There’s still a small amount of time left to book  Christmas or New Year theatre breaks but the choice of shows left will keep getting tighter the longer you leave it. Theatre Breaks in the Holidays January is a peak time for West End theatres in general but specific dates around the school holidays always have a high demand and booking tickets only will very soon become impossible for most of the popular musicals and plays.  Not everybody realizes though, that theatre breaks packages will still be available for top shows with good seats and plush central London hotels, long after the scramble for individual seats has subsided. That’s because the holiday and theatre breaks companies block book seats in advance and have priority arrangements with the hotel groups, In this way they can still offer top  seats for London theatres and best affordable rooms in the most convenient hotels for a price that is nearly always better value than that you could put together yourself, even if the dates you wanted were still available. Top Musicals for Theatre Breaks So which are the top five musicals for theatre breaks in London this season? Top new musical for 2011 is GHOST with fabulous rock music by Dave Stewart Ghost

musical: Ghost

starring: Richard Fleeshman, CAISSIE LEVY, SHARON D CLARKE

Book Now: Ghost theatre breaks

opening night:24 June 2011 booking until 13 October 2012.

Top Family Musical, also new for 2011 is MATILDA Based on Roald Dahl’s dramatic novel.

musical: Matilda The Musical

starring: Paul Kaye

Book Now: Matilda The Musical theatre breaks

opening night:25/11/2011 booking until 12th February 2012

LAST CHANCE! Priscilla Theatre Breaks  

musical: Priscilla Queen of the Desert

starring: Ray Meagher

Book Now: Priscilla Queen of the Desert theatre breaks

opening night:March 10 2009 booking until 31/12/2011

Perennial Favourite Wicked Theatre Breaks  

musical: Wicked!

starring: Rachel Tucker

Book Now: Wicked! theatre breaks

opening night:2006 booking until Open Ended

More Wizards and Witches in the West End Wizard of Oz Theatre Breaks  

musical: The Wizard of Oz

starring: Danielle Hope

Book Now: The Wizard of Oz theatre breaks

opening night:March 1st 2011 booking until Sunday October 28th 2012

London theatre breaks are a great way treat for your loved one this winter, maybe for an early Christmas present. But the thought of choosing which show or musical to see is daunting due to the amazing selection, and that’s without considering which hotel to stay in to complete your theatre break. The obvious choice would be to select a hotel in London that is situated close to the venue you are visiting. No one wants to ruin their night by having to travel half way across the city to get to bed. In this blog post, we are going to look at some of the top shows and musicals currently playing in London and some of the top hotels you could stay in on your break. Grease Barely needing any introduction, Grease, the smash hit musical is in its fourth year at the Piccadilly Theatre and is still going strong. The world famous story of high school sweet hearts Danny and Sandy is bound to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Currently starring Matthew Goodgame and Lauren Samuels, this sing along show features all your favourite songs from the film including “Greased Lightnin’”, “You’re the one that I want” and “Summer Nights”. But where is best to stay after you have boogied the night away with the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies? Less than a quarter of a mile away and just off Trafalgar Square is the four star Royal Trafalgar hotel. It’s not only close to many of the theatres in London but also is perfect for shopping on Oxford Street and Regent street. London theatre district A slightly cheaper option, though a little further away, is the three star Curzon Plaza Mayfair. Located just half a mile from the theatre (a fifteen minute walk) you can either hit the hay or head out and enjoy the nearby nightlife of Leicester Square. If you have enough energy for shopping the next day, you will be well set to hit the streets of both Regent Street and Bond Street. Jersey Boys The Tony Award winning Jersey Boys is another great show to see as part of a London Theatre Break. The story follows the rise to fame of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons from their humble beginnings in Newark, New Jersey to the success they found singing hits such as “Can’t take my eyes off you” and “Oh, What a night”. Winning awards for “Best Musical”, “Best Actor in a Musical”, “Best Featured Actor in a Musical” and “Best Lighting Design of a Musical” you know you are in for a good night seeing Jersey Boys. Currently playing Prince Edward Theatre on Old Compton Street, there are plenty of Hotels to choose from when booking your Theatre Break. The Grade 1 Listed Thistle Charing Cross is a 4 star contemporary hotel located on the Strand. This stunning hotel is centrally located, making it not only easy to reach from your theatre but many of the great London Landmarks like Buckingham Palace are a short walk. Another option when going to see Jersey Boys, is staying at the Elegant Kingsley Hotel. With a three star rating and location in the heart of Bloomsbury, the hotel is under half a mile from the Prince Edward Theatre and has a rich history due to it once being home to the British Library and attracting legendary authors such as Dickens and WB Yeats. Nearby attractions include The British Museum and Covent Garden. Mamma Mia Over 40 million people have seen the sensational musical Mamma Mia, and it was London where the show was first shown in 1999. Now adapted into a smash hit movie, even more people are queuing up to see the hit musical. Incorporating the songs of Abba, Mamma Mia tells the story of a women’s journey to identify her father on an Island that they had last visited with her mother 20 years ago. Prince of Wales Theatre on Coventry Street has many hotels within a short distance for you to stay in on your theatre break. If you really want to treat your loved one, then the 5 star Royal Horseguards is under half a mile from the theatre. London Eye Sitting on the banks of the Thames and styled on a French château, this hotel really is impressive, especially as it has just been awarded the AA London Hotel of the Year 2010-2011. Like most central London hotels, the Royal Horseguards is a great base for seeing the sights of the city. It really is worth booking a London Hotel and theatre tickets together in a Theatre Break package as you will be able to make considerable savings over buying them separately. Top Hotels for your London Theatre Break was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

Theatre Breaks Agents Theatre breaks agencies come in many shapes but here at the London Theatre Breaks blog we like to work with three in particular. We get a small commission from each reader who books a theatre break through our links and that helps to fund our blog. The theatre breaks agents offer somewhat differing services and the best one for you depends on what you are looking for when you start searching for a theatre break package. You need to decide what your priorities are first before you look at the various deals on offer because you are not really comparing like with like. (If you need help with this have a look at this post on our sister site Theatre Breaks Magazine.) The agencies specialise and offer various options, they often work with particular hotels or a particular level of ticket. Some agencies have offers on rail fares which you can bundle in with the cost of your tickets, other optional extras like meals can also be added. Often agencies offer discounts on London attractions when they are booked with your theatre break. We only work with reputable agencies where we can be sure that not only will you get a good deal but that your tickets and hotel room will be honoured. Some of the other theatre breaks companies add lots of hidden extras, like booking fees, on to your final bill. We think this is not acceptable so we only recommend the following package deals: Show and Stay Theatre Breaks

Show and Stay is a long-established theatre package company. They are part of the larger Holiday Extras group and we have been working with them for the last 2-3 years. Feedback from customers has been very positive and we continue to recommend them. Show and Stay really specialise in getting you top quality tickets at a good price and combining them with a good choice of 3 or 4* hotels. They also offer a very good deal on rail tickets, with up to 40% discount as standard. Show and Stay often has the hot tickets that no one else has. For example when Jodie first appeared and Oliver! London was the hottest ticket in town, Show and Stay was able to offer Saturday night, best seats, when there was no other way to get them and everyone else said the show was sold out. Now despite what I’ve said about them offering top quality tickets don’t assume that Show and Stay only do expensive theatre breaks. Their breaks are very competitive. For example someone just booked a midweek evening at Oliver! and 1 night in a 3* hotel for 2 people for only £213.96.

Superbreak Theatre Breaks

Superbreak is where you go for bargains. They offer a range of ticket prices so if you don’t mind being in the Upper Circle you can get a very good price indeed. They have more limited availability sometimes, than Show and Stay but if you are looking for particular dates rather than a specific show they can be very good value. The hotels they work with are just as good as Show and Stay and are usually 3 or 4*. Superbreak are a large company and they do all sorts of London breaks and breaks to other cities too. They are less specialised than Show and Stay but they still offer a good service. Their web site can be a bit harder to find your way around, as it is so large, but if you persevere you can definitely get some great deals. TheatreBreaks.com

TheatreBreaks.com is a smaller company established thirty years ago. They’ve been online for over ten years. They have pretty good availability, work with good 3 and 4* hotels but where they really excel is in their personal touch. They are they people to go to if your needs are at all outside the ordinary. Maybe you want to do a large group with an odd number to see Dirty Dancing on a specific weekend. Perhaps you have limited mobility and need to know that your hotel, and your theatre seats, are fully accessible. They are the best people to help you. You just phone them up quoting your reference number from the website and they will go out of their way to make sure your problems are sorted out. a

Related posts:Friday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel Hotel and theatre deals Hairspray Theatre Breaks

Jersey Boys Theatre Breaks in London I watched theatregoers young and old coming out of the Prince Edward Theatre into Greek Street one summer evening and they were all oozing with enthusiasm for the show. So what may have seemed an unlikely musical for the London audiences has in fact turned out to be a strong favourite for theatre breaks. The Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons which captures the heady rush to stardom of a group of ordinary boys, and that’s the kind of story which, when done well, can take the audience on a journey that pulls all the emotions in succession. For people of the right age, just the sound of the music is highly evocative but for those too young to remember, the catchy tunes and rich harmonies quickly provoke the same, fingersnapping sense of fun.

Soho Theatre Breaks with the Jersey Boys The fabulous Art Deco Prince Edward Theatre is right in the centre of London’s theatreland, by old Compton Street and Greek Street in the lively Soho area where the nightlife buzzes and a myriad of different cultures converge in the streets, shops and pavement bars.

You might try and get a hotel as close to the centre as possible, to take advantage of the freedom afforded by being able to stroll back to the quiet comfort of your private room at whatever time feel inclined to retire. The Strand Palace down by Charing Cross, St Giles Hotel up at Tottenham Court Road or any of the Drury Lane hotels would be perfect. The whole area is brimming with little bistros and restaurants all doing pre-theatre and post-theatre menus as well so whether you book in advance to eat at the hotel or else wander the streets until somewhere takes your fancy you’ll be guaranteed to find something to suit all tastes. Try not to spend too long making your mind up though! Jersey Boys Cast The London cast of Jersey Boys are all very talented singers and performers in their own right, and have got the Four Seasons’ sound down to a tee. They do also have a strong following amongst female fans who seem to split along lines of opinion as to which Jersey Boy is the best looking, but don’t worry – there are plenty of very attractive Jersey Girls in the stage show as well, and there are many more than just the main stars on stage for the breathtakingly choreographed set pieces. Jersey Boys at West End Live This promotional video follows the Jersey Boys backstage as they prepare for the West End Live event in 2008 and gives a great idea of the rapport and fun between the cast that undoubtedly helps to make the show the success it has become, putting Jersey Boys Theatre Breaks at the top of the London visitors choices. Click here to view the embedded video. ** book Jersey Boys Theatre Breaks  **

a Jersey Boys Theatre Breaks

Related posts:The Jersey Boys at Prince Edward TheatreThe Jersey Boys Opens – updatedJersey Boys Live

There’s a pretty good Free Hotel offer for London Breaks in July and August 2009. All you have to do is book a London theatre break to see one of these shows for a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between now and September 9th and your overnight hotel stay will be absolutely free. Free London Break Hotel Offer – Choose from 16 top shows! Book Now Here’s the deal – book a London break to see one of these shows for a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between now and September 9th and your overnight hotel stay will be absolutely free. You will only pay for your ticket and Show and Stay always have great tickets. The hotels in the offer are very high quality but if you want a more central location you can upgrade from just £10 per person. The shows Choose from any of these shows:

† Please note there is an additional supplement of £5pp on some shows, this is included in the per person price displayed above.

Book now – these London breaks will go fast!

Wicked theatre breaks in London might be centered around the Victoria area, with the huge Apollo theatre for Wicked being located near London Victoria station as well as several top quality hotels nearby. Go before December and you’ll have a chance to see the new Elphaba, wicked witch perfoermed by Alexia Khadime who is surely making for a superb replacement for Kerry Ellis. This video is from the West End Live show last weekend, and gives a low key idea of what Alexia can do I think.

While in the Victoria area for a Wicked theatre break, I’d head south down to the riverbank and take a look at the Tate Britain art museum if that’s your kind of thing. It makes a nice change from the more popular Tate modern these days. On the day of the show why not have an enjoyable bar snack style lunch at Chimes of Pimlico Restaurant

Fridays are a good choice for Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel. Here’s why:

You can easily travel to London on a Friday afternoon Once you get to your hotel all you have to do is book in Go to you room to relax and freshen up Next stroll down to the hotel restaurant. Then you have your delicious pre-theatre dinner in the restaurant of a classy 4* London hotel. You get to your chosen show in nice time Blood pressure remains within normal range as you’ve had none of the stress or hassle of wondering when and how you are going to eat.

Stress Free Theatre Breaks. Show and Stay’s latest Friday Dinner, Theatre and Hotel Offer lets you have a totally stress-free break and even save money. What they’ve done is put together an inclusive package. You’ve got the choice of 27 top shows and 4 great *4 hotels, all with good restaurants. Just as an example we all know that Priscilla Queen of the Dessert is the latest hot ticket. Prices for Priscilla for a Friday in May.

Stay at the 4* Holiday Inn Bloomsbury (handy for the theatre) 3 Course Dinner in the Junction restaurant Cost per person only £148

The list of participating show also includes:

Spring Awakening Blood Brothers Billy Elliot Hairspray Oliver Jersey Boys Sister Act Dirty Dancing Wicked The Lion King We Will Rock You

All you have to do is select your favourite musical and a Friday date then look for the “Hotel with Dinner” packages at the top of the results. Not only that but with the Show and Stay deal you can book your rail fare at the same time and save up to 40% on that too. This is really the best way to get into London for a stress free theatre break. You can bring your car but don’t forget you’ll need to pay the congestion charge if you bring it into central London and also hotel parking rates are not cheap (allow £17 - £20 a day for hotel parking). Limited Offer This is a limited offer. There are only a limited number of these Friday theatre breaks deals available so you’ll need to be quick to grab the best shows and be sure of getting your dates. Last date to book May 31st 2009 Last Stay date June 26th 2009 Act now to book your Dinner, Theatre and Hotel Stay Participating Hotels and Restaurants

Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum’s Consortia Cafe/Bar. Choice of 2 courses from set menu. Holiday Inn Bloomsbury’s Junction Restaurant. Choice of 3 courses from set menu. Crowne Plaza London St James’ Brasserie Restaurant. Choice of 2 courses. Crowne Plaza London City’ Spicers Restaurant. Choice of 2 courses.

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