My son and I had the pleasure of seeing John Cleese's Fawlty Towers at the Apollo this August. The performances were perfect, the set design a fantastic recreation of the television series set, and the theater itself, wonderful. From the cozy seats to the easy access in, the Apollo is a gem. We would absolutely go there again as our experience was tops. Even the concession was far above the quality we are used to in the States. A splendid time is guaranteed for all. read more

Apollo Theatre - The facade - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

I was invited to attend to the Apollo Theatre by a family member and a few friends. The name of the play and community performance was called 'Punch' sponsored by Nimax Theatres. The architecture is beautiful. It is a great little cosy place to enjoy a show. On this occasion, the theatrical act 'Punch' was a powerful and critically acclaimed play based on a true story of Jacob Dunne, a young man whose impulsive "one punch" assault outside a pub resulted in the death of James Hodgkinson. The play is fundamentally about the journey through Restorative Justice (RJ). The core of Punch centers on what happens after the conventional justice system has run its course--Jacob is convicted of manslaughter and serves a prison sentence. The most dramatic and moving part of the play is the meeting that takes place between Jacob and the victim's parents, Joan and David Hodgkinson, at their instigation through a restorative justice program. read more

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Hilarious adaptation of Fawlty Towers! They included some of the most loved characters and the play was written to combine the most comical storylines, like the talking moose head and the Germans. My sister and I have probably picked up every tiny thing off the floor we've ever seen next to the other one over the last 30 years and said "is this a piece of your brain" so it was a real bonus to have that scene included. The actors were so well cast. Polly was uncanny in her impression and the more the play went on, the more and more I felt I was truly watching John Cleese. His mannerisms and ticks were spot on. Sybil's laugh was flawless and Major's voice was identical. Manuel was great too. I just wish Basil the rat had a bigger part! Can't fault the play. The only issue we had was with the stairs to our seats. Several people tripped down them and had issues near the balcony area and there was very little leg room in our seats. read more

Apollo Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

The Apollo Theatre opened on 21 Feb. 1901. The theatre is named after the Greek God of the arts, and was built for theatre productions. It's a beautiful theater in the west end. It's a small theater and all seats are good. The architecture is beautiful. Had tickets to see Time Travelers Wife. Personally, I'd skip the show, but the theater is something special. read more

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I rarely see plays and/or musicals more than once, so it speaks volumes that I'm considering booking another transatlantic flight just to see "2:22 A Ghost Story" a second time. It's currently playing at the Apollo Theater with Sophia Bush as one of the four characters. Two couples at a dinner party debate whether ghosts are real & discuss other big life issues. I was so engrossed in the couples' clever banter & tense moments. I can't say more than this: go see it while you can & be prepared to feel a multitude of emotions. Five stars on the Yelp scale for the play. Four stars for Apollo Theater. Our seats from the fourth row were phenomenal but the seating was a bit tight; I felt I was mere centimeters from the person in front of me. Not too cold inside, as theaters tend to run. Would love to see another play here especially if it's "2:22." Program was £5, I'm used to free Playbills. read more

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Came here to see the Time Travellers Wife which was excellent. Cast was very talented and production was entertaining. Theater is small enough there are probably no issues sitting anywhere in there. Photo is view from my seat. read more

Apollo Theatre - View from dress circle row C seat 14 - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

Don't bother seeing anything here unless you are in orchestra seating. Managed to get last minute tickets for Fawlty Towers currently playing at this theatre. If one is familiar with the television programme, one realizes that the comedy is very visual. Our seats E3 and E4 were marked as limited view but my husband did not see this message until we had booked them. We arrived and climbed four floors to the top of the theatre. At best we had a view of a quarter of the stage and the top of the performers heads. In fact, a second stage set, depicting a hotel bedroom, was so blocked that we could only see the actors' feet. I left at the interval as it was a complete waste of time to sit there, unable to see the actors and their facial expressions, or indeed, their body movements. Please avoid booking seats in any balcony. You will certainly regret it, as we did. read more

Apollo Theatre - Our view from seats E3/4. - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

It's a beautiful theatre, but there isn't much space. The entrance is really just a small area leading to a staircase up to the main theatre. There is the general audience area and one Mezzanine. The seats are set up quite steep, so nobody's head should block your view; however, they are quite cramped. You really won't miss a thing from any seat though, you can see almost the entirety of the stage from anywhere. I saw Everybody's Talking About Jaimie. It was a great show, it wasn't all singing, there was some dialogue. I think I may have missed some of the humor with the thick Yorkshire accents, but still funny. The songs were catchy and My friends and I were singing them all week! read more

This is a truly beautiful Victorian theater built in 1901 with incredible details including an amazing painted ceiling. It is appropriately named for the Greek god of the arts We laughed the entire way through the "Peter Pan Goes Wrong" performance, enjoying every second including the craziness before the show even started! As for the seating, while the view was great, the seats were at an odd angle and consequently, were not the most comfortable. Honestly, I don't really expect comfort since I'm 6'5" and apparently, nobody was this tall back when classic theaters were being built. Yes, I drank plenty of milk to get this way and I like it. But, it's definitely worth it to enjoy hilarious performance art! read more

Apollo Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

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Great theater. Comfortable seats, great restrooms. All in all, a nice place. We sat in about the 14th row on the main level and our view was great. Crowded while entering the theater, but the staff directed everyone well and it went smoothly. read more

I was lucky enough to see Rain Man at the Apollo Theater. The oh so hot Josh Hartnett played the Tom Cruise character...my friends made fun of me for actually gasping when he took off his shirt. But even regardless of Josh's hotness this show was awesome! As for the theater it's small and cozy. I believe we were also lucky enough to score the best seats in the house (row 0, seats 7-9). The bathroom lines were short and you can eat/drink in the theater. My type of theater!! read more

I saw Madness of King George III here.The show itself was top notch. If you are into old Victorian theatres, you'll dig this place. You know it has history because the first balcony (I was in the front row, stage left) tilts not-so-subtily to the right. One of those things estate agents call 'character'. And this place does have it, as it dates to 1901, so even though by London standards its not that old, it is (but in a good way). The nice thing that this theatre did is that our show wasn't sold out (we had purchased affodable seats on an upper balcony), but they moved everyone forward so that we had better seats since more expensive ones weren't full. A 'free upgrade' if you will. That's pretty cool and I wish more venues did this. read more

Apollo Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

I saw Let the Right One in at The Apollo a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved it. I hadn't seen either movie adaptation or read the book, but I knew the gist of the story. The play was put on by The National Theatre of Scotland and the acting was excellent, I really think the Scottish accents lent a lot to the scenes as well, especially the ones that included Oskar and his bullies. The set design was perfect for the play, and I loved the fact they painted the nighttime sky on the ceiling of the theatre as well. Some of the scenes are pretty brutal and bloody, which is worth noting since the lady sitting next to me appeared to be quite surprised... So many gasps and shrieks... But if you don't mind a bit of shock and gore, I'd definitely recommend you go and see it while it's playing. read more

Apollo Theatre - The set. Let the Right One In. - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

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A fab theatre with a beautifully painted ceiling and fairly comfy chairs. At the moment Showstopper The Improvised Musical is showing and I can't recommend it enough! It is hilarious, good music, a reasonable story made. Can't wait to go back as it'll be a totally different storey! read more

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When I decided to see Everybody's Talking About Jamie, I had never heard of it minus the posters all over the city. But this show is amazing. See it while you can. The venue is set up nicely for the show. Even on the side I could see everything well. You won't miss anything from the stalls. And the stage was high so the heads in front of me did not interfere. The men's room was cramped, but that's expected at a theater. The set up for pre orders of drinks looked efficient. Overall I liked this venue a lot. It's not too big either so you're not too far from the performers. read more

Apollo Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

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Had the good fortune of seeing Arthur Miller's "ALL MY SONS" at Apollo Theatre. It wasn't a Play I originally wanted to see but the only one to fit into my schedule - boy did I end up a lucky girl... it was INCREDIBLE! With a cast including: David Suchet (aka, Hercule Poirot), Zoe Wanamaker (from Harry Potter), Stephen Campbell Moore, & Jemima Rooper (from Lost In Austen) I was completely mesmerised by the story they weaved & left totally & completely impressed The theatre on the other hand.....thinking I had scored great seats, was sad to find I was located in the 2nd row from the back. Seats were extremely cramped & views of the stage were nonexistent. Only saving grace was that this was not a sold out show & the people beside me relocated so I could weave & lean around others throughout the Play... otherwise, I'd have seen *nothing* Sound was adequate - I'll give them that. As a venue, this theatre was Meh-OK. As a Play - this was as Good As It Gets! See this Play before it ends - but make sure you get good seats! read more

The Apollo Theatre was the 4th theatre to open on the busiest theatre strip on London's Sharftesbury Avenue in 1901. This Grade II listed theatre has a capacity of 775 on 4 levels. It sems smaller and more intimate than that. When I came to see Showstopper, the improvised musical yesterday, I sat in row D on the Dress Circle. I was surprised though that the Dress Circle comprised of only 6 rows. The seats themselves were comfortable, with a clear view of the stage. The seat pitch though seemed smaller than most other theatres in the West End. I'm short, and even I had to keep moving me feet to feel comfortable. The auditorium in vey ornate. Unfortunately the ceiling collapsed a couple of years ago during a performace of 'The Curious Incident of a the Dog in the Night-Time' , when 76 people were injured and 58 were taken to be trated at several hospitals across London. The replacement ceiling looks as though it was put together quickly so that the theatre could open as soon as possible, rather than recreating the ceiling in its original format. I do hope that this is the long term aim, as other than the ceiling, it really is a beautiful autitorium. Toilets always seem to be an issue in London's theatres. The Apollo is no exception. I was in the Dress Circle and had the go down two flights of stairs and through the bar to reach the gents. The Apollo Theatre has plenty of character. I's worth considering the length of the production you are seeing, as I don't think with the seat pitch, I could endure a performance theat longer than 2 hours. read more

A traditional London theatre, this. Old school decor, with statues, red velvet, ornate balconies and boxes. Somewhere to take the out of town tourist to impress them. They also appear to feature some exeptional shows too. It's a fair bet that you'll enjoy what you see here. I did. Jerusalem blew me away. There are so many theatre options in London that it's rare to find a theatre that you'd consider going to without knowing to much about the show., I think I've found that with the Apollo. read more

The Apollo is an incredible venue. Because it is small and acoustically well-endowed, there is not a bad seat in the house -- even at on the top tier and mezzanine levels. And, they have seats on the stage itself, which is absolutely awesome/terrifying, because the actors walk up to you and legitimately have conversations with you, in character. I've been to the Apollo a few times to watch various plays, generally sitting in the 'nosebleed' mezzanine seats, but have never had an issue with visibility or audibility of what's happening on the stage (which is the mark of a good theatre, if you ask me). Last night, though, was a truly special experience -- I watched Mark Rylance from about three feet away, as I scored first-level box seats at the very last minute. As many may know, when the Apollo has a 'sellout' show, it is not actually sold out, as the theatre reserves approximately 20 seats for purchase on the day of the show. These tickets are £10. They are the best way you will ever spend £10...ever. However, these magical £10 tickets come at the additional, steep price of having to wake up at the crack of dawn and queue outside of the theatre until the box office opens at 10am. I went at 7:15am and was the second to last person to get seats. The rules of same day ticket purchases are as follows: 1) Cash only 2) Limit two per person 3) No 'waiting there for ages as a placeholder and having a million of your friends turn up at 10 on the dot and cut in front of everyone else and steal all of the tickets," 4) No repeating these rules to anyone else, lest you reveal the secret (oops) Bring a book, a cup of coffee, and a blanket, and you'll be fine. Break the rules, and you'll be shanked. Most importantly, enjoy the show! read more

A gorgeous theatre, comfy seats, and an excellent view - what more could you want? A friend and I went to see Nell Gwynn and sat slap bang in the middle of the front row of the Grand Circle. Apart from the not-so-polite lady slapping me on the shoulder when I leant forward, it was a great experience - just perhaps be aware that your head might be getting in the way! (I sat back in fear for much of the performance, and didn't miss anything!) The play itself is absolutely fantastic, hilarious, and very well acted. Catch it if you can! read more

I heart the Apollo, plain and simple. I work minutes away, so it's easy to join the early morning queue for £10 front row seats. The line for Jerusalem (one of the most popular plays on in the West End of the past few years) was so long that to get a spot you needed to join it 5am. Blimey. BUT. We got the tickets! The front row is an amazing experience, and it was totally worth the early start. You can only buy for the same day, and there are usually only 20 tickets, but it's a great way to get to the theatre on a shoestring. Obviously the lines are shorter for plays without so much hype, so just gauge it on how much you want to go - and how many good reviews you've read ;) For All my Sons, we even managed to get a box for £20. The view was slightly obscured (they were restricted view tickets), but it was still well worth it. I love seeing plays from different parts of the theatre, so it was great for me. Standard fare on high-priced drinks & food, but hey, when there's a good show on - you can always wait and pop up to Old Compton Street for a cocktail afterwards :) read more

Small, traditional London theatre. Surprisingly roomy and comfortable seats for an old theatre, normally your knees are wedged up against the seat in front. Ornate plaster work as you would expect in traditional London theatres. The bar is a good size and the service really quick for a theatre. It didn't get too crazy during the intermission. read more

The Apollo is smaller than most Theatreland venues, a really old-fashioned theatre with narrow corridors and an intimate feel, thus it usually stages plays rather than musicals. The current show is Noel Coward's 'The Vortex', starring Felicity Kendall and Dan Stevens, which I really loved. I booked weekday tickets via lastminute.com on a 'best available' basis. We didn't know until we got there that our £20 seats were actually front row centre. Not brilliant for big shows, but fantastic when you're there to ogle the talent (me, never!). The stalls are small, so even seats right at the back are good. They're also a bit smaller and older than some, but there's more leg room than at a lot of the newer or more recently refurbished theatres. Make sure you look up when you're seated - the ceiling decoration is amazing and the boxes really beautiful. read more

"Everyone's Talking about Jamie" is a wonderfully insightful play set in Yorkshire about a boy who wants to dress as a girl. Aspiring to be a drag queen, his mum first, then his fellow classmates, his teachers, and the whole world fall into line behind him, loving him and supporting his aspiration. read more

The Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury avenue is decorated in an old fashioned manner and has the accounstics of an old school theatre. I haven't visited the theatre in a few years but went to watch Rain Man which is currently showing there. Some reviews have been negative but I really can't understand why. Rain Man is well acted, particularly considering this is Josh Hartnetts first play - a bold move for a film star who could be doing easier and better paid work. It is also touching and very funny. The sets are well designed, the dialogue well written and Adam Godley as Raymond (Rain Man) is brilliant. As an added bonus if you are a straight female (or gay male) fan of Hartnett, he takes his shirt off during the course of the play and shows us men the body we could have if we bothered to work out. One woman, obviously there for Hartnett's presence said Oh My God, out loud when he took his shirt off which was an added comic bonus. Although going to the theatre is expensive and often a hassle thanks to unreliable transport,there is something indescribably fun about seeing people on stage. I think Rain Man would be an excellent introduction to the theatre for someone who doesn't go regularly or has never been at all. read more

From 18th June 2009- showing a new production of Carrie's War starring Prunella Scales and Kasey Ainsworth (ex Eastender Little Mo). I would definately recconmend this play for an uplifting evening of innocent, charming, story-telling. Set during the second world war it tells the tale of Carrie and her brother's experiences of evacuation to the Welsh Valley's. The atmosphere and period is well-created, the perfomances are all excellent and because it is an adaptation of a children's story, it is light-hearted and amusing whilst still having a plot which is mildy spooky and involving for adults. If you hunt around on the internet there are various publications (Timeout was) giving away free tickets but you can get good seats in the Apollo from about £10. It was a lovely night and would be great for young teenagers and children to get them into plays. My one criticism was that it was a bit long, the first half imparticular, but this was only a minor point in what was otherwise a thoroughly charming performance. read more

The Apollo is a reasonably intimate venue - the almost baroque interior seems recently restored, and the furniture and paintwork has been touched up. The bar, the American Airlines Bar, is pretty crammed - stuck downstairs in a stale-smelling basement. And the sponsorship by AA( the Easyjet of transatlantic flying) is not exactly glamorous: better get a drink elsewhere. The seating is not particularly comfortable but there is at least some leg room (in the Stalls seats). A welcome innovation is a central aisle which makes access to seats in the middle of a row much easier. read more

Comfortable, good show (Richard III). Not cramped like some theatres (esp NYC).

Just saw "ALL MY SONS" which in an of itself wonderful, and I can recommend to everybody -- acting, message, staging, etc. was all great. Having been to many theatres in London this one was one of the best with it feeling intimate. We sat near the back of the "stalls" (we would call orchestra) in row N on the right side and had a great view of the stage and certainly not feeling in the nose bleed section. The bar and restrooms where pretty spacious and all the staff were very helpful. The only criticism is that the seats are a bit small (comparable to most London theatres) and leg room lacking especially for somebody 6 feet tall. The definite plus is that the theatre has an aisle running down the middle (which is rare for theatres that size) which helps avoid the up and down of letting folks into the center. All around a wonderful theatre made even better with an exceptional play. read more

A show presenting a chronicled history of the dark world of organised crime, from it's beginnings in Sicily, prohibition and the beginnings of Las Vegas. Narrated by the anonymous 'Mercy Man' recalling tales of real life mafios such as Al Capone. I'm sure if you are a fan of Mafia history then you'll find this fact filled presentation interesting, if ,however you go to the West End to enjoy a show, this is definitely one to avoid. There is no performance here. A £40 ticket is severely overpriced for this 'show' It baffles me how this guy got a West End stage when his material would be better suited to a lecture theatre! read more

dress circle s17 to s20 could only see half the stage and could not make out the faces of the cast, view blocked by the staircase panel directly in front, my grandson had to sit on the stairs to watch the show. these seats should not be used in my opinion t read more

The balcony seats are a JOKE. I literally could not see the stage from my seat in balcony row A. DO NOT BOOK THE BALCONY. I love Arthur Miller and I feel robbed of the experience because of my terrible, terrible seat. They should not sell seats that bad. I would have picked a different seat if I had known it was that bad. read more

Cozy theatre with good views from the stalls seating area. Seats are tight but comparable to others in the Soho area. Limited drink and snack selections, but bartenders did a fine job with an aperol spritz. Humorously (annoyingly) the "American Airlines" sponsored bar area didn't accept American Express, leaving us stranded for drinks outside one with cash on hand. Seems fair to take cards for refreshments if cards are accepted for tickets. read more

The Apollo is your classic London theatre, albeit a small one. All the usual suspects are there, the bar, circle and stalls. Be warned however the first 2 or 3 rows of the stalls are very close to a high stage. If you're on the short side you will be looking at the front of the stage and the actors ankles. Even at 6'2" I walked out with a stiff neck from craning to see what was going on from our row 2 position. Optimum position from what I saw would be about row 6. read more

Gorgious! We saw The madness of George the Third and it was really good. The theatre looks ancient but it is not highbrow but everything is extremely informal. We had a balcony seat and we had to use the side-entrance to get there and climb and climb The view was still fine and the play was great. read more