London’s Entertainment Centre for Theatres and Cinemas

Leicester Square in London’s West End is an exciting place to visit.  It is the cultural hub and entertainment epicentre of London situated right at the heart of the West End.  To the south is Trafalgar Square, to the north is Chinatown, go west and you find yourself at Piccadilly Circus and east takes you to Covent Garden.  There is no shortage of entertainment and its public square and immediate surroundings are filled with cinemas, theatres, casinos, bars, clubs, restaurants and shops.  In the cinemas on the Square all the major red-carpet film premiers take place.  Often, outside one of the state-of-the-art cinemas,  you can see crowds of fans anxiously waiting for the arrival of their favourite film stars. 

Like many English words, Leicester Square is not pronounced as it is spelt, so non-native speakers often mispronounce it.  The correct pronunciation is ‘Less-stir’.  However, even if they can’t say it many tourists know where to find it.  Thousands of visitors come every year to visit the theatre, to go to the cinema, the casinos or the clubs or just to pass through whilst exploring the West End.  Leicester Square never closes, buzzing every day, 24 hours a day and free to walk around, there’s no shortage of entertainment whether paid for or just feeling the atmosphere,  

History

The area now known as Leicester Square, like much of the West End of London, used to belong to the Abbot and Convent of Westminster Abbey until, in 1536-7, it became the property of King Henry VIII.  In the 1630s the land around the square was bought by Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester who built a large mansion, Leicester House, at the northern end of the site.  Prior to this, some of this land had been what is known as ‘common land’ whereby local people could use the land for grazing.  When Leicester House was built, the Earl enclosed the area in front of the mansion with the result of depriving the parishioners of their grazing rights. This led to protests and an appeal to King Charles I to have these rights re-established.  The outcome of this was an order to the Earl of Leicester to maintain part of his land open for the local people.  This piece of land was known as Leicester Fields, later to become Leicester Square. 

Approximately 100 years later, in the late 17th century, the square began to be developed.  Originally it was entirely residential with some very fine large townhouses being built and later in the early 18th century some retail development began to appear.  Throughout most of the 18th century Leicester Square was a very fashionable address to have but also during as the century wore on, the area began to be transformed into a place to seek out entertainment.  Leicester House was sold in 1775 and by the 1780s it had become a museum of natural curiosities.  Brothels began to appear and also visitors could pay to view. through a telescope, the severed heads of traitors who had been executed at Temple Bar.   By the 19th century Leicester Square was firmly established as an entertainment venue and was the location for many amusements typical of this era.  One example was the Wyld’s Great Globe, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851, it housed an enormous scale map of the world.  Many of the theatres in Leicester Square were built during the 19th century along with more retail, museums and exhibition centres replacing the private mansions.  Several foreign-owned hotels were established around the square, making it popular with visitors to London. 

The Alhambra Theatre was built in 1854 on the east side of the square, dominating the site. It temporarily closed two years later when the original owner, Edward Clarke, became bankrupt, but then reopened in 1858 as the Alhambra Palace. It enjoyed a surge in popularity after Queen Victoria and family came to see “Black Eagle – The Horse of Beauty”. It burned down in 1882, but reopened the following year.  In the early 20th century, the theatre became a popular venue for ballet. It was demolished in 1936 and replaced by the Odeon Cinema. The Empire Theatre of Varieties opened in 1881 on the former site of Savile House, but had a troubled start, closing for a time, until the end of the decade. The theatre gained a reputation for high-class prostitutes frequenting the theatre, and in 1894 the London County Council ordered the promenade on the upper balcony to be remodelled. The theatre closed in 1927, to be replaced by the Empire Cinema.

By the start of the 21st century, Westminster City Council were concerned that the square was too dangerous at night, and wanted to demolish sections of it to encourage the growth of theatres and cinemas, and reduce popularity of nightclubs. In 2010, a major redevelopment of Leicester Square took place as part of a Great Outdoors scheme proposed by Boris Johnson, who was the Mayor of London at the time.  The improvements included 12,000 square metres (130,000 sq ft) of granite paving and a water feature surrounding the Shakespeare statue. The square re-opened in May 2012 after 17 months’ work at a total cost of £15.3 million. 

One of the key features of Leicester Square are the three huge cinemas around the square with more in the surrounding area.  Arguably, they are the most important and well-known London cinemas showcasing many of the UK premiers for big blockbuster films.   Inside the auditorium of each one, the screens are enormous and the seating capacity can be up to 1700 people.  If you happen to be visiting London and Leicester Square during a high profile film premier some areas may be fenced off to allow access to celebrities: film stars, media people and royalty.  Premieres are by invitation only and the general public are rarely included.  Sometimes competitions are held where tickets can be won.   Nevertheless, premieres are very popular with the general public and, on these nights, large groups of fans stand either side of the red carpet with banners and cameras waiting for the arrival of the celebrities.  The bigger the star, the larger the crowd and it is not uncommon for fans to wait for 24 hours or more to spot a mega-star arriving. To find out if there is a premiere taking place during your visit you will need to keep an eye on the websites of each cinema for more information.

A feature that emulates Hollywood boulevard was the bronze casts of actors’ handprints  embedded into the ground.  Actors who contributed included Hugh Grant, Michael Caine, Tom Cruise, and Bruce Willis.  However, during the refurbishment that took place in 2010-12 many of these plaques were removed.  Now life-sized statues of stars and film characters such as Mary Poppins, Mr. Bean, Charlie Chaplin can be seen in the green centre of the Square.

The three main cinemas on the square are the Empire, the Odeon and the Vue. 

The Empire Cinema in Leicester Square is now operated by Cineworld.  It  has a grand total of nine screens including an IMAX. The largest screen seats 1330 people. 

The Odeon Leicester Square (located on the eastern side of the square) in particular has become one of the most famous theatres in the area, as it hosts many film premieres throughout the year.  It has a total of six screens. The largest screen has seating for 1683 people.

The Vue in Leicester Square has nine screens, one of which is a 3D screen. The largest screen space in this cinema holds 414 people, so it does not have the wow factor of seeing a film on the large screen in the Odeon. However it does have a larger number of screens allowing for a greater variety of film options. If you want to see the latest cinema release, this Leicester Square cinema is a good choice with 1,388 seats in total. The stepped seating ensures everyone has a great view. 

Note however that you should be prepared for high prices as West End cinema trips are rarely a bargain.  Tickets for evening screenings can cost up to £17 per person, while 3D screenings can cost around £15 per person.

Afternoon screenings tend to be much cheaper than screenings during the evenings or weekends. Out of all the theatres in Leicester Square, the cheapest would be Princes Charles Cinema, (which is located on a side street to the north of the square). Tickets here can cost as low as £1.99 on a Monday, £2.50 from Tuesday to Friday, or £3.50 on the weekends.

Down a side street off Leicester Square, the nearby Prince Charles Cinema is known for its screenings of cult films and marathon film runs.  The Prince Charles Cinema is the only independent cinema in central London. Unlike other West End cinemas, the ticket prices are pretty cheap and there’s an annual membership for further reductions. You won’t see the latest releases here but you will find a selection of cult, arthouse and classic films, as well as all-night movie marathons, on the two screens.  They also have some great sing-a-long events which are enormous fun.  Mama Mia and The Sound of Music are particular favourites where large amounts of the audience come dressed for the part, for example as nuns or in dirndl costume.  With some of these events, before the film begins, the audience learn dance moves and practice their cheers so they know when and how to react at particular times during the film. 

Picturehouse Central is a cinema and also place to eat and drink.  The cinema has seven screen and shows a good selection of blockbusters, independent films, foreign language films and documentary films.  Also vintage classic films are special events.  On the ground floor of the cinema there is a New York Deli-style cafe, the mezzanine floor has a fine restaurant that serves food and drink day and night and, if you are a member, you have exclusive access to The Members’ Bar and Roof Terrace with its great views.   Membership for an adult is around £90 for a year’s membership and gives you 4 tickets and access to all  the membership benefits. 

If you would like to find out about the different tickets that are on offer and how much they cost you can check the the official website tickets page of the cinema you are interested in visiting.   But do remember that ticket prices reflect the impressive facilities – entrance generally costs more than in a normal cinema. 

Theatres

Apart from cinemas there are also many theatres which are scattered in and around Leicester Square.  The most notable of these are Apollo Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre, The Phoenix Theatre, Princes of Wales Theatre, Savoy Theatre. The Leicester Square Theatre and Theatre Royal Haymarket (just to name a few). Other popular theatres among visitors to Leicester Square include the Wyndham’s Theatre, the Phoenix Theatre, Garrick Theatre, The Criterion Theatre and the Adelphi Theatre.

Many of these theatres are in beautiful old buildings that have been sensitively refurbished harking back to their glory days in the 19th century.  Many too are listed buildings with English Heritage at Grades I or II.  Some examples are described below but visiting any of them is an experience in itself – apart from seeing the performance that is being shown.  

1 minute walk from Leicester Square is the Theatre Royal Haymarket which dates back to 1720 and is the third-oldest London playhouse still in use.  It has been on its current site since 1821 when it was redesigned by John Nash and is now a Grade I listed building.  Close by is Her Majesty’s Theatre which has hosted productions since 1705. The current theatre was opened in 1897 and visitors are treated to lavish architecture and interior décor. Since 1986 theatre goers have enjoyed the staging of one of the world’s most popular musicals, The Phantom of the Opera. The theatre’s Victorian architecture is influenced by the French Renaissance. 

A 4 minute walk from Leicester Square brings you to Shaftesbury Avenue where the Lyric Theatre is.  Opening in 1888 it is the oldest surviving theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue and is Grade II listed.   Another Grade II listed theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue is The Apollo Theatre.  The Palace Theatre on Cambridge Circus/Shaftesbury Avenue is a stupendous 19th-century playhouse and the ultimate home of West End musicals. The lavish interior was intended to encourage people to linger: in Victorian times you could send a telegram or postcard from here with a telegraph boy.  The exterior of the building is quite unusual in being a freestanding structure of the Spanish Renaissance style. 

5 minutes away from the Square is the Adelphi Theatre, located on the Strand.  This theatre specialised in comedy and musical theatre and is also a Grade II listed building. 

In St. Martin’s Lane, towards Trafalgar Square, is the London Coliseum.  Originally, when it opened in 1904, it was one of London’s largest family variety theatres, showing mostly music hall. In 1968 The Sadler’s Wells Opera Company moved into the building.  They changed their name to the English National Opera in 1974 and today the Coliseum is used mainly for opera as well as being the London home of the English National Ballet.   A beautiful building with wonderful Roman imagery complete with chariots.  sitting further back in the auditorium gives you a true sense of the theatre’s majesty.   The Coliseum has a charming wood-panelled Dutch bar which is a hidden gem. 

For something a bit different there is plenty of comedy to be had in the area.  1 minute from the square and next to the Prince of Wales Theatre is The Comedy Store.  As a specifically designed stand-up comedy venue it can rise up into ‘adult humour’ so it is for over 18s only.   Many famous comedians started here in the 1980s and its reputation as a pool of up-and-coming talent remains.  There are set themes throughout the week with Tuesdays given to news-based comedy and, on Wednesdays and Sundays the theme is improvisation based on suggestions from the audience. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday is classic stand-up comedy and the last Monday of every month is open mic. 

Alternatively you could try the 99 Club which has been awarded the Best London Comedy Club at the Chortle Awards for the last 7 years.  They have 3 venues, Ruby Blue which is on the Square itself at Leicester Place, Brown’s a short walk to St. Martin’s Lane and the Arboretum in Charing Cross Road.  All three offer new and alternative stand-up comedy as well as well-known comedians who appear on British television.   Each comedy ticket also includes entry into Ruby Blue nightclub afterwards so for those who want to make a night of it, they can finish their evening by dancing the night away. 

Finally, with comedy and other types of entertainment, there is the Leicester Square Theatre.   This is where the 1970s punk band, the Sex Pistols, played one of their first gigs way back in 1976.  The lovingly restored theatre has seating for 400 people, two bars that serve the main theatre and an intimate bar downstairs for the cabaret performances.  The Leicester Square Theatre regularly shows comedy plus improvisation, magic shows and family shows.  So, something for everyone.

If you are interested in seeing a theatre performance at any of the many theatres around Leicester Square it is best to check out the official website of the theatre beforehand to get more details. 

TKTS: As already mentioned, regular tickets for the cinema and theatre in London’s West End can be expensive.  Afternoon matinee performances and mid-week are often cheaper and you can find some bargains from some specialised internet sites like Travelzoo.com .  There are also ticket booths that you will see in the square offering reduced price tickets.  The only one that is official is the TKTS booth which Is run by the Society of London Theatres (SOLT) with all profits supporting the theatre industry.  The Official London Theatre Guide does not recommend using the other booths so look out only for those that contain the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) logo.   The official booth is open every day and has tickets for shows on the day and up to a week in advance. Not all are discounted but many are and the range available is always good.  The tickets can only be bought in person and there are often long queues, especially during the summer months.   Booking fees are included in the price and you can pay by card or cash. 

The Green Oasis

In the middle of the square is a small garden area with plenty of trees and benches which is a good spot to eat a packed lunch. In the centre of this garden is the huge Shakespeare Monument which sits above a large fountain that was created in 1874 by Giovanni Fontana.  Nearby are the statues of Charlie Chaplin, Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Joshua Reynolds, William Hogarth and John Hunter, the founder of scientific surgery whose collection of 10,500 anatomical specimens were kept in his house on the square at the end of the 18th century.    The Shakespeare Monument is Grade II listed and stands on a pedestal flanked by dolphins.  The jets of water from the fountain shoot 2 metres into the air and, at night, the fountain is attractively lit. The discount theatre tickets office is located next to the John Hunter gate. 

Scenes in the Square honour 100 years of movie magic with life-sized statues of Harry Potter, Paddington Bear, Mary Poppins, Mr Bean, Batman and Gene Kelly immortalized on bronze.  Just to give you a taste: Gene Kelly swings from a lamp-post, Mary Poppins ‘floats’ down from the skies with her umbrella parachute, Bugs Bunny pops up from the ground munching on a carrot and Laurel & Hardy dance on the top of the ticket office.  Batman watches over everyone from the rooftop of the Odeon cinema. 

Casinos

Try your luck at one of the many casinos around Leicester Square, including the Hippodrome, the Empire, the Grosvenor and the recently sold Napoleons – which should reopen soon under new ownership with Mayfair Casinos Limited.  All the casinos around the Square are located in beautifully restored buildings and open 24 hours a day with free entry and no membership fee.  Anyone over the age of 18 can walk in and there is no specific dress code.  They are all very much modelled on the Las Vegas casino style, offering a variety of games, dining and shows. 

The Hippodrome Casino is a stunning late-Victorian building right on the corner of Leicester Square. In its time the building has housed a theatre, a music hall, a night club and now this huge casino which boasts to be the biggest entertainment and casino venue in the country.   It has five floors of gaming as well as a dedicated poker deck and private poker rooms. There are heated and covered rooftop garden terraces on the top three floors where you can dine or enjoy a drink.  The top floor is for reservation only with minimum spends required.  On the other two terrace levels walk-in guests are welcomed.   You don’t need to gamble to enjoy the terraces.   Popular with ‘girls nights out’ and hen parties is the Magic Mike Live show in the Matcham Room.  This show is a funny, sizzling entertainment based on  hit movies. If you enjoy the idea of talented, sexy guys dancing in front of, above and around you this 90 minute show wont disappoint. 

The Empire Casino is another 24-hour Vegas style casino located on the north side of Leicester Square.   Inside, as well as all the different gaming opportunities, there is also the Carlsberg Sports Bar which has multi-screens of Premier League matches, plus American NFL games and more.   They too have a terrace bar, the Icon Balcony Bar where you can enjoy cocktails whilst overlooking the Square.   

Restaurants.

There are plenty of choices if you intend to dine before your visit to the theatre or the cinema.  There are fast-food options as well as more relaxing sit down restaurants offering food from a huge selection of international cuisine.  There are also some very charming pubs down the side streets behind the tube station where meals are served as well as drinks.  Many of the eateries offer special pre-theatre menus. 

Unique Retail Outlets

M&MS:  On Leicester Square you will find Europe’s biggest sweet shop: M&M’s World. Big enough to house 100 double-decker buses this store has four floors of chocolate.  You actually enter through a 1963 London double-decker bus and everywhere there are weird and wonderful experiences to  be had.  you can visit the rainbow Wall of Chocolate and make your own blend of M&M, or have a go at the M&Ms colour mood analyser to hear your specific colour announced to everyone in the store.  Very American, loud and ‘in your face’  with bright lights, vibrant colours and loud music, but definitely fun!

LEGO: Here too you will find the biggest LEGO Store in the world. Covering two floors, it has a very London theme.  There is a huge 6.5m Big Ben tower made of LEGO with a working clock that lights up at night.  There is also a life-size underground train carriage, constructed from LEGO, where you can sit between a Queen’s Guard and William Shakespeare and have your picture taken.  You will also find LEGO models of red telephone boxes, red post boxes and also the Leicester Square roundel.  One popular feature is the LEGO Mosaic Maker photo booth, where your photo becomes transformed into a personalised LEGO kit, where you are given a box of all the pieces you need and a printout of the photograph to build your image.  Not cheap but fun. 

Glockenspiel: It’s pretty hard to miss the Swiss Glockenspiel, the most well-known attraction that greets you as soon as you enter Leicester Square. This ten metre-tall steel clock rings on the hour every afternoon, during which figures inside the clock move around to the sound of chiming carillon bells. The clock was a gift from Switzerland and Liechtenstein and thus it is decorated with the flags of the cantons of Switzerland, and crowned with a Swiss clock.  The Swiss centre used to stand on the site where M&M’s World now stands.  The glockenspiel was a much loved feature of the Swiss Centre and when it closed down in 2008, a redesigned and restored glockenspiel was placed in the pedestrianised Swiss Court.  It has 11 moving Swiss figures against a traditional Swiss Alpine backdrop.  There are 27 bells with 4 Swiss Jacomas representing bell ringers.  The bells chime five times a day Monday to Friday and eight times a day at the weekend with a performance which lasts for five minutes. 

Harry Potter Tours:  For fans of the popular Harry Potter stories, old and young alike, there are lots of Potter-related attractions across London as Harry was a Londoner and many of the buildings, streets and neighbourhoods inspired the author, JK Rowling and appear in the films.   Meeting at the Swiss Flags Monument between M&M’s and the Lego Store at 11.00 and 15.30 every day, you can join the free 2.5 hour walking tour of the streets and buildings which inspired and appeared in the films.   You will also learn about the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 that happened in Leicester Square and visit a sweet shop where you can buy Dumbledore’s favourite sweet, Sherbet Lemons.   The guide will carry a strawberry umbrella so you can recognise them.  although the tour is free of charge it is traditional to tip the guide at the end of the walk.