Description: I went with family to see the astonishing Phantom of the Opera at Her Majestys Theatre London last January.
Her Majestys Theatre London is located at Haymarket, it is quite easy to find as it is well sign posted from the tube station. The outside of the theatre is spectacular, it was built in 1897 I believe and is lit up in the evening giving it an almost magical feel. There are also posters advertising the musical shown here (The Phantom of the Opera) and ticket offices so that you can purchase tickets on the door. I find this quite risky and expensive as you never know how many tickets they will have available and I found mine cheaper on-line. I would suggest that you buy tickets in advance from an on-line retailer or try to get some earlier in the day from an official retailer which are situated around the west end.
We were shown in to the theatre by ushers dressed in full black suits and taken to the bar on the top floor (as this is where our seats were located). Here we were able to purchase drinks and put in an order for the intermission. Drinks are very expensive but you can take them in to the theatre with you and drink them during the show which I like to do as I always get thirsty about half way through the first half. The décor in the bar was very elegant and comfortable; it really made me feel as though I was in a posh bar!
The ushers started to show everyone to their seats and I was blown away with the size of the theatre; although we were quite high up and far from the stage we had great views as the stage is tilted slightly. The whole of the theatre was decorated to fit in with the theme of the musical. This really added to the whole experience as you felt as though you were a part of the show, especially when the famous scene when the chandelier falls down due to the fact that the chandelier was just above our heads! Also it was really exciting when the phantom appeared above our heads from one of the doors near the ceiling. The seats were really comfortable and had one viewer between every two seats.
The toilets got quite packed during half time but we all managed to go, they were very clean and well stocked with toilet roll. I would suggest that you hurry to get in the queue for them though especially if you want to visit the gift shop. In the gift shop they sell a range of products most at reasonable prices and some very expensive. I purchased a mug that changes colour when you put hot liquid into it and it has lasted very well and still works.
The show was spectacular and sent shivers down my spine and I will always remember it. As with any west end show you will pay a lot to go there but it is worth the money even if you only ever do it once just to say that you have been.
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