Theatre in London

Pantos are a Christmas thing, so you're a bit early- generally rhey start mid-late Nov and early December.

It may not be a "good old fashioned" panto, but the UK is a multi-cultural society now.

There is a South Asian style panto at 3 small venues across London during October called Surinderella [a South Asian take on Cinderella]

It is at the Theatre Royal, Stratford, East London from 20 to 31 October, the artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley 17 and 18 October and the Woodville Theatre, Gravesend 6 to 9 October.

Gravesend is just across the Kent border, but is served by very frequent commuter trains from London.

Look into Wilton’s Music Hall. It’s a restored, smaller, Good Olde Fashioned place, and performances run a whole gamut, including plays, musicals, comedy, dance, etc. Many performances are just for a few days, and then something else comes along, for a short time. For example, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is scheduled for October 15-17.

We attended a Panto there at Christmastime last year, and another Panto at a much larger venue, and Wilton’s was the most fun. Prices are quite affordable, compared to some other theaters, too.

There are so many great smaller theaters in London. Time Out London online magazine is a good source for what’s on.

https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre

Theatres to research;

As noted, Wilton’s Music Hall. I’d also see what’s on the calendar for Cadogan Hall, Jermyn Street Theatre, Richmond Theatre, Almedia Theatre, Finborough Theatre and Hampstead Theatre.

For Shakespeare, the Sam Wanamaker Theatre at the Globe has Much Ado About Nothing until late October and then Julius Caesar starting in early November. A very nice venue, the indoor stage at the Globe, and small, so if you’re interested don’t wait too long to get tickets. For the Caesar performance I booked for mid November a few weeks ago, our preferred date was available but it was definitely filling up.

I saw “Much Ado” at the Globe this week and the production is TERRIFIC. I highly recommend it! The cast is vibrant, there’s music and dancing and masks, and Richard Katz’s turn as Dogberry is actually hilarious. (It was on the main stage in the Globe itself, not in the Sam Wanamaker, their smaller Jacobean house. Maybe it’s moving indoors in October? Not sure.)

Search on “fringe” theatres for other ideas - “fringe”’is the term of art here for what in the States we would think of as experimental or “Off Broadway,” or “Off-Off Broadway.” Neighborhoods that have solid theatre options include Richmond, Brixton, and Hammersmith, along with every place the community has already listed here.

Looks like my reply was not entirely correct. Volva is right, As You Like It is at the Globe, until October 24. Then they go inside to the Wanamaker with Julius Caesar starting November 6.