• Theatre is an essential part of nightlife in London,UKThames at Nigth image by FJ Medrano from Fotolia.com
  
  Since the days of Shakespeare the theater scene in London has become unparalleled in its variety, becoming a mecca of the performing arts. The dedicated theatergoer will never want for entertainment from London's West End to the outskirts of the city. The modern musical is by far the most popular of theatrical styles to date and London has a fair share of theaters willing to produce everything from hit shows just off Broadway, to lesser known works trying out their sea-legs.
  
  

The Adelphi Theatre

• The Adelphi Theatre is said to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered actor, but mostly it is known for its large musical productions, which is no surprise considering Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the owners. The theater first began in 1809 with Jane Scott and her father, John Scott. Jane retired from the theater in 1819 and the theater reopened and claimed its current name, The Adelphi, producing melodramas nick-named the Adelphi Screamers. More recently it has housed musicals like Evita, Chicago and My Fair Lady.
  
  Adelphi Theatre
  Strand, London WC2
  0844 412 4651
  adelphi-theatre.com/
  
  

The Dominion Theatre

• We Will Rock You is a musical based on the music of the band Queen.backstage microphone image by Roman Barelko from Fotolia.com
  
  The Dominion Theatre is one of the largest on the West End, making it ideal for musical productions.The theater seats up to 2,182 people, equivalent to the population size of some US counties. We Will Rock You, a musical by Brian May, Roger Taylor and Ben Elton, celebrated its eighth year at The Dominion in 2010.
  
  The Dominion Theatre
  268-269 Tottenham Court Road
  Regent's Park
  London W1T 5AQ
  +44 (0)20 7580 1889
  dominiontheatre.co.uk/
  
  

The Donmar Warehouse

• Donmar Warehouse produces small-scale musical productions within their season. They have 14 Tony Awards to their name for nine different Broadway productions. The theatre's main-stage productions are known to travel around the world to places like New York, Buenos Aires and Madrid. The Donmar seats only 250 people making for an intimate musical experience.
  
  Donmar Warehouse
  41 Earlham Street
  Seven Dials
  London WC2H 9LX
  0844-871-7627
  donmarwarehouse.com
  
  

The Barbican Centre

• London's stages are full of music.masque image by Emilie Gallois from Fotolia.com
  
  The Barbican Centre hosts a plethora of international performing artists in anything from dance, to avant-garde musical, to concerts. Past productions have included live horses, media performance, and companies formerly seen performing in train stations. It also supplies a conference center and cinema. The building is huge and maze-like, but it is worth wandering around to get a look at all the Barbican has to offer.
  
  Barbican Centre
  Silk Street
  London EC2Y 8DS
  020-7638-8891
  barbican.org.uk