Gielgud Theatre

I saw a Wednesday evening show of The Curious Incident. The theater — Dress Circle, at least — appeared only half full.
The theater is a nice, medium size. The bathrooms were packed before the show and during intermission, but everything else about its size is wonderful. From Dress Circle, you had a great view of the full stage and could see the actors’ faces.
As another Unilocaler mentioned, during intermission, someone is selling ice cream cups at the ends of the aisles. They facilitated the ice cream eating!
The production is amazing. They did a great adaptation of the book, and it’s definitely enjoyed by those who did and did not read the book. There are some loud sounds and bright lights, but they were not too overwhelming.
Also, even if you don’t get the Prime Number contest (you’ll understand once you go to the theater), definitely go up to the prize area anyway. They still gave us the prize just for inquiring about it.

Ein wirklich schönes Theater! Angefangen mit der guten Lage nah am Piccadilly Circus, ist das Gielgud Theatre auch optisch ein echter Hingucker. Im Saal selber ist die Stimmung schön intim, da es nicht sonderlich groß ist. Die Sitze sind bequem und der Service an der Bar nett. Was will man mehr?

Lovely theatre and good view of the stage from the dress circle. We saw a matinée of The Curious Incident and enjoyed it except for an unpleasant little usher who first snapped at me not to take a stage picture before the play began (that one I understood), then asked us for our tickets at intermission as some other couple showed up late and thought our seats were theirs. she’d misread their tickets, but not a single «sorry» from her. She spent her time scanning the crowd with a disapproving air, as though we were a badly behaving third grade class. remarkably bad attitude for a young girl.
The play? Good but not the amazing experience you might be led to expect. the star of the show is the staging, not the story.

We saw the National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime here at The Gielgud Theatre. We had great seats in the Dress Circle area as we can see the stage clearly and the actors’ expression from our seats. For the price, it was a good deal.
The Gielgud is at the heart of the West End, and can be easily reached via the Piccadilly Circus station or Leicester Sq station. It’s a couple of minutes walk to Chinatown too. We saw Curious Incident on Pride Day (June 27), so this area was extremely packed with revelers, theatre goers, and tourists shopping and eating in the area. When we got out of the theatre, the stream of people going to the tube was pretty incredible. It felt like the entire population of London was at the Piccadilly Circus tube.
Inside, the theatre is beautiful! It’s a smaller theatre compared to let’s say the War Memorial Opera House in SF, so you can really enjoy seeing a play or musical here. It felt intimate even though this is a mainstream theatre that caters to a wide audience. The set for Curious Incident was quite minimalist, but the lighting on the floor and walls worked well to convey the thoughts and feelings of the play’s autistic protagonist.
You are now allowed to bring a glass of wine or drink to your seats! However, if you prefer to drink during intermission, you can pre-​purchase your drink before the show starts to expedite the process during the 15 minute intermission. During intermission, a theatre employee started selling ice cream cups in the Dress Circle. You don’t have to go downstairs to have your dessert!
We had a great time watching Curious Incident! The National Theatre produced a very clever and entertaining adaptation of the book. See it in this beautiful theatre before it’s gone!

Great theatre
Even up in the gods the seats are comfy and the view isn’t bad although be warned you may need to lean forward on the very front row of the grand circle
We went to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. It is amazing — the stage set is awesome and how it is done is so clever.
Highly recommend!

I saw Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime here. It was lovely. The play and set were superb. But the theater is GREAT. First– it’s super close to Piccadilly tube, which is nice. We got off the tube, headed down Shaftsbury ave (has that Ripley’s believe it or not on the corner) and then– boom– there is is. There’s a sweet little sushi place across the street– you can pick up a little food and drink there (as well as a water for the performance). The theater is small, and very pretty– loved the old building. The merchandise is right inside the door as you enter– to the left. We almost missed it, and we’re glad we didn’t, as quite a line developed and they sold out of some of the things. There’s food and drink (ice cream at intermission). There’s a lovely ladies room literally RIGHT across from the door to go in to the theater (some wonderful wonderful person designed this). The seats are comfortable. It’s a small venue (at least from my perspective, of going to giant theaters here in the states). It was the only play we had time to see, and I’m so glad I got to see a lovely play in a lovely theater. The staff were very helpful and chatty, and I’d go back again in a minute.

This is definitely one of the more pleasant theatres that I’ve been in. The décor and surroundings (everything from the wallpaper to the framed pictures on the walls to the toilets) gave an air of artistic style and pristine condition. The theatre is of an appropriate size with good acoustics. I was sat in row G which incidentally does have a restricted view of the front right of the stage but the performance I saw (which was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-​Time) did make good use of the full stage and so the restricted view had minimal consequences. Perhaps most importantly, I did not feel that the seats were in any way cramped or uncomfortable, which is often a vital element to ensuring an enjoyable theatre experience.

Wonderful venue for a play, and really enjoyed the play, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Usher staff is terrible there — one if them intentionally hit my shoulder from behind when I made the mistake of taking my phone out — after
the applause ended for the play (!!!) — thinking I was taking a picture with flash — and then didn’t apologize when I showed her I had no picture to be deleted as she had jumped to the conclusion of thinking. So many better ways for her to have handled what she thought I was doing instead of hitting my shoulder from behind… happened to be a shoulder I had injured and had torn my rotator cuff a few years ago so it was tender the rest of the evening … funny way for theater staff to treat someone sitting in the 90 pound ticket seats… Lots of great theater in London to choose from… next time I will go where theater goers are treated a little more kindly. PS– just checked YouTube and there is plenty of video footage of the play … taken by people in less pricey balcony seats where I suppose ushers don’t care to watch the show from…

A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Go, go, go! If you haven’t seen this amazing play then you need to book tickets and go, go, go! We loved everything about it and really appreciated the usher coming to us at the interval to suggest we move to empty seats with a better view. Real customer service.
We had a great outing in a great London Theatre. Thank you all!

Amazingly beautiful theatre located on Shaftesbury avenue. We were sat in the stalls area of the theatre. The only problem with this is that it’s flat and the seats are aligned so if you happen to sit behind someone tall or with big hair your view will be slightly obscured. The seats were comfortable with plenty of leg room.
The inside is a bit of a maze, the toilets and bar are behind the stalls area. There aren’t enough ladies as always so try to go before you get there
I went to see Strangers On A Train, fantastic gripping play that was well performed. Most suited for a venue like this.

2 plays in week, I am a lucky man indeed. Unfortunately for this play, I went with very high expectations having been to the incredible Unilocal goes to Charlie & the Chocolate Factory event the night before. A tough act to follow.
First, the theatre. Superbly placed on Shaftesbury Avenue, the home of the West End in my opinion, the Gielgud is another beautiful building with an exterior that belies the treasures hidden within. A stone’s throw from the famous Queen’s theatre with Les Miserables, I went to see a Hitchcock adaptation, Strangers on a Train. Wander up the stairs to the balcony here and you feel a little bit like you’re entering Wonka’s Chocolate Factory a la Gene Wilder movie — the corridor seems to shrink as you walk through it. Doesn’t help that everything is on a slant. But get inside to the theatre itself and you are impressed by the size (very Tardis like I felt, bigger on the inside). Comfy seats with leg room that wasn’t awful, I was right at the back but still could see the stage perfectly well, no restricted view here folks!
The play, Strangers on a Train, is done in true Hitchcock style, from the music to the black and white scenery theme running throughout. Who would have thought that a chance encounter on a train could lead to such a drama, I will definitely keep out fro stranger danger more in future! I don’t want to give too much away, but Laurence Fox gives a stellar performance and the other lead (the understudy was who I saw) was really in character and frankly very creepy, which is perfect for Hitchcock!
Could not have been more of a contrast to Charlie, I love that about the West End!

There really are moments when you feel like one of the luckier ones on the planet, and I felt that way this last weekend when I was here for Strangers on a Train. I sat in the Dress Circle and just took in the magnificence of the the theater. The chandelier at the very top of the theater rotates ever so slowly back and forth and gently lights up an interior that reminds you of what must have been the finest of Victorian era theatre.

I don’t even know where to begin. I got the day tickets (at 10am at the box office as many theatres do) for £10 and was sitting in the front row. The entire ticket buying process was quick and simple, though you have to queue up fairly early (2 hours?) to get the seats before they sell out. The theatre itself is gorgeous and has all amenities — bar, bathroom, shop, etc. The ornate interior is like many of the older theatres in the area, but it is no less beautiful for the similarities. The seating is comfortable, though sometimes you may feel a bit cramped. The staff is helpful and pleasant, which always good.
In terms of the play, standing in line that early in the morning was for good reason! Helen Mirren is an absolute genius in The Audience. She captivates the audience with her portrayal of Elizabeth II. The play is about the Queen’s weekly audiences with the Prime Ministers of the UK, and it’s a revealing, emotional, sharp piece of theatre. The entire cast was great in their roles, but as expected, Helen shines brightest. (There’s a reason she was awarded the Oscar for this role.) The Queen really is a constant and very important, and her humanity comes through well with Helen’s acting. I’m not sure we think about that so much, that the Royals are human too. Overall, at the end of the entire thing, I just had this new appreciation for the Royal Family and The Queen.

Saw Hellen Mirren here in The Audience just after opening. Wow! Great theatre, reasonable seating and good acoustics.
The play itself was outstanding and it is good to see the theatre keep up its standards in productions.
Icing on the cake was meeting Simon Callow in the street outside afterwards I had seen him only a little while ago in his one-​man production The Mystery of Charles Dickens and I got to congratulate him on his performance. Amazing!
A stellar performance by Helen Mirren (an over-​used phrase but in this case, it’s just bang-​on!)
See it!

Outrageously funny and outrageously un-​PC, Avenue Q is wicked.
The theatre location is pretty good and there are loads of places you can go after/​before for dinner/​drinks.
If you didnt watch Sesame Street as a child, watch a few episodes online so you get the humour.
The performers are amazing and I was really impressed with the set and musical numbers.
Would recommend to see this (unless of course youre easily offended, then dont!)

As with the majority of London theatres, the Gielgud is a beaut. On the corner of Rupert Street and Shaftesbury Avenue it’s the perfect location to grab some dinner, a show and hit the town after.
The Gielgud isn’t quite as historic as other theatres in the West End, having originally opened in 1906 and had huge refurbs over the decades, however it still retains that fabulous old-​theatre experience.
My only qualm is the evening I came to see The Ladykillers we had paid for what was advertised as box seats and actually it was a couple of rows that were partitioned off right at the back of the dress circle (this is what happens when you let men book, honestly). The partition was too high and I had to lean forward to see the stage and we were right in the very corner which was somewhat claustrophobic. Not only that but the partition itself was so close to the seats that the leg room was abysmal. I’m only 5’3″ for goodness sake, god knows how tall people would survive. I resented paying £45 for that ticket!
Other than that it was a great experience and I’m sure if you were in the stalls or dress circle it would have been perfect. Just don’t pay for the cage at the back, it’s really not worth it!

This is an absolutely delightful venue. The whole building is well-​presented and the theatre itself is the perfect size– not too big that you’re miles from the stage, but not too intimate either.
Not been as often as I would like as it can be pricey. There are good deals on tickets if you shop around though.
Bar is very expensive, but not excessively in comparison to other similar venues.

What did I learn after a night at the Gielgud Theatre the new home of Avenue Q? One, it’s okay to be gay. And two, swine flu is just for now.
Alright, I’m sure there were a few other life lessons taught, but those were the two that stuck out the most and my addled mind can only absorb so much at one time.
The theatre is right next to the Queen’s Theatre, home of Les Misérables. It’s a five minute walk from the Piccadilly tube station. A group of seven of us bought last minute tickets from one of those discount booths on Regents St (£30 for each ticket). We got pretty good seats considering our tickets were purchased less than an hour before the show started.
Our seats were in the stalls, in the portion under the upper balcony. While our seats were prime and center, the draw back was the partial covering of the upper part of the stage from the balcony. Don’t be worried, there are two flat screen TVs mounted on the side that shows what’s going on if the view is obstructed. My friends and I were a little worried at first, but nothing was really blocked except video screens for the audience on the second floor.
Now Avenue Q. I didn’t really know what to expect. Joseph D. and Najah Y. who saw the musical said I would love it because of the non-​pc, slightly vulgar aspect of the show. I was worried because I’m deathly afraid of puppets and dolls (if it’s big enough to hold a weapon I don’t want anything to do with it). I was pleasantly surprised when the show started that it wouldn’t be as bad as my phobia allowed be to believe it to be. Although there was one moment where someone popped out in full on muppet gear and I thought I might defecate in my pants a little (luckily for everyone I did not poo my pants).
The show was a great mix of off the wall humor, not so subtle sexual innuendo, and Gary Coleman. I am happy to say that my «claw-​your-​eyes-​out» fear didn’t prevent me from «laughing-​so-​hard-​I-​might-​wee-​my-​pants» just a tad. If you’re ever in the West End or in want of a fun theatre experience then head over to the Gielgud Theatre for some Avenue Q!

This is where I saw Harry Potter naked! Yes, Londoners, I am an uncouth American. After reading rave reviews about an in the buff Harry Potter, and also being a bonnefied theatre buff, a 2007 trip to London had to include a trip to see a performance, namely Equus. I was walking around the theatre district, saw the poster for Equus and had to buy tickets.
We were staying in an awesome guest house in the West End, an area which is great for travelers because of the abundance of theatre and bars. I joked to the owner about how I loved Harry Potter. Apparently, Brits love him too, as he is just dishy. I was informed that it was a popular show so it might be difficult to obtain passes.
Thankfully, the Harry Potter fates were smiling on me and it was really easy to buy tickets to the show. I merely, went to the website and chose tickets. This is a great theatre that tries to mimic the setting of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre by having seats directly on the stage, behind the cast. Also, these tickets were a mere 35 pounds, I believe, which is cheaper than the orchestra seats. These were exactly the seats that I wanted, as I wanted to experience a true British theatre event.
I wondered why seats on the stage were cheaper than floor seats, but when we arrived I realized that they were above and behind the characters, so they are not facing you. If you don’t mind sitting where the plebs once sat, I highly recommend these seats. It is a unique way to enjoy theatre and you get a lot of close up action you wouldn’t get from the floor.
The performance of Equus was rich in talent, set design was sparse and elegant. Many compliments on the staging that highlighted the dialogue and technique in the play, as well as the costumes which were simple yet poignant. I loved the metal horse heads they used, although the horse costumes bordered on dominatrix.
My stepdad saw the original production in the seventies in Covent Garden. I wish I could’ve seen it to compare. But alas, I will have to settle for Daniel Radcliffe looking marvelously dishy. I hope he does more stage acting soon.
I am also glad I got to see the production before it is overrun by snobby New Yorkers.

A lovely theater! The Gielgud was my first experience with London theater, and I was very definitely impressed. I saw Equus here last year, which was a fine choice for a London show. Yes, I saw it for the sole purpose of seeing Daniel Radcliffe’s schlong, but that is beside the point.
My experience at this theater wasn’t typical since we weren’t seated in the main section of the theater – we actually sat in seating above the stage, which I believe was set up specifically for that show. The rows were extremely narrow with hard wooden seating, and looking down on the stage really was a pain. But like I said, this isn’t typical for the theater. The ‘real’ seating looked very comfy.
The theater isn’t huge, so it’s great for shows in the sense that no matter where you’re sitting, you can see see and hear everything perfectly. The lobby area is small, and when you’re waiting for a show to start it can be a bit claustrophobic, but fortunately there is a bar. Alcohol tends to make things more bearable. I hope to catch a show here again sometime!

The Gielgud Theatre is one of London’s finest, right on Shaftsbury Avenue and in all the excitement and buzz of the theatre world. I went to see Equus there, not just because of Daniel Radcliffe mind, and also Six Characters in Searsh of an Author, both fantastic productions. That run is about to finish but they have more exciting shows coming up, for example Bill Bailey stand up, and more oddly Robin Williams.
With a history of excellent plays and other entertainment, the Gielgud is a delightful venue and always promises a satifying night. A good place for those not so into their theatre– their mind will be changed. Plus, with a little bit of begging, if a show is not too busy you can wrangle tickets for a tenner!