If you were to see one West End Show

[WingBingo]

What would it be?

I’ve never seen a West End show as it’s never been something that looked like I’d enjoy it.

DH loves them so I’m thinking about going to see one.

Which one, out of all of them, would you recommend I go and see?

I’d prefer great music, something upbeat and I like the thought of the cast dancing and singing in the aisles.

We would be going in June.

Thank you!

I found the Book of Mormon to be underwhelming, it had been strongly recommended to me so I was disappointed.
A major minus point was lots of people in the audience seemed to be uber-fans of the show, had been to see it many times, joined in very enthusiastically with the singing and even shouted out the jokes complete with punch lines.
Rubbish for everyone else though.

The Lion King. It's really special. I've seen it twice ( 20 years apart)

Oliver!

Les Miserables. Without a doubt.

I don’t think so. It’s a phenomenal show but I know it’s a bit of a love it or hate it. I went in blind first time and was blown away. It’s not upbeat though.

I am a bit of a West End geek and have seen pretty much all of them. I wouldn't go for the Disney ones really. I thought LK and Frozen were fine, but not in the same league as the ones below. Most of the big musicals are great nights out, but some are just on a different level.

Four shows stand out for me amongst the current shows, but two of those four are ones that I would definitely recommend for a first timer.

The four are...

Six. I found this funny, clever, poignant, and very sassy. But it is short, and more of a themed concert than a musical, I would say.

Operation Mincemeat. This is very cleverly done with a small case all playing multiple roles. It's a true story and the songs and choreography are great. It's the funniest musical I have seen yet there is one song that had me absolutely bawling crying. But for some reason it lacked the epic nature of my other two recommendations below.

Hamilton. As others have said, this is absolutely astonishing. I am no lover of hip hop but the staging, songs, lyrics, choreography here are our of this world, and as a set piece it is definitely the best I've seen. Jaw dropping. A definite tip would be to listen to the songs beforehand and get to know them. That way you can appreciate all the rest of it. The emotion in the second half is stunning.

Les Mis. I think this might be my number one. I have seen it half a dozen times and each time I am struck in different ways by the story, the songs and lyrics. Some of the tunes and sentiments stick with me for years afterwards. It is an incredible piece of work. Beautiful, tender, inspiring, astonishing.

I hope you love whichever one you choose.

Les Mis. I recently saw Six which was amazing but not sure if that is a west end show as I saw the tour version.

What are the options ?

Then we can 'critique' from what is actually available at the time, rather than us all randomly going off on tangents about favourite musicals we've seen over the years.

Six! Spice Girls meet Henry VIII, it’s brilliant. Catchy tunes, funny, audience joins in and it isn’t very long.

@GIum there was a typo in your post but I presume you meant Six?

I didn't see it live but went to a cinema showing of a love recording. Despite not seeing it live properly I thought it was amazing. The format was genius, it's more a singing show than musical but I would really recommend it especially to people who are not sure if they like full on musicals with lengthy dance sequences.

Hamilton is my all time favourite, the lyrics are so clever, the rhythms, the choreography and wonderful story line. It was like nothing I've ever seen.

I'd agree with either Hamilton or Operation Mincemeat. However, the latter in particular sells out very quickly.
The Producers is hilarious, and spoofs the traditional big Broadway show.
Oliver is more traditional, and you'll know most of the songs.
Cabaret is utterly brilliant, but most definitely not "upbeat".

Then there are various jukebox musicals, that just cobble together pop songs - not very imaginative, but some are popular.

I don't know of any shows where they dance in the aisles!

But it's so personal, and very much depends on your taste. I loathe Wicked, which is just shrieking, and Six is a wannabe Spice Girls pastiche, but lots of people love them both.

Why not listen to some songs online from various productions, and see which appeal to you?

The Producers is the best of the current season. Andy Nyman is superb. But if you decide on it, careful as he is having time out during end of March to beginning of May for filming.

I didn’t think I was someone who liked musicals, but I’ve recently realised that I actually love them!

I absolutely love Six, I took my daughter to see the teen edition and was absolutely blown away - it’s short and intense! Quite emotional, lots of different musical styles, funny, great costumes, very clever.

Hamilton is amazing but I’ve only ever seen the filmed version on Disney plus. I’d recommend you listen to the music or watch first if you aren’t sure about the style. I absolutely love it and can’t wait until I get to see the proper show!

I also really love Matilda, again you can test out first watching the excellent film version. The songs are so damn catchy and I tear up every time I hear them sing ‘revolting children’ - I’ve only seen a couple of amateur dramatics versions, but I gather the full stage show has really great staging etc.

i also love Les Mis, but might be a bit heavy for a first timer who isn’t sure they like musicals - it’s actually more like an operetta I think they call it - no speaking just singing. And it’s well named 😢

I saw moulin rouge recently and it was amazing my daughter lives in London and goes regularly her favourite was the Michael Jackson one

I’m about the only person I know who loathes the Book of Mormon. And I’m not that easily offended and loved Avenue Q, so 🤷‍♀️

but then I thought Wicked was….ok, so what do I know😂

I love Blood Brothers although I cry every time. And it’s not a musical but The Play That Goes Wrong is one of the best things I’ve seen at a theatre.

Hamilton

Phantom of the Opera without question. It is the quintessential west end musical.

Hamilton is a modern classic but feels quite dated now despite not being that old.

Oh yes, Blood Brothers. The best show ever, but probably not in the the west end? I know it often tours though. Take your tissues.

Les mis or phantom. Both brilliant.

or, if you like kitsch, the steps musical is great fun.

Phantom. For a first visit, it's spectacular and you'll recognise the tunes.
They won't be dancing in the aisles though.

Lion King 🦁

As many of have said, Hamilton is an absolute behemoth of a show - truly awesome. But expensive. And not really one that’s upbeat. I wholeheartedly recommend it though!

I saw Paddington last month and it was exceptional - really, really good. Upbeat, great songs, Bonnie Langford is currently Mrs Bird and she’s brilliant at it. If you can get tickets (I think it’s sold out quite a way in advance now), you absolutely should. I’m sure it’s going to win ALL the awards, and deservedly so.

I wasn't very taken with Phantom when I saw it years ago.

I certainly have no desire to see it again.

Just shows we all have different tastes.

love Operation Mincemeat, very clever.

starlight express is great and no real bad seats

love six but not seen it in a while

hamilton is epic but is not a traditional musical.

phantom is a classic.

Six and Cabaret are the ones that stick in my mind in the last 3 years. We saw Cabaret just before the US election in 2024, and it was brilliantly, frighteningly timely.