Why you should go to West End Live this weekend

Posted on Jun 12, 2018 | By Kay Johal

It’s that time of year again folks – West End Live in Trafalgar Square, London is fast approaching! West End Live is a good place to start if you want to catch a show in town but you are not sure of what to pick, and frankly, given the price of show tickets these days, it is a great way to catch snippets to help you make some informed choices. I set out below the Top 5 that I am most looking forward to seeing.

For a detailed list of this year's lineup for West End Live 2018, click here.

1. Motown the Musical
I was asked the other day who my favourite artist of the Motown era is. Now that is tricky. There are too many that I like and I tend to swing from the Jackson Five (and, latterly, from Michael Jackson) to The Temptations; my list is endless. Motown covers all of the artists from that era as we watch them sing by the side of the road, witness Diana Ross make her way up the charts, and follow the story of Berry Gordy. This is one show that pretty much covers every song known to man!

2. Wicked
Why is Elphaba green? Why did Glinda lose the ‘a’ in her name....these questions and so many more are covered in Wicked. Perhaps a pre-cursor to the Wizard of Oz, Wicked is deeply rooted in one of my go-to shows. The costumes are a sight to behold, the monkeys are mischievous and we get to discover why the Cowardly Lion is indeed cowardly. I am looking forward to seeing what the cast and crew will do at West End Live this year.

3. Brief Encounter
Oh, you beautiful girl, you great big beautiful girl. Brief Encounter is one of my favourite shows at the moment, nicely situated at the Empire Cinema. You can expect the show's actors to swing from the chandeliers in the theatre, but what else can we expect from this tale of true love? Find out at Trafalgar Square!

4. Bat Out of Hell
The Harley, the dystopian setting. I would do anything for this show. It is a real dead ringer for a solid performance. Bat Out of Hell has a feel-good aura about it, and long may this bat fly!

5. Dreamgirls
The dreamiest of shows with perhaps one of the most recognised songs from musical theatre, Dreamgirls is sadly leaving the Savoy Theatre in January next year. So it is most definitely one show to get your tickets for before its final curtain call. This is a truly cohesive cast who render me speechless after each and every performance I see.

And there you have it! Which show are you looking forward to seeing the most?

West End Live begins this Saturday, 16 June 2018 and runs until Sunday, 17 June 2018. Saturday performances begin at 11 AM and will run until 5 PM while Sunday performances begin at noon and will run until 5 PM. I will be attending, so do come and say hi if you manage to spot me! -KJ