Christmas in London, shows and performances

Not sure who's in your group, or if this would appeal, bur what about a panto? It's a very English thing (although we also have them in Australia), and personally I find they appeal to adults as well as children.

What are your dates? Maybe Lessons and Carols service at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's or St Martin-in-the-fields, depending on your dates?

You absolutely want to go to Christmas at Kew. It is a highlight of London at Christmas time. Don’t delay and buy your tickets now. This sells out quickly. Easy to get to by Tube.

https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/christmas

Sleeping Beauty at The London Palladium is the west end blockbuster panto this year. Catherine Tate, Julian Clary and John Culshaw. Nigel Havers must be getting on a bit by now, but he's in the cast too. That probably means nothing to a North American audience, but it's a good cast!

https://palladiumpantomime.com/

You have a wide choice of pantos in various theatres across London.

Got Kew Gardens tickets already and so excited about them! Will be there 12/8-12/18……….thanks for the good help so far!

The London Palladium Pantomime is consistently rated as one of the best in the country. It’s worth seeing a panto at least once. They’re incredibly popular right across the country with sell out runs of several weeks every December. They usually feature minor celebrities, singing, dancing and a very loose plot. It’s something we do as a family every year in the run up to Christmas.

Stroll down some of the well lit streets and stores with amazing Christmas window displays. If you google it you will see there are several streets that are really lit up well. Also Hyde Park transforms into a Christmas festival. Do skip Trafalgar square Christmas market. It was very crowded and not at all like any of the markets you would see in Germany. Windsor Castle was decked out in Christmas decorations and looked different than when we had seen it previously so definitely do that!!

I am going to London in September. A few on the forum recommended "Operation Mincemeat". It piqued my interest because I know of the military strategy that facilitated an Allied landing of Sicily. But, somehow, its made into a musical comedy! (There is a movie with Colin Firth) When I looked into getting tickets, I found that many performances were sold out. However, I signed up on the theatre's website and got a link for inexpensive tickets. We may see another show, but we'll decide on that when we arrive London and hopefully snag some inexpensive tickets.

We loved Witness for the Prosecution which is staged at County Hall in an old courtroom, complete with a jury box. Very good show and very interesting venue.

If you don’t know what a Pantomime is, and within Europe they seem to be a peculiarly British thing, it might be worth trying to see if you can see one on YouTube. They’re not my thing and buying tickets for the Palladium could be an expensive way of finding out they’re not your thing either.

You can check the schedule for the concerts at St Martin in the Fields church. There are a variety of music performances, not a show exactly, but we really enjoyed a concert here last December in our visit to London.

I was just coming here to give the exact same advice as Bill- definitely look up first what a panto is and watch some clips online before you spend money on it. Some people really like it but I know many who really do not. Often what people like about them is they tend to star celebrities, but these are normally celebrities who are not very famous outside of the UK so you are unlikely to be familiar with them. But if it seems like something you would like, then try it!

In addition to what others have suggested, I would add St John's Smith Square, which is a really nice, centrally located, atmospheric small venue for music: https://www.sinfoniasmithsq.org.uk/

Jane, I could wave at you in the airport...we leave on the 8th. Looks like there will be fun events that start after we leave, though I know that we will have more than enough to do in our 16 days.

I would not enjoy watching a pantomime on YouTube. It’s all about the atmosphere, which is very festive, and the audience participation. Whether you like it or not you can’t deny it’s very British and very Christmassy.

Another vote for Witness For The Prosecution at County Hall. Very well done.

When I attended a lovely elderly couple sat next to me. When the play concluded he looked at me and said “ didn’t see that coming.” I was rather bemused to learn they’d never seen the film with Tyrone Power and the stellar British actor, Charles Laughton.

I, for one, enjoy Pantos. The audience participation is fun, silly and entertaining.

Helen - In my family it was a festive and Christmassy tradition to serve Brussel Sprouts that had been boiled to death, didn't make them enjoyable though :)

Seriously, the cast of the Palladium Panto looks very good and I'm sure it will be one of the best Pantos around this year. But, I suspect the cast won't be well known outside the UK and, for example, you can imagine John Culshaw's impersonations being of British celebrities etc that a visitor won't have heard of. It's not hard to envisage 99% of the audience laughing heartily at a joke that doesn't land if you're not a Brit.

As an aside, I once heard that when he took over the Old Vic Theatre that Kevin Spacey was taken through the upcoming programme which included the Xmas Panto. He had no idea what a Panto was and efforts to try to explain it failed. He accepted the advice that it was put on every year, was very popular and a commercial success. The story goes that on its opening night it was very well received but the best seat in the house was watching Kevin Spacey's face!