A West End Performer’s Guide to London With Sam Harrison

Join Sam Harrison as he shares his favourite spots around the theatre scene in London
Join Sam Harrison as he shares his favourite spots around the theatre scene in London | Courtesy of Sam Harrison
Alicia Miller

Looking for Soho’s best pre-theatre menus or a top pantomime for Christmas? Follow our insider’s guide to the culture-packed British capital…

As a West End performer who’s appeared in The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables and Avenue Q, Sam Harrison knows his way around Soho and central London. He’s also an accomplished pantomime performer, nominated for Best Leading Male in the 2018 Great British Pantomime Awards, no less. In between performances, we grabbed the actor to gain his tips on where to catch a ​​cabaret in the city and dine like you’re on the set of a Wes Anderson film.

The Turbine Theatre

Theatre

LONDON: Entrance to the Turbine Theatre under the Grosvenor Bridge railway arches at Circus West Village
© Chris Lawrence / Alamy Stock Photo

“This is one of London’s newest, most vibrant theatres, right at the foot of the redeveloped Battersea Power Station. The artistic director here, Paul Taylor Mills, has worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber and champions new work. I knew I needed to collaborate with him on my show Love is Only Love. The story, which I wrote, is about a young boy’s search for love using Hollywood musicals as his guide. It’s autobiographical and celebrates love, acceptance and the joy of theatre itself.”

Ruby Lucy

Boutique Hotel, Chain Hotel

82fc4051
Courtesy of Ruby Lucy Hotel / Expedia.com

“This hotel is less than a 10-minute walk from some of London’s best theatres, including the National Theatre, the Old Vic and the Young Vic. It’s also close to the South Bank, home to one of London’s top Christmas markets with glühwein and hot donuts. But despite the central location, the road it’s on is really peaceful, and also has a great ice-cream shop, Candiero Gelato. I love that the hotel decor is colourful and anarchic – you almost feel like you’re in a circus tent – and the bar is really cosy.”

Brasserie Zédel

Bar, Brasserie, Restaurant, French

Brasserie Zedel Restaurant in London UK
© M.Sobreira / Alamy Stock Photo

“Glamorous but affordable, this brasserie in the heart of theatreland is a cross between a Wes Anderson film and an Agatha Christie novel. There’s a fin de siècle Viennese vibe with gold, red velvet, marble pillars, chandeliers – even a pianist tinkling in the background. And, I think, the best service in London. Order the prix-fixe because it’s cheap and delicious, ticking off three courses, including steak. I go before catching a West End show, or Zédel’s own cabaret in the Crazy Coqs bar.”

Hackney Empire

Theatre

Hackney Empire Theatre, Mare Street, Hackney Central, London Borough of Hackney, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
© Greg Balfour Evans / Alamy Stock Photo
“Hackney Empire has one of the greatest pantomimes in the country. It’s a local show – as all good ones should be – with the jokes made for residents and the team reflecting the diversity of Hackney itself. But the production values are West End standard. The Empire has one of the best pantomime dames too, Clive Rowe, who is charismatic, utterly loveable and deliciously saucy. Tickets go on sale as early as a year in advance.”

Bar Bruno

Cafe, British

Bar Bruno
© Garry Knight

“If you want to catch West End actors from the likes of Phantom of the Opera or Les Misérables on their break between performances, head to this old-fashioned greasy spoon on Wardour Street. On a two-show day, we turn up to Bruno’s before warm-up for an enormous English breakfast with white toast dripping in butter, streaky bacon and tea you can stand a spoon in. In between the matinee and evening performance, we come back for family-style Italian plates of spaghetti bolognese followed by sfogliatelle pastries. It’s good energy, but sometimes we eat way too much and regret it.”

Seven Dials Playhouse

Building

“One of my favourite places, the ​​Seven Dials Playhouse – formerly known as the Actors Centre – offers an array of one-off workshops on all the skills that go into being an actor, whether you’re an amateur or professional. Sign up for something broad, like Shakespearean monologues, or go really focused, working on American accents. If you want to pick up pantomime skills, I’d suggest clowning workshops, physical comedy or commedia dell’arte – a type of Italian medieval street theatre that is the basis for modern pantomime.”

Victoria and Albert Museum

Museum

LONDON, UK - CIRCA JANUARY, 2018: Victoria and Albert Museum hal
© Pio3 / Depositphotos.com
“The V&A has something called the Theatre & Performance Collection, covering almost everything related to the history of theatre, from theatrical designs to books, plus props used in famous productions. My favourites are the costumes worn by famous actors – standing in front of them is almost like seeing a ghost. It’s moving and thrilling at the same time. For example, I think that seeing the jacket that Noël Coward wore on stage tells you so much about him and his character.”

The Understudy Bar

Craft Ale Bar, Beer

The Understudy-Bar on the South-Bank-London- National Theatre (3)_0
Courtesy of southbanklondon.com

“Nestled at the base of the brutalist-masterpiece National Theatre, this bar has an enormous range of independent and unusual craft beers, gins, ales and mead. It’s not your typical theatre bar – typically small, cramped and tucked behind the dress circle, where you have to fight for a drink at the interval. Rather, it was designed to be a social space, facing out to the river and the community. It’s a place where theatre-industry people always meet, drink and relax.”

The Hoxton Hotel Holborn

Boutique Hotel

The Hoxton Hotel Holborn
Courtesy of The Hoxton Hotel Holborn / Expedia.com

“Right at the top of Shaftesbury Avenue, one of the great parades of theatres in the West End, is this sleek, sexy and modern hotel. It’s filled with young, hip media types. I really enjoy the food – especially the mullet with fennel and aioli – but there are also some fantastic Japanese restaurants nearby like Kanada-Ya and Fushan. You’re not far from Christmas shopping at Tottenham Court Road either – and, of course, the most enormous pantomime in the country, at the London Palladium, is minutes away.”

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article