We watched Stranger Things: The First Shadow here. This Tony Award winning show was in itself a theatrical spectacle of special effects providing a prequel link to Netflix's Upside Down mythology. We found out that the Phoenix Theatre is a historic West End venue in London with an ornate facade and interior. Cons with vintage theaters like these are narrow seating and limited leg room even for smaller sized adults. I'm 5'6 and my knees were uncomfortably close to the front seats. Elbow room and beverage holders were nonexistent but they oddly did have coin-operared opera glasses built-in some of the seats. We got our snack & drink from the Scoops Ahoy concession stand by Phoenix Street. The merch, we bought from the main entrance kiosk as the snack bar had limited souvenirs on sale. This beautiful theater had plenty of restrooms which made it easier to ingress and egress during the intermission. It was an experience worth the price of admission! read more

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We watched Stranger Things: The First Shadow here and had such a blast. The show was great. We found the theater seats to be roomier and more comfortable than our local theater and the fact that we could order and have snacks and drinks brought to our seats was definitely a nice perk! The service was pretty quick as well. The theater itself is beautiful and I was so glad to see they have so many restrooms. It can be so stressful trying to use the restroom, get snacks, and get back to your seat in time during the intermission, but I didn't feel rushed here. We were able to do all that with time to spare. Maybe it's just us, but it was definitely a welcomed change. read more

Just saw Stranger Things tonight (June 17, 2025.) This should have been a 5 star review. The play itself was great. All of the actors weee spot on. There were a few things that don't sync up with the show but that is OK. The reason for the loss of 2 stars is that the Phoenix theatre was so uncomfortably hot during the show, it actually took away from what should have been a great experience. Apologies to the actors and actresses in the show but I don't plan on seeing another show in the Phoenix theatre. read more

Phoenix Theatre - Phoenix theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

This review is more for Come From Away than the theatre itself, but I will say that the Phoenix is quite beautiful. I appreciate that the entrance is off to the side and not on the main road so that traffic is diverted more accordingly. Here are my favorite bits from Come From Away: - For some reason, the Grand Circle (where our seats originally were) closed off so they gave us an upgrade to sit in the center of the theater which was very nice of them. I did feel a bit bad for the performers though because the theater was more than half empty, such a shame for a musical so amazing. - The writing of Come From Away was absolutely fantastic. Usually during musical theater performances, there's a lot of clapping that sort of breaks up the musical, but the songs were essentially one after the other after the other so the story didn't feel as choppy. - The performers were absolutely incredible. Out of the 8 West End performances I have watched in the last 5 months, I think that this show has the strongest actors and singers. Every actor was incredibly strong. Also, I love the non-traditional instruments the orchestra played and how they were also part of the performance too. - Absolutely loved the story of Come From Away. Easily could have been boring as it is about a tiny town but all the stories were incredibly heartwarming. - I realized that during musical theater performances, I'm always looking for good dancers. But actual good dancing in musicals is just so that you can feel the energy of the stage, which Come From Away most definitely had. Overall, absolutely fantastic musical. Cannot recommend it more. What a shame that the theater is not more full and it is not more advertised because it is truly fantastic. read more

Phoenix Theatre - Phoenix Stage - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

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Beautiful old theatre that has been well cared for over time. As with many, leg room is limited. Plan ahead in case there is not an intermission. Sound was excellent. Prices were outstanding. Glad for the experience! read more

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This is a great theater. I enjoyed how small and cozy it is. The seats had plenty of space. Friends and I saw Come From Away. It's was amazing. Bring your tissues. We had priced tickets online, at the stands on the street, and at the theater. We were very happy getting them at the theater, then grabbing a nice early dinner before the show. I hope to see other plays here in the future. The cast was great, the music was great, the songs are still running in my head. The entrance is more on a side street, than on the main. Everyone pours out after, and were sharing how much they loved the play read more

Phoenix Theatre - Come from away is amazing - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

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We ran out to the Phoenix theater early for their 10am discounted same day seats... Arriving early at 9am was not necessary! By 10 we were still the only ones waiting!!! Although inexpensive at £20 our row 1 dead center seats were obstructed. We were too close and the stage too high. In spite of this most of the action seemed to push out near stage edge. So it was the rear quarter of the stage we couldn't see. Regular seating is quite a bit more... So at £ 20 it was still a moving and uplifting, powerful performance. No intermission for Come From Away... But it's a wonderful experience. We went in Feb, 2020 just before the CvN19 chaos hit. Once the pandemic blows over we're going back to see this again! read more

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I've been to this theatre located at the top of Charing Cross Road twice over the last year - first time to see Once (meh) and more recently to see Bend it Like Beckham (amazing - feel good, catchy tunes, awesome set, good actors, fun fun fun). The first time we were in the stalls - seats were comfy, plenty of legroom, good view. Second time we were in the dress circle with again comfy seats and a great view (F22). I've been to some hokey pokey theatres that have poles in the middle of your view but have to say the seats I've been allocated at in this place (for reasonably cheap seats) have been pretty good! read more

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A great, friendly, intimate, small theatre that brings the action even closer to the audience. Seats were comfortable enough and it's great that they allow deals on sites such as lastminute.com - which is how I came to see the musical Once (highly recommended, though I have not seen it since Ronan Keating joined the cast!). I did pay very little for my ticket through the deal, but I have to say that I was quite surprised at just how close to the stage the front row is! I was in the very far left seat of the first row and I was worried that I would get a sore neck, and that a few cast members might lose their dignity if they were wearing dresses or skirts! However it was not that bad at all and I thoroughly enjoyed being so close to the action that I could have touched it, if I wanted to be highly annoying and disruptive! Before the show and during the intervals the audience could get drinks from a bar on stage which was awesome, and of course a great photo opportunity, and the drinks were served in commemorative 'Once' cups, whilst still being competitively priced for a west end theatre! They were also doing a special collection throughout that week for a charity for actors who get ill, etc and can no longer be in the industry, and all of the support actors for the show were holding collection buckets as the audience left after the show. This was a nice and personal touch. read more

Phoenix Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

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We saw Come From Away. Amazing show. This is a lovely small theater. Seats were comfortable. I bought our tickets online and pick up at the theater before the show was very easy. read more

BLOOD BROTHERS, written by the legendary Willy Russell, tells the capitivating and mysterious tale of twins who were seperated at birth. The moving and graphic depiction of how they grew up on the differing sides of life kept me gripped to my seat-it was so interesting that I did not want to miss a moment of the play. The brothers eventually do meet up when they are a lot older with very tragic consequences. The musical score includes many musical numbers like Bright New Day,Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged song Tell Me Its Not True. Blood Brothers has been hailed as one of the best musicals in London, picking up awards 4 awards for the Best Musical and 7 Tony Awards nominations on Broadway. At present the show is in its 20th year and I think it will be staying for a lot longer. read more

Phoenix Theatre - BloodBrothers - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

I was here once with my tour group, and we saw Blood Brothers. Amazing performance by the way! I love the design of the theatre, especially the inside. All that red is so nice, and aesthetically pleasing. I love how it's not insanely huge, but not super small either, it's nice, and intimate, and I had a great time! read more

I'm really glad I was encouraged to watch a show in London. It turned out to be one of our best nights and an important part to London's culture. Theater lives! The show we picked was Bend it Like Beckham at the Phoenix Theatre. The show translated well, if not even better, from the big screen to the stage. What a pleasant surprise. I really hope the show gets picked up and moved to NYC. We bought tickets online and were unsure what type of tickets to get. After a long debate, we ended up choosing Upper Circle tickets to save a bit of money. The seats were great! Perfect view of the stage and even closer to the jaw dropping ceiling of the Phoenix Theatre. This is a beautiful theatre in great condition. Be sure to check out all the details and enjoy the comfy seats. There is actually leg room. Just don't bring large bags so you have more space to move around your feet if you get antsy. The set up of the theatre is a bit weird. The fastest way to get to the Upper Circle from the first floor would be to exit the building and enter from the side door. The only time this was a problem was during intermission when I went downstairs to use the WC. The ladies WC situation is absolutely horrible. There are three ladies WC but each only have a few stalls. The lines are horrendous. It's a good thing intermission was long. After using the downstairs WC, I found that the Upper Circle door was closed. I could not find my way back up and an usher helped me through a series of hidden stairs and mystery doors back to my seat just in time as the lights went dim. Don't drink liquids before the show! read more

Lovely theatre settled in the heart of the West End. I was lucky enough to go for the guys and dolls production and it was fabulous. Great acting, good sets and spot on music! It's clear they really take time to choose good shows for the people of London to see. I managed to get day seats, at 9:45 in the morning for the Saturday evening show, which I thought was quite a miracle given Rebel Wilson, the hottest actress on screen was the main star. I sat on the front row, which was so close I was almost on the stage and didn't have to strain my neck for a second to look up. That view for £20, I felt like I won the lottery. The theatre though, wherever you sit offers a great view and I really do enjoy attending here, whatever is showing. The queues for the toilets get quite long, so leave plenty of time before the show. read more

Just been to see Once the musical for the third time in three weeks. Great show. Phoenix Theatre is really good theatre.

What a wonderful theatre. Possibly my favourite in London. It's small and intimate yet still feels very grand. The seats are comfortable though there's not always a lot of legroom. The stage, even when you're in the upper circle, feels close enough that you don't feel like you're miles away. The only downside is that you can't reach the Upper Circle from the main entrance of the theatre, you have to walk outside and then back in. I really loved the plush red and golds of the theatre. I've seen both Blood Brothers and Once the Musical here and both times I sat in the Upper Circle, and both times I could still clearly see the faces of the performers. I particularly love, when seeing Once, the ability to go up on the stage and see the theatre from the stage - a wonderful experience. The theatre is very well located, very close to numerous different tube stations and has a bar for each different section of the theatre. The staff were all helpful and polite. The cloakroom was free too which was a nice surprise! Great theatre! read more

What a beautiful theatre. I love the red inside. It is fairly small so all the seats are close to the action. My wife and I went and saw Guys and Dolls, which we really enjoyed. The music was great, as was the choreography. The American accents were hit or miss, with some characters absolutely nailing them and others, well, nailing them sometimes and not so much at other times. it was Rebel Wilson's first night of an 8 week run as Ms Adelaide and she did exactly as you would expect her to. So needless to say, she made the role get own and made it fun, though slightly uncomfortable to watch. read more

Standing tall the "Phoenix theatre" is only a short walk from Leicester square on Charring Cross Station. I've been here twice to watch the blood brothers, I know I'm not really meant to be reviewing the performance itself however the business but it is beyond brilliant I'll definately go back to watch it again it does it for me everytime. Now for the theatre itself, well it's clean and presentable from the minute you walk in, the staff selling tickets are polite and are sure to be so their the ones taking your money =) Well your in a west end theatre you'll be expecting to pay west end theatre prices not odeon cinema.... Except for one of the arrogant people selling snacks at the bar, it was actually quite a nice experience talking to the other staff and ordering myself an icecream, the theatre does get hot! I think thats why they do that turn up the heating so you have to buy their expensive stuff!! But in all the theatre is well kept and has a very classical Elizabethan feel about it, well i reckon so! read more

A recent history of shows at the Phoenix theatre: Since 1991 this has been known as the Blood Brothers theatre as that's the only show that's been on since then (apart from a few months at the start of this year when a dance show - salsa? tango? - was being performed. That's finished too). Recently, however, the production of 'Once' has opened. This is a stage adaptation (a musical) of a low budget independent film (with music) which was made a few years back. The Phoenix theatre is located on Charing Cross Road with it's main entrance down a side street (which is actually called Phoenix Street), only the box office is on the main road. From the front it looks like a row of small shops (cafe, hairdressers etc.) with a block of flats above them. As I've never had an interest in seeing 'Blood Brothers' (or dance shows) I had my first visit to this theatre only last month. As for the look and feel of the interior, it's all much of a muchness amongst West End theatres, really. The foyer is bright and pleasant, there is a bar and staff checking tickets, selling programs and so on. The doors which access the stalls are just there and the stairs to the upper levels are over there and there. We were in the stalls. So just there, then. As far as the stalls go, there are no bad seats. We were about 4 rows from the back and quite near the end of a row (about 4-5 seats in) and even with my deteriorating eyesight I had a broad view of the stage and could make out everything that going was on. Marvellous. My only gripe with the Phoenix theatre is the occasional creaky door or floorboard. Throughout a majority of the show everybody is seated and quiet but on the few occasions when movement down the sides of the auditorium does happen the creaking and low thudding is quite noticeable and momentarily distracting. But this was the only real negative of my experience. Incidentally, 'Once' is a great show and worth seeing. Not your typical musical with great performances all round. Toodle-pip! Ian read more

Phoenix Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

What a great theatre! I pass this place all the time (since it's on Charing Cross Road it's pretty central) and finally got round to seeing something here. We bought tickets for a friend's birthday to see Once and WHAT A MUSICAL! So different to the other typical musical formats, much more raw and down to earth somehow. Anyway the theatre. Great space here, even in the gods you get a perfect view. The ceiling is high above you so you don't feel boxed in and they really enjoy the deep red walls with gold inflections here, very tasteful indeed. Seats are ok, bit of issue with the legroom but not enough to spoil this incredible evening. I always want to review the theatre not the production for these reviews, but if you haven't seen Once, GO AND SEE IT. If you have seen it, GO AGAIN. No, seriously, go. Stop reading this review now and go and see it. Why are you still reading! Well you're persistent, so I'll tell you about the theatre a bit more. A little bit of a maze I thought with its staircases and the toilets seem somehow to be everywhere and yet very difficult to find. Weird. read more

My friend and I went to see Once the musical. The theatre is exquisite, we sat on the third row in the dress circle; the seats are perfect. But the sound of the theatre needs a little improving. read more

Phoenix Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - London, XGL

Beautiful small theatre in central London. It's one of the older ones with a really good layout and gorgeous decor. Despite being on the older side, it looks to be in great condition and really clean. As most of the older theatres, the toilets are not ideal, there's never enough of them, an leg room in the theatre is on the sparse side. The incline in the stalls is not very steep, so if you're on the shorter side, I'd recommend circle seats. read more

A frequent location to end up in when with anyone who considers themselves involved in 'the arts'. It's very old school, and I'm sure it hasn't been decorated since the Festival of Britain. This basement bar under the Phoenix theatre is the perfect environment for spotting people who think they should be celebrities. The manager is a character, but altogether a rather good sort. A popular haunt for those who bat for differing sides. There were a lot of feather boas going on last night. Headshots of vaguely famous performers adorn the walls over the bar, with lots of old school theatre paraphernalia all over all the other walls. Open late and good for practising your schmoozing abilities. It does have its downsides though. It feels like a pretty weird place to me and suffers from a faint stench of desperation. read more

A great, moving musical about class. no flashy lights or moving set , just great performances and a good story. read more

Probably the most low-key members bar in London, get there before 11.00pm otherwise you'll probably struggle to get in... open till 4am most nights.... Nice and dark... and those lucky members have an even darker members's area!! I hear the bar was renamed The Noel Coward Bar in 1969.....(??) Entrance to the bar is on Phoenix Street. read more

The phoenix theatre shows blood brothers, an exceptional etc etc. Oh forget about the theatre - the most important thing to know, is that the bar is downstairs in the basement! This place is different everytime you go, the clientele is often a surprise - including the odd minor celebrity. Of course, you do not acknowledge you know who they are - that would be very out of keeping with the atmosphere in the bar. So many interesting people frequent this bar, you'd have to be a cold fish to not enjoy a good chin wag with a total stranger. And, if you get in at the right time, or are a member, it never seems to shut! read more

Lovely little theatre hidden away, home to the fantastic musical 'Blood Brothers' A fantastic show in a wonderful little theatre, has great seats often available at the box office if you go early for great prices. Nice legroom in stalls seats and you feel very close to the action. read more

We saw Come from Away at this theatre and it was a great venue. Even though we were all the way in the back, we didn't feel like we were too far from the stage. The only complaint is how small the men's room was. read more

Having read the previous reviews for this theatre I'm a little surprised as I felt the complete opposite to most. I didn't really think much of the theatre; although it was small & intimate, it felt pretty run down in comparison to other theatres round about and we could hear the rumble of a train or the underground(?!) passing by every 15 minutes or so which was very distracting and ruined the atmosphere that the musical was trying to create. I didn't love the musical, Once, although this is no fault of the theatre and is certainly down to personal preference. One plus was that you can order & receive drinks all from the comfort of your seat - this is done either through a steward or on their app - pushing me to give the theatre 3 stars. read more

The show was Come From Away, which was great. The seat was ridiculously small. My knees stuck over the chair in front of me. I could not stay in this seat. This was E9 in the upper balcony. I had to go stand at the back. I mentioned this to a theatre employee. His response was that experienced theatre goers know to check leg room before booking a ticket. Will not be back to the Phoenix. read more

Nice small theatre. Compact and clean. Would come back again to watch another live performances here.

Came by the other evening to enjoy the performance of Bend It Like Beckham. A cute, clean little theater with nice seats; even in the back, it wasn't difficult to see the stage and everything going on. Bathrooms were a bit of an awkward squeeze in terms of the line that's there for the ladies' room (you kind of have to hold the door open while you wait in line). Anyway, if I lived in London, I definitely wouldn't mind going back to see another show there. read more

Blood Brothers has been playing in the west end for over 20 years now. It has been at the Phoenix Theatre, I think for almost 15 years. The play its self is a classic, well written, fun, thought provoking musical. The downside to the play being at the same theatre for such a long time, is that the set looks old and the whole show could do with a revamp. Though I have to admit that recently I popped in and watched around 30mins of the show and this is the strongest cast I have seen in a long time. it's a great family show and I would tell anyone to go at see it at lest once. read more

Quaint little theatre... nice 'old feeling' interior. Only thing that let it down was the ladies loo's.. very small and 2 loos had doors that didnt lock and no paper to dry your hands after washing. Forgivable only as I enjoyed Blood Brothers a lot that night ;-) read more

I went to see Blood Brothers for the second time. The main reason i wanted to go was to see Nicky Evans from X factor perform and boy what a voice! She was absolutely stunningher powerful voice was undoubtably the star of this fantastic show. The story does drag on a bit and it would be nice to have more songs in it but the songs that were featured were brilliant. read more

Been to see this 2 times and it was just brilliant! My favourite theatre show by far! =

well, what should i say? i did enjoy a night with friends there. but didnt like the basement area:( sorry.