Page 104 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

102  BRIT AIN AND IRELAND

Entertainment the very latest house-music
beats. Major pop-concert
London is the entertainment capital of Britain, with an array venues in the capital include
of world-class cultural and sporting events. Around the Wembley Arena and the
country, theaters, opera houses, concert halls, and other Eventim Apollo. The Royal
venues host a wide range of performing- and dramatic-arts Albert Hall hosts a range of
concerts, including the popular
programs. The summer months also see numerous open-air classical Proms. The Wigmore
arts festivals. Ticket prices are often less expensive outside the Hall, the Barbican Concert Hall,
capital. Britain offers hundreds of special-interest holidays for and the Royal Festival Hall are
those wanting to acquire a new skill or learn a new sport. also notable classical venues.
Walking, sailing, skiing, pony-trekking, and golfing holidays The Royal Opera House is a
world-class venue, and home
are popular. Soccer, rugby, and cricket are favorite sports.
to the Royal Opera. English
National Opera performs at the
London Coliseum. Classical
Entertainment Listings along Shaftesbury Avenue and open-air concerts are also held
For information about what’s on the Haymarket, and around at Marble Hill House.
in London, check the Evening Covent Garden and Charing A wide range of musical
Standard or the listings Cross Road. events is staged in towns and
magazine Time Out (published Outside the capital, at cities across Great Britain.
every Wednesday). All the Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Liverpool and Manchester have
quality broadsheet newspapers Shakespeare Theatre presents excellent orchestras and are
have detailed arts reviews and a year-round program of the also centers for modern music,
listings of cultural events in great bard’s works. The Bristol while Glyndebourne hosts an
London and throughout the Old Vic is the oldest working annual opera festival. Wales has
country. Local newspapers, theater in Britain. Good a very strong choral tradition,
libraries, and tourist offices can productions are staged at the while northern England is
supply details of regional events. Manchester Royal Exchange, renowned for booming brass
and the Traverse in Edinburgh. bands. Scotland, of course, is
Open-air theater is a feature famous for its bagpipers.
Tickets
of city life in the summer, with
Ticket availability varies from street entertainers in London’s
show to show. You may be able Covent Garden and other urban Dance
to buy a ticket at the door, centers. London’s Globe theater Classical ballet is performed
especially for a mid-week (see p66) stages performances of at the Royal Opera House,
matinee, but for the more Shakespeare’s plays, and open- home of the Royal Ballet, and
popular West End shows, seats air theaters at Regent’s Park the London Coliseum, where
may have to be reserved weeks and Holland Park also the English National Ballet
or even months in advance have a summer program. usually performs. The Place
through agencies – ubiquitous Perhaps the liveliest theatrical theatre, Sadler’s Wells, and
in central London – or by festival in Britain is the three- the Institute for Contemporary
telephone or in person at theater week Edinburgh Festival, held Art (ICA) are major venues for
box offices. Half-price tickets for in late summer. Many seaside contemporary dance.
some same-day shows can be resorts also have a summer Birmingham is home to
obtained from Leicester Square. theater season. the Birmingham Royal Ballet
Beware of counterfeit tickets and is the best place to see
offered by touts. performances outside London.
Music Traditional English Morris
A diverse musical repertoire dancing or the Scottish
Theater can be found in a variety of Highland fling and Celtic
Britain has an enduring venues across Great Britain. dancing (ceilidhs) can be
theatrical tradition dating back London, in particular, is one of enjoyed at local festivals.
to Shakespeare. London is the the world’s great centers for
place to enjoy theater at its music, and home to several
most varied and glam orous. world-class orchestras and Cinema
The West End alone has more chamber groups. As well as The latest movies can be seen
than 50 theaters. The Barbican classical concerts, there are in any large town. Premieres
and the National Theatre dozens of rock, reggae, soul, with international film stars
stage a mixture of classics and folk, country, jazz, and Latin are usually held at London’s
challenging new productions. concerts taking place on every Leicester Square cinemas.
The major commercial day of the week. There are also The capital now has a 3D
theaters, showing more popular numerous nightclubs that play movie theater, the BFI London
plays and musicals, are located everything from 70s disco to IMAX. Young children may see

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