I confess I am an obsessed theatre-phile. I feel a twinge of guilt for this expensive indulgence, particularly in light of my exponentially growing pile of work and rapidly depleting bank account, but its difficult not to be a fan of the theatre when you are living in London, where theatres are stacked practically back to back; in fact, there is an area called Theatreland which extends from the fringes of Leicester Square to the heart of Covent Garden.

Museums in London may not be competing on the same level as their European counterparts, but when it comes to West-end theatre, they soar high above the rest. These theatres have shows that run as short as a few weeks to a few decades. The longest running show in London is the Mousetrap, written by Agatha Christie and is now in its 42nd year. After watching it, I can understand why - its typical Agatha Christie style – one of those suspense, thriller type murder type plot. The practice in most theatres is to stage a particular show for a few years before replacing another show. So whether you are a tourist or Londoner, there are bound to be shows that you have never seen before. There are a few shows that my friends have raved on but have left the West-End (and probably won’t be back till at least a few years later)– Bombay Dreams, Miss Saigon, Evita (which I hear is coming back in June this year), Cats to name a few – that I really hope to watch in the future.

Beside the obvious play/musical itself, one thing I love about the theatre experience is entering the theatre hall; every time I enter the theatre I am unfailingly astounded and breath-taken by the gold woven balconies, the red velvet plushy seats, the concave dome with hanging chandeliers, and so on. Moreover, no two theatres are the same, so you always get a good surprise.

I once thought that theatre productions were just a spin off from the tourist industry. Indeed I was wrong. It is an integral part of the London culture and identity. I am no longer surprised when I hear my friends’ families, who live outside of London and further afield, plan a three to four hours journey into London to watch a production, and staying a night or two in inflated priced rooms. Well, fair enough, because if I was to make an ideal night out in London, it will consist of this: pre-drinks, dinner in a sleek restaurant, watch a musical, lounge at a bar drinking cocktails. Yeah, well that is my ideal night. At best, finance-wise, I can afford two of the four in any one evening out. But considering theatres are within walkable distances from where I live, one can see how tempting it is for me to constantly scour for theatre tickets. I admit any guilt quickly abates when I am on lastminute.com and score bargain theatre tickets: they don’t count, right?

Looking back, I have applauded to the following shows: Woman in White, Blood Brothers, The Producers, What the Butler Saw, Mousetrap, Woman in Black, Les Miserable, and now Blackbird. I really want to see Phantom of the Opera and We Will Rock You, as well as Giselle or The Nutcracker ballet production at the Royal Opera House, but I dont think I have enough time or the money.

The Lion King Production at the Lyceum Theatre - definite thumbs up

Blackbird Play at Albery Theatre

Inside Albery Theatre