and choose your seats on the seating map. You can find images on the show page too if you want to see London Coliseum photos. The Coliseum has four seating sections. The stalls are closest to the stage and offer the most excitingly immersive experience. The dress circle gives you a slightly different vantage point from above the stage and also offers excellent views. Higher up are the upper circle and balcony, which still offer great seats but, if price is a consideration, this is where you'll find cheap tickets. Accessibility at the London Coliseum The Coliseum has plenty of assistance for people with additional needs, as well as accessible seating options. There are wheelchair spaces in the stalls, dress circle and stalls boxes, and transfer seats in the dress circle and balcony. There are adapted unisex toilets and two lifts provide access to the venue's bars and restaurants. Age restrictions Each show's page on the Telegraph Tickets site offers helpful information about age restrictions. For example, if you're booking tickets for Nutcracker at the Coliseum, you can see that the show is recommended for ages five and above. Refunds and exchanges Tickets purchased through Telegraph Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded after you have made your purchase, unless the performance is cancelled or rescheduled. In that case, you will be entitled to claim a refund. Theatre capacity The London Coliseum has a seating capacity of 2,359. The venue also boasts the widest proscenium arch in the West End, and it's worth a visit purely to see this beautifully conceived building, although the extravagant shows are clearly the main draw. Planning your visit To make your visit to the Coliseum as smooth and enjoyable as possible, it's worth planning ahead. Where is the London Coliseum? The Coliseum is on St Martin's Lane, London WC2N, in the heart of the West End. It's surrounded by other venues that light up this world-renowned theatre district. It's very easy to combine a theatre trip with other sightseeing or cultural activities, whether that's a visit to Leicester Square or Trafalgar Square, to the National Gallery or National Portrait Gallery, or areas like Chinatown, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus. There are numerous restaurants, pubs, bars and cafés within walking distance, as well as plenty of excellent transport links. How to get there: directions and transport Plot the best route to the London Coliseum via public transport by visiting the Transport for London website, which includes the underground train system (Tube), overground trains, buses, walking routes with maps, and more. Make sure you leave plenty of time for entering the theatre and having your bag checked (in line with the venue's bag policy), as well as buying a drink and programme, and then finding your seat. Nearest Tube station The closest Tube station to the Coliseum is Leicester Square, which is on the Northern Line and Piccadilly Line and is only a couple of minutes' walk from the theatre. Charing Cross Station is also very close by. It serves the Northern Line, Bakerloo Line and mainline train services. Other forms of public transport Numerous bus and overground train routes take you to the West End. You can also rent a bike through the Santander Cycles scheme if you are a confident cyclist, and it's also pleasant to walk around the area and enjoy this bustling part of London. Places to stay The centre of London has plenty of hotels to suit every preference and budget. Hotels close to the Coliseum include The Savoy, Premier Inn, Radisson Blu, The Dilly, The Cavendish, Strand Palace, The Z Hotel, St Giles London, The Clermont, and The Waldorf Hilton. Dining suggestions You can enjoy a pre- or post-theatre meal at one of the West End's excellent dining spots. And the Coliseum itself has fantastic food options, including a luxurious afternoon tea. Nearby, Covent Garden has dozens of high-quality eateries and, if you're a fan of Asian cuisine, make a bee-line for London's superb Chinatown district. FAQs How big is the London Coliseum? The Coliseum has a capacity of 2,359 across four sections: the stalls, the dress circle, the upper circle and the balcony. It's the largest theatre in London and has the biggest proscenium arch, so watching shows here is a spectacular experience. This huge space allows directors to stage ambitious productions with big casts and orchestras, making it one of the best venues in London to experience a full-scale opera, ballet or musical. Does the London Coliseum have air conditioning? The Coliseum has an effective air-cooling system for the comfort of the performers and audience. Does the London Coliseum have a dress code? There is no set London Coliseum dress code, so you are free to wear whatever you wish. However, in such a majestic setting, you might want to wear a dress or smart trousers to add to the fun of the occasion. What time should I arrive before a show? The Coliseum opens its doors 75 minutes before the show begins, so you're very welcome to arrive early, soak up the atmosphere of this wonderful building, buy a programme, and have a drink in one of the bars (which also open 75 minutes ahead of showtime). The auditorium opens 30 minutes before curtain up. The venue recommends that you arrive no later than 15 minutes before the show begins, so that you're not in a rush to find your seat and get settled. Note that the theatre will get very busy just before the show so, if you want to avoid the rush, try to get there earlier.
Times
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Hallé/Currie review — Jonny Greenwood helps to launch Manchester Classical
Far from the madding crowd at Glastonbury, one pop luminary at least decided to head for Manchester instead at the weekend. Tucked at the back of the Hallé Orchestra in the Bridgewater Hall was a familiar figure in studious thick-rimmed specs, hair flopping over furrowed brow as he concentrated on pumping out the bass guitar line and (a novelty in the pop world) counting the bars of rests in Steve Reich's 2015 work Pulse. Yes, Jonny Greenwood was in the house to launch Manchester Classical. It was a weekend aimed at banging the drum for all the orchestras, chamber groups and music education institutions in the city (and even to welcome the chorus of English National Opera, which may or may not be resident in Manchester from 2029) with more than a dozen concerts spread over 48 hours. Greenwood, of course, is as much an orchestral composer these days as a pop performer with Radiohead, and very courteous about acknowledging how his own work has been influenced by other composers. Reich, whose music was showcased in this opening concert, is one of them — and apparently the admiration flows both ways. In 2012 the veteran American minimalist (90 next year) incorporated two Radiohead songs into a piece called Radio Rewrite. • Jonny Greenwood reveals his debt to Steve Reich Pity that this concert didn't include it, or indeed anything else involving Greenwood, who shuffled off after the 15 minutes of Pulse and wasn't seen again. Under the expert direction of the virtuoso percussionist Colin Currie, however, the Hallé players still managed to pack many sides of Reich into little more than an hour. Currie himself, joined by the Hallé's principal percussionist David Hext, opened with Clapping Music, that brilliant exercise in out-of-sync rhythmic phasing, written in 1972, that lays bare the basic code of early minimalism. In its skeletal purity it couldn't be further removed from Pulse, which weaves luscious, wistful counterpoints of strings and woodwinds over a gently throbbing bass line, beginning and ending with a gentle spaciousness reminiscent of Aaron Copland. • Read more music reviews, interviews and guides on what to listen to next Two other pieces filled out the programme. The 2016 piece Runner was so named, Reich said, because the conductor must get the pace of its Ghanaian-influenced rhythms exactly right, like a long-distance runner, to guide the players safely through. No problem for Currie here. And the sparky 2005 work Variations for Vibes, Pianos and Strings was performed with terrific verve. No programmes or programme notes, either printed or online. No announcements of which piece was which. If the point of Manchester Classical is to entice newcomers to this musical world, that's a strange way to go about it.★★★★☆Follow @timesculture to read the latest reviews
Times
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Mazeppa review — Tchaikovsky meets the Hells Angels
★★★★★The evening began with Wasfi Kani, the irrepressible founder of Grange Park Opera, urging a round of applause for the donors who helped to bankroll the 'Theatre in the Woods'. 'Ten years ago this place was swamp,' she said before pointing out her latest coup (this time against Arts Council England): getting the English National Opera orchestra to play for David Pountney's new production of Tchaikovsky's Mazeppa — as well as for the Grange Park Ring cycle starting next year. It was great to have such an experienced outfit in the pit, although few if any of its members will have played this opera since it was last staged at the London Coliseum in 1984, in an infamous production involving a chainsaw. • Read more opera reviews, guides and interviews Pountney's Grange Park production is only mildly gory, although staging an opera about the Ukrainian commander who stood up to the Russian tsar would itself seem a bid to be newsworthy. Unfortunately, in this (Russian) opera, the elderly statesman is fairly unredeemable, running off with the young daughter of a fellow marshal he mercilessly tortures and executes before disastrously turning against the crown. Pountney and the set designer Francis O'Connor wisely steer clear of specific parallels and set their sights elsewhere: on toxic masculinity. Barrels of radioactive waste pop up on a stage dominated by two mobile watchtowers and wooden and glass fixtures. There's no escape from the military-chauvinistic complex. In fact, here Mazeppa (David Stout) heads a leatherclad Hells Angels-like squad, which allows for a very funny sequence where he mounts a motorbike with the good-girl-gone-bad Mariya (Rachel Nicholls) while chorus members rush past with road signs and telegraph poles. Also laughable is the high camp of a funeral for Mariya's innocence in which her childhood possessions are tossed into a burning coffin. • The best classical concerts and opera: our reviews These moments wonderfully offset some performances of extraordinary emotive power. As Mariya's mother, Lyubov, Sara Fulgoni delivered a wrenching plea to her daughter to stop the execution of her father, Kochubey — a role Luciano Batanic carried with utter conviction and actual sobs in his voice. His profound bass was the perfect match for Stout's Mazeppa, who brought more subtlety to the title role with the vulnerability of his upper register. Delivering consistently clarion top notes and lyricism was the tenor John Findon, who sang Mariya's spurned lover Andrei, cutting through orchestra and chorus at full tilt, as they often were, and to exhilarating effect. The conductor Mark Shanahan quickly steadied occasional moments of overexcitement. Nicholls vividly portrayed Mariya's transformations before expertly taming her powerful soprano to give perhaps the best rendition of the opera's closing lullaby we're likely to hear, especially if Mazeppa continues to be unjustly underperformed.280min including dinner intervalTo Jul 6, Follow @timesculture to read the latest reviews
The Herald Scotland
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
'A real show-stopper' - Review: Suor Angelica at Perth Festival
St Ninian's Cathedral, Perth Keith Bruce four stars The three steps up to a specially-constructed performance platform created in the middle of Perth Cathedral could not compete with the grand staircase that dominated Sir David McVicar's recent Scottish Opera staging of the central opera in Puccini's Il Trittico trilogy, but they were emblematic of the more compact success of Opera Bohemia's version in partnership with Amicus Orchestra. Douglas Nairne's production makes the fullest possible use of the venue, which is a new one for the festival with more open sight-lines than St John's Kirk and ample room for the orchestra, which was placed beyond the stage, with the singers often making their entrances from behind the audience. That device made the most of the reverberant acoustic for the choruses, while the instrumentalists, under the very attentive and often exuberant baton of Alistair Digges, always sounded in focus, with well-balanced wind soloists and a rich string sound. A couple of keyboards provide crucial extra sonic colour when required. Read more With simple costuming, stylish stage blocking, and minimal props, the tragic tale of Sister Angelica, rejected by her family for falling pregnant and estranged from her son, unfolds in classic story-book fashion, much of the work done by Puccini's masterly scoring. In soprano Jenny Stafford, who covered the role for English National Opera, Bohemia have a fine new recruit to the more familiar faces in the company. Absolutely on top of the part vocally, she avoids any melodrama in a performance of affecting sincerity, her aria when she learns of the death of her child a real show-stopper. Around her the women swiftly create the impression of a strict but mutually-supportive community into which Angelica's aunt, The Princess, steps as the embodiment of moral severity. Mezzo Louise Collett's nuanced approach to that role is as impressive, the latest of a series of fine performances for the company. Sioned Gwen Davies, Cheryl Forbes and Monica McGhee add important solo voices, and the ensemble of the ten women is the production's heart, suggestive of more rehearsal time together than was probably actually available. Although it is being seen elsewhere – including a performance on the Isle of Bute on Saturday - this is a contribution to Perth Festival of the Arts truly in the tradition of the bespoke opera productions of the event's earliest years, and it should set a template for the future.
Edinburgh Live
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
BBC Breakfast's Jon Kay shares 'sad news' following death of 'extraordinary' guest
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Jon Kay has been met with a wave of support after announcing the death of a guest who featured on BBC Breakfast in 2021. The news presenter shared a series of touching photos with Dave Smith, who sadly passed away at the age of 76. In one image, Jon is seen donning a face mask as he snaps a selfie with Dave and posted an extensive tribute in his honour. He penned, "Some sad news to man" Dave Smith has passed away at the age of 76. "The Bristol driving instructor and pub-singer made global headlines in 2021 after he revealed to me on BBC Breakfast that he'd had Covid for about 300 days in a row - longer than anyone else on the planet at the time.", reports the Mirror. "Back then, his doctors told us that the reason Dave had struggled to get rid of the virus was because years of cancer treatment had seriously compromised his immune system. "But Dave confounded medical expectations and eventually beat Covid after ten long months in and out of intensive care. [...] For decades, Dave had performed in pubs and clubs around Bristol. And even though his lungs had been ravaged by Covid, he was determined to sing again. "We followed him as he joined the English National Opera's online programme to help Long Covid sufferers improve their breathing. The transformation was remarkable.. [...] He said that comeback gig was his "best night ever". And it was one of my favourite ever stories to cover." Jon remarked: "Over the last year, Dave's health deteriorated. He told me the COVID and cancer had taken their toll. But whenever we spoke, he always retained his zest for life, his dark sense of humour, his love of performing and a total devotion to his delightful wife Lyn and their families. I am thinking of them all." He concluded by saying: "Dave died peacefully at home earlier this month. His funeral was last week. RIP Dave Smith. An ordinary name. An extraordinary chap. An honour to have known you." After sharing this poignant news, Jon's followers were quick to show their support, with one commenting: "God bless Dave. This is very sad news. I'm sending lots of love to all his family and friends, thinking of them all at this sad time. Xx." Another follower extended their sympathies, remarking: "Awww, you did a lovely story on him at the time. May his soul rest in peace. Seemed a lovely man." A third commenter echoed these emotions, saying: "So sad but what a great man and family. It means the stars will sound more tuneful from now on with the sound of Dave xxxx."
