Theatres - Apollo Theatre

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All My Sons ( Apollo Theatre ) - Play

All My Sons - the first great success of Arthur Miller's supremely influential career - is a compelling story of love, guilt and the corrupting power of greed. Joe Keller (David Suchet) is alleged to have supplied World War II fighter planes with defective engines, leading to the deaths of innocent pilots - a crime for which his business partner took the fall. One of Keller's sons, himself a pilot, is thought to have been killed in action. But his mother (Zoe Wanamaker) can't accept his death and equally, can't accept that her dead son's fiancee has transferred her affections to her other son. The confrontations that ensue lead to the uncovering of a shameful family secret. Please Note: seats on the side of the Upper Circle and Balcony may be restricted view

Blithe Spirit ( Apollo Theatre ) - Play

Blithe Spirit opened in 1941 when it played for over 2,000 performances. It has been one of the world's favourite comedies ever since. Novelist Charles Condomine and his second wife Ruth are literally haunted by a past relationship when an eccentric medium manages to conjure up the ghost of Charles's neurotic first wife, Elvira, at a seance. They have assumed the preposterous Madame Arcati is a fraud who will simply entertain their dinner guests with a little chicanery and supply Charles with material for his forthcoming novel. But when Elvira appears, visible only to Charles, and is determined to sabotage his current marriage, life - and the afterlife - begin to get complicated.Written by noel Coward, Blithe Spirit will star Alison Steadman as Madame Arcati.

The Country Girl ( Apollo Theatre ) - Play

Critically-acclaimed director Rufus Norris leads two of the nation's best-loved and most respected actors in Clifford Odets' glamorous masterpiece THE COUNTRY GIRL, an insight into the turbulent lives of a married couple whose relationship is tested to the limit when a shot at stardom exposes their deep-rooted flaws. Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove are reunited in the roles played by Morgan Freeman and Frances McDormand on Broadway in 2008, and by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the multi-Oscar winning 1954 film. Martin Shaw's most recent stage appearance was in the West End triumph A Man for All Seasons. Best known for his starring roles in George Gently and the BAFTA award winning Judge John Deed, he will be joined by his co-star from that hugely popular series, Jenny Seagrove. Seagrove's extensive theatre credits have seen her play lead roles in almost every West End playhouse; her most recent West End performance was in Peter Hall's critically-acclaimed production of Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce, which followed her appearance in A Daughter's A Daughter.

Apollo Theatre

Shaftesbury Avenue
London W1D 7EZ

Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus
Nearest Bus Stop: 1, 14, 19, 22, 24, 29, 38, 55, 176

The Apollo was orginally built as a 'super-cinema' and called the New Victoria Cine-Variety Theatre, when it opened in 1930. This strikingly art deco cinema was designed, as were all super-cinemas of the period, with facilities for stage shows that would precede the cinema films.

The cinema closed in 1975, then reopened for live entertainment in 1981 under it's present name. The opening show was a Shirley Bassey concert. Other productions included "The Sound of Music" musical with Petula Clark in 1981, "Camelot" with Richard Harris in 1982, "Dash" with Wayne Sleep in 1983 and "Fiddler on the Roof" with Topol also in 1983.

1,262 seats were removed to accomodate a roller-skating track and much of the auditorium was painted black for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Starlight Express" which opened on 27 March 1984 and played for 7,406 performances up to 12 January 2002. After it closed the theatre was refurbished and the interior was once again returned to its former glory and the musical "Bombay Dreams" opened on 19 June 2002.