Where better to escape trouble than a theatre? There's nothing quite like settling into a theatre, with the excitement that a show is about to start. There's a certain and special magic to that moment, whether it's in a historic venue like the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the prestigious London Palladium, a regional theatre, a smaller hidden gem like the Southwark Playhouse, or the hidden stage door theatre above a pub.
Here are some of the team's favourite venues to spend countless hours lost in a good new story.
@sohoplace
New Victoria Theatre (Woking)
"A close tie between a regional and West End theatre both for their design, accessibility provisions and unobstructed sightlines across all budgets - surprisingly rare in the West End - @sohoplace and the New Victoria Theatre in Woking provides a wonderful experience at every visit."
Wyman
Southwark Playhouse
"Southwark Playhouse (Borough and Elephant) is a wonderful playground for new original theatre, revivals, premieres, local community productions and the starting step for many a West End show. The Southwark Playhouse always guarantees a memorable theatre experience. Personally, I have so many good memories there, along with finding some of my all time favourite shows/performers/theatre companies from here."
Oviya
"Across its two South London venues, Southwark Playhouse provides a home for outstanding new work and many of my standout shows in recent years have been staged here. With the recent success of Benjamin Button’s West End transfer, it is well worth keeping an eye on Southwark Playhouse’s calendar for the chance of an ‘I saw it first’ moment."
Julie
Theatre Royal Newcastle
"My favourite theatre must be the Theatre Royal in Newcastle – my local theatre. It’s beautiful, always full of the best, warmest audiences who all just love theatre. I feel lucky every time I walk into the auditorium."
Ally
Wyndham's Theatre
"Wyndham’s is such a stunning space, and the front of house areas are beautiful as well. It was also one of the first West End theatres I ever went to, I saw Avenue Q there in 2010, and I’ve seen a further three shows there since, including one of my shows of the year Next To Normal"
James
Manchester's Opera House & Palace Theatre
"Manchester is super lucky to have two stunning venues (Palace Theatre and Opera House) which has so many incredible touring productions, and has also had an incredible range of premieres - including Burlesque, Mrs Doubtfire and & Juliet to name a few. We are also eagerly anticipating three new premieres at the Opera House in 2025 - A Knight's Tale from 11th April until 10th May, Come Fall in Love from 29th May until 21st June, and 13 Going On 30 the Musical from 21st September until 12th October."
Vicky
Yvonne Arnaud
"The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford is charming and absolutely perfect! It is currently undergoing renovations but is still one of my favourites of all time. The staff are also incredibly kind, making the experience all the more enjoyable."
Emma
Troubadour Theatre
"The way this space has been transformed for Starlight Express has made this my favourite theatre of the year. From the moment you enter the doors, you are immersed into the starlight express world. This is only amplified when going into the actual theatre where the lights and sounds transform the theatre experience into something quite magical."
Jordan
"Very biased to this one as it was home to Newsies and I work here currently as FOH, but seeing it be transformed into such a unique theatre going experience has been wonderful. Now home to Starlight Express, traditional theatre has been changed into a race track, placing audiences right in the middle of the action.'
Oviya
Kit Kat Club
"This is the perfect space for Cabaret, I can’t imagine any different! The foyers are beautiful and the auditorium layout is unique and interesting, ensuring everyone can see the action no matter where they are sat."
Katie
Hope Mill Theatre
"Manchester are very lucky to have an incredible range of theatres - all in which offer something different and I feel very lucky to be able to visit these theatres regularly. Hope Mill Theatre is special as their production of RENT back in 2021 still remains as one of my favourite theatrical experiences to date. What can be achieved in this space is actually incredible and founders and directors Joe Houston and Will Whelton have found and develop something incredibly unique at this theatre. I always look forward to their next productions."
Vicky
The Lowry
The Lowry in Salford is another special theatre as I love the space, it's modern but still has an incredible atmosphere. The Lowry is a theatre that champions new pieces of theatre, seeing 42 Balloons premiere there this year was an absolute highlight."
Vicky
Let us know your favourite theatres of 2024 and check out the rest of our categories of AIT's Twelve Days of Christmas in the blog section.
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