Top Ten: West End shows to see for Father’s Day
What Dad doesn’t like Queen?! Now in its 11th year in the West End, We Will Rock You continues to go from strength to strength at the Dominion Theatre. The futuristic musical, seen by over five million people, includes 32 of Queen’s classic hits including “Killer Queen”, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Radio Ga Ga”, and more. Better than a ‘greatest hits’ CD anyday!
A sure-fire winner with any Dad inclined to produce a ‘comedy’ silly walk at Christmas, this Tony-winning Monty Python musical tells the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Featuring a bevy (or possibly a brace) of beautiful show girls, witch burnings (Cancelled too expensive) not to mention cows, killer rabbits and French people, it’s currently at the Playhouse Theatre with a cast soon to feature Joe Pasquale. (By joining the WhatsOnStage Theatre Club you get a free ticket to Spamalot – see below for details of our special Father’s Day promotion)
Another great option for the pratfall-inclined patriarch, Richard Bean’s hit version of Carlo Goldoni’s classic Italian comedy The Servant of Two Masters is a riotous mix of slapstick, sex and skiffle. Currently starring comedian (and WhatsOnStage Awards host) Rufus Hound at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, the show has won a host of awards and tickled ribs on both sides of the Atlantic.
For any father with a penchant for toe-tapping tunes and sparkly waistcoats, a trip to Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theatre is a hard gift to beat. The show follows the rags-to-riches tale of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons as they work their way from the streets of Newark to the heights of stardom, and features such hits as “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”, “Oh, What a Night” and many more.
A sound choice for the card-trick inclined Dad, illusionist Derren Brown returns to London’s West End later this month with a brand new live show, promising to once again “mesmerise, shock and entertain the nation”. And if you’re savvy, you can win tickets by clicking around WhatsOnStage to find the 18 clues that spell out a secret phrase. Click here for more info. Good luck!
If your Dad has an AC/DC CD in the car, he’s bound to love this Broadway import currently running at the Garrick Theatre. It features no less than 28 eyebrow-scorching tunes including “Don’t Stop Believin'”, “We Built This City”, “The Final Countdown”, “Wanted Dead or Alive”, “Here I Go Again”, “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “I Want To Know What Love Is”. A guaranteed 80s nostalgia trip for the head-banger in your family.
Any history buff will love this Michael Morpurgo adaptation, which gallops on at the New London Theatre having premiered at the National back in 2007. Telling the heart-rending tale of a Devon farm boy and his horse in the trenches of the First World War, it’s beautifully staged using life-sized horse puppets. But be warned: even the most macho of Dads will require hankies by the end.
Staying with the military theme, this one-off gala performance, in aid of the charity Help for Heroes, celebrates the UK’s finest military musicians and the greatest West End shows. Taking place at the Dominion Theatre on 23 June (a week after Father’s Day), it comprises a plethora of show-stopping songs supported by a 50 piece orchestra from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. It also features performances from some other shows featured on this list, including Spamalot and We Will Rock You.
The same applies to The Beatles as to Queen – which Dad doesn’t love them? And this concert show at the Savoy Theatre marks the first time the Fab Four’s catalogue has been licensed for use in the West End. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the world’s most successful rock ‘n’ roll band, it goes from their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club, through the heights of Beatlemania, to their later studio masterpieces.
A DIY Dad is definitely going to enjoy this percussive spectacular, now in its 11th year in London. The multi award-winning show sees eight performers use everything from Zippo lighters, plastic bags, bin lids and even the kitchen sink to hammer out an “explosively feel-good” rhythm. And there’s an (albeit tenuous) added incentive for the sports-minded Dad too – the show was featured in last year’s Olympics Closing Ceremony.
Check out the latest Father’s Day theatre ticket deals on WhatsOnStage here
MAKE DAD A MEMBER!
Another great gift option sure to please the theatre-loving dad is a Whatsonstage.com Theatre Club membership, which costs just £40 a year. Benefits include advance discounted booking on all our events, top shows at group rates, a subscription to our bi-monthly print magazine, regular free ticket promotions and much much more.
And we’re making it more affordable than ever! Book now using the promo code “WOSDAD” (note, code is case-sensitive) and pay HALF-PRICE! Click here to join.
