Are you looking for something to watch at the theatre in London this month?
Here are some of the shows your faithful Theatre Bee is catching this month. From thought-provoking dramas to uplifting comedies, the bee hopes you'll find something that will make your night at the theatre an enjoyable one. (If you come across a broken link, it's most likely because the show has ended its run.)
Reviews for some of these are in the works and will be published soon.
For your monthly fix of spirited debates between a liberal maverick and his antithetic right-wing traditionalist. Are you going to get an eye-opening fresh perspective on left-wing or right-wing morality? No, at least not if you are a regular consumer of political news. But you will certainly be entertained by the slow devolution of informed debate into shouting matches, and eventually into hilarious, ridiculous personal slurs. At one point the bee nearly fell off its chair laughing.
For those who like the ballet, or want to experience it for the first time like the bee, Sleeping Beauty is a spectacular and simultaneously accessible-to-the-newbie production. This is the show for you if you like immaculate choreography, delicate but powerful music, and a touch of the gothic (there are vampires) (that the bee found slightly discomfiting but not distasteful).
For your monthly fix of Virginia Woolf literature, love stories and/or Emma Corin who plays the titular character, Orlando is your go-to show. Neil Bartlett's adaptation of the classic novel is intelligent but also great fun for anyone interested in exploring gender identity and understanding how the way history (and posterity) sees a character - the lenses it uses - changes with the character's gender.
For your monthly fix of a musical with high production value, beautiful set design, spectacular sparkly costumes juxtaposed with an absolutely heart-warming story of the more complex forms of love in the world and the sacrifices it necessitates. Added bonus: Lisa Lambe's voice is magical and the way she sang Above It All moved the bee to tears.
For those who want to revisit a beloved classic and staple of the West End. Andrew Lloyd Webber's beloved musical has two classic songs that have enthralled the bee's senses for decades - Music of the Night and Phantom of the Opera. If you haven't watched this show before, it should be on your bucket list. If you've watched it before, then you may consider pampering yourself, like the bee is doing, with nice seats and a glass of Prosecco while the musical reminds you of how grateful you should be for the existence of musical theatre.
The bee's other top picks for theatre this January in London
Cheap ticket tip for the month
Official London Theatre's annual sale event is on. You can find tickets for as little as £10 for the restricted view seats, and as little as £50 for those amazing stalls seats with clear view. Head to the sale page of OLT and get booking!