London Theatre is NOT Star Driven

---

Although everyone loves seeing their favourite TV celebrities and actors, they are not what brings visitors to London's world famous Theatreland.

In fact there is only one world famous star in London's top ten most aspirational shows and the chances are that the London return of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats at the London Palladium was going to be a hit with or without ex-pussycat girl, current Mrs Lewis Hamilton and sometime talent competition judge Nicole Scherzinger.

It seems to be the show that matters!

So what shows do attract the tourists to London?

Theatre-goers website theatrebreaks.co.uk asked theatregoers from all over the UK, what they would like to see next on a trip to London's West End and oddly the top three are all Broadway born!

Wicked

Coming in first is the "other story" to Dorothy's rather blood strewn visit to OZ. Whether you have watched the film, the musical or read the book of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz you will have been given the distinct impression that the Witch of the West was "wicked" and not at all good. But in Wicked we learn that not everything we have been told is the whole truth and indeed some of it is not true at all!

Wicked is the story of Elphaba, the 'Wicked' Witch of the West. Who she was, her friendship with Glinda, how the tinman lost his heart, the scarecrow his brains and how the Lion became oh so scared of the world. But most of all Wicked is a story about a girl growing up in a world in which she is seen as different and how she battles for acceptance.

The Lion King

Disney's the Lion King is the story of how a young prince is robbed of his kingdom by his wicked uncle and forced to live abroad with his two friends Rozencrantz and Guild... no hang on, wrong story! Well right story just wrong writer. Disney took Shakespeare's Hamlet and added a whole load of Hakuna Matata to make one of his most enduring family musicals - until, that is, no doubt, he gives us the stage musical of Frozen!

The Lion King has been playing at London's Lyceum Theatre for 15 years and shows no signs of ever stopping!

Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Just some blue collar guys from the wrong side of the street who get together to write the soundtrack for a whole generation! It's not just a sugar-coated telling of this rags to riches story but an indepth look, from the perspective of each of the lads about what happend, how and why. Of course it is not all about the story - and Jersey Boys features all the great great songs from the boys including: “Rag Doll,” “Big Girls Don't Cry,” “Who Loves You” “Oh What A Night” and “Walk Like a Man,”

---