London travel tips for ballet lovers

[rosefairy]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm going to London in about 3 weeks and staying for 4 nights from April 4th to April 8th. The whole trip was planned around watching the new Cinderella production with Marianela and Vadim on the 5th of April (😍), but aside from that afternoon/evening, I'm still pretty much free for the rest of the trip. I've been to London twice before (as a child and as a teenager), so not a complete newbie, but by far not an expert either.

 

I figured that since many of the Forum members live or have lived in Greater London and know the city very well, maybe this would be a place to find the kind of niche travel tips that you can't easily research. I'll try and list all of my interests down below:

 

• first a quick intro to who I am: 22 years old, MA student in social sciences, not into nightlife at all, but apart from that very open to all kinds of activities and sights 
• I'm very interested in (art) history, so I've always liked "typical" sightseeing and never found it boring - which of the famous historical sights in London do you find particulary rewarding to visit? I also like guided tours if they are not too long (1-2 hours is fine!)
• anything related to ballet (exhibitions, museums, shops, maybe even cafes or restaurants where dancers are among the regulars) would of course be very appreciated!
• I'm a Harry Potter fan, but have already been to the Studio Tour and Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross as a teenager, is there anything new to see recently?
• I love the work of Jane Austen, so have briefly thought of a day trip to Bath - not sure if it's worth the hassle though because it would take a whole day out of basically only 2-3 days that I have in London
• I'm a bibliophile! Have already been to the British Library and the Sherlock Holmes museum last time I visited, but I haven't explored any of the sights around Shakespeare or Charles Dickens for example... anything regardings literature would be worthwhile to know!
• I don't know anything about the West End, have never been to a musical in my life... maybe it's time to change that? I wouldn't know where to start though...
• on Instagram, I always see roads with really pretty, picturesque houses in Kensington or Notting Hill for example, but bloggers never tag the exact location, so while I would  really like to explore these parts of the city, I'm unsure where to start

 

I've already got a long list of food places I want to check out, so don't really need any more tips for that. I think there was a store called Dance Books or something like that and it closed down due to the pandemic? That would have pr

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by rosefairy

[Sabine0308]

Whenever I'm in London, I visit Westminster Abbey. It's just so beautiful inside. If you fancy a Service, you can sit on the benches illuminated with the little red lamps. And enjoy the Boy's Choir. 

[Jan McNulty]

My favourite place is the British Museum by Russell Square.

[Sebastian]

16 minutes ago, rosefairy said:

I think there was a store called Dance Books or something like that and it closed down due to the pandemic? 

The best free resource for dance books I know in central London is a library just off Leicester Square. Sometimes they even sell off duplicate stock. There is an old thread about it here. 
 

 

[Guest oncnp]

My vote is for the Victoria and Albert Museum (South Kensington/ District, Circle or Picadilly line and follow the crowd). Everything from painting to furniture to fashion and ceramics. Do not miss the cafeteria with the William Morris designs. 

 

And there may be a ballet costume or two on display in the Theatre Dept. 

Edited March 19, 2023 by oncnp

[LinMM]

If you like Art there  is the immersive David Hockney show at Lewis Cubitt Square very close to Kings Cross station on at the moment and how about going for a great musical especially if you’ve never seen it The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in the Haymarket ( near Piccadilly Circus) 

I don’t know how difficult it is to get tickets for these events of course and of course a walk in Hyde Park or St James Park ( pelican feeding time is usually around 4.30pm) is always pleasant especially in the Spring. 
Or you can always take the Tate to Tate boat on the river and get to see a bit of Tate Modern Gallery and Tate Britain Art Gallery connected on the Thames. 
Another nice thing to do for a couple of hours is to go up to the roof of the Sky Garden building ( I call it the Wad but I think it’s also called the Walkie Talkie building because of its unusual shape …..not far from Liverpool st but wear something warm as it can be pretty cold at the top where there is a bar and restaurant etc. 

Hope this is food for a little thought anyway!! 

[MJW]

30 minutes ago, oncnp said:

My vote is for the Victoria and Albert Museum (South Kensington/ District, Circle or Picadilly line and follow the crowd). Everything from painting to furniture to fashion and ceramics. Do not miss the cafeteria with the William Morris designs. 

 

And there may be a ballet costume or two on display in the Theatre Dept. 

 

I was going to suggest the V&A as well - I've been four times in the past year and only covered around half the galleries! The cafe is excellent as well and not too busy during the week. South Ken is a very nice area and the V&A is a very short wall from the tube station.

 

I would also recommend the Courtauld https://courtauld.ac.uk/ - plus its just a short walk from Covent Garden.

[Guest oncnp]

30 minutes ago, LinMM said:

of course a walk in Hyde Park or St James Park ( pelican feeding time is usually around 4.30pm) is always pleasant especially in the Spring. 

 

or for gardens there is also Kew (Kew Gardens, District line, Richmond branch, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | Kew ) or the Chelsea Physic Garden (Sloan Square, District, Circle line) and a bit of a walk. Home - Chelsea Physic Garden

 

and of course the ROH tours if you've not been on one. 

Edited March 19, 2023 by oncnp

[JNC]

A few good suggestions from others already - +1 for the V&A if you like art/design. If more 'traditional' paintings are your thing, definitely make sure to check out the National Gallery (handily very close to the opera house). 

 

For books, I know Daunt Books is a famous bookshop in Marylebone that people like taking pictures of (at least on instagram...), not sure if it's worth a trip in of itself in a limited time but if you're in the area could be worth a detour. 

 

If you want to see a more 'countryside' London, then Hampstead Heath is wonderful, you get a great view of the city from there and also you can wander up to Kenwood House which is free to enter with lovely paintings and a mini stately home. If you go up that way you can also visit Highgate Cemetery, I don't think there are any dancers buried here (?) but definitely some authors (and other celebrities) if that's your thing. I don't think there is a Jane Austen connection to Hampstead Heath but you could certainly imagine yourself in an Austen novel up there perhaps...

 

In terms of other 'famous' historical sights, there's of course St Paul's (although I prefer Westminster Abbey that's already been mentioned, at least on the inside and the Abbey has more history, if you can do a behind the scenes tour at the Abbey I highly recommend but regardless if you only visit one inside would make it the Abbey - if you like literature they have poet's corner with lots of famous authors commemorated), and then Tower Bridge. If you go to Tower Bridge you can also go to the Tower of London and see the Crown Jewels. Greenwich is also a nice park with views although may not make the cut if you prefer to spend all the time central (same with Hampstead I suppose). If you do go to Greenwich you can get the uber boat there and that's a sightseeing trip in of itself. You can also go to Kensington Palace (I think that's open year round, Buckingham Palace is only the summer). 

 

For those picturesque houses around Kensington/Notting Hill I'm not sure of the exact location but if you walk the streets around Portobello you should be able to see some. 

 

And don't forget to see the Margot Fonteyn statue outside ROH (sometimes easy to miss, it's on the opposite side of the intersection between bow street/floral street). She also has a blue plaque on 118 Long Acre near the opera house. 

 

Hope you have a lovely trip! 

[jmhopton]

I was going to mention Sky Gardens as well as it's a great vantage point to look down on London and is also right opposite another iconic building, The Shard. Entry is free (unlike the Shard) but you are advised to book and may need to show id.

 

Goodwin's Court (Google it) is a hidden gem that should not be missed. It is rumoured to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley. It is off St Martins Lane on the right hand side  further on up from the Coliseum and is a lovely piece of 18th or 19th century England, including what look like genuine bow windows. Very close to Covent Garden. 

 

St Paul's Church (not cathedral), Covent Garden is The Actors Church and contains many plaques of well known actors and possibly dancers also. The garden is also a pleasant place to sit and watch the world go by.

 

Guided walks are a good way of finding about different areas and places. There are several companies that do different themed walks such as Sherlock Holmes,  Charles Dickens or even Jack the Ripper! There may be one round Covent Garden.  I just Googled London guided ballet walks and several entries down there was a map of one produced by the V&A to accompany their Diaghilev exhibition.  The exhibition has sadly finished but you could still do the walk which is based round Covent Garden and looks quite interesting. Unfortunately I can't manage to post the link on my phone. Further on down there is a self guided walk round Covent Garden and another round Kensington and Knighsbridge. Have fun!

 

 

 

[bridiem]

There's a wonderful statue of David Wall on the embankment at Millbank: https://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/dancer-statue

[LinMM]

I love the Chelsea Physic Garden but haven’t been since 2018 so not sure what the entry charge is these days but find their medicinal plants section fascinating and we have a mulberry tree in our garden which is connected to the one in theirs ( I think all mulberry trees of a certain type are supposed to have come from one source originally! ) But the cafe there is really nice too with some very delicious cakes in the choice of food!! 
I think I used to get the buses going along Kings Road from Sloane Sq and then walk down Flood St ….you get off at the Town Hall….a bit of memory Lane for me too as you walk past where Ruth French ( ex Pavlova Dance Company) used to give her ballet classes a few moons ago now! 

This is also a really nice area to walk in and you can play pick the house if you had a couple of million pounds to spare lol! 
 

[Guest oncnp]

@LinMM's post reminded me....you can download the Transport for London app to get real time routing around the city (TFL Go) or the journey planner on tfl.gov.uk.  Citymapper is another app that can be useflul.

Edited March 20, 2023 by oncnp

[OnePigeon]

I thoroughly recommend Apsley House, the Duke of Wellington’s residence.  If you like Austen and the Regency era, it is a wonderful and evocative place to visit.

https://www.wellingtoncollection.co.uk

 

If you wander down Piccadilly and around Mayfair you can see where the Georgian aristocrats lived and socialised.  London’s oldest bookshop is Hatchards on Piccadilly, very near to The Ritz and Fortnum and Mason, which is well worth a look at.

 

The National Portrait Gallery has many photographic portraits of famous dancers and is located very near to The Coliseum. For cultural events it’s always worth checking out The Barbican, who house the LSO, and The Southbank Centre. The BFI (British Film Institute) has a Ginger Rogers season showing at the moment.  
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk

 

I love musicals, but am a real purist (love Gershwin, Kern, Rodgers, Porter etc done traditionally) and have found very few productions passing muster lately, but if you’re open to more modern productions then have a look and take the plunge.

 

[Sim]

Oklahoma is currently playing in the West End. 
 

The Sir John Soane Museum, close to the ROH in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, is quirky and fascinating.  If you ask, they will often open the triptych that is Hogarth's original Rake's Progress.  From Wikipedia:  

 

Soane collected a wide variety of ancient objects from Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and the Middle Ages.

Among the museum's most famous objects is Seti I's sarcophagus, found by Giovanni Battista Belzoni, which Soane bought for £1824. It was the most expensive item in his collection. ^[2000]

The museum also houses Humours of an Election and A Rake's Progress, two series of paintings by William Hogarth.

 

You can have a walk around the square and nearby streets and see some beautiful architecture and interiors through stunning windows.  It is the home to law courts and law offices.  There is always a lot of filming going on there, often for period dramas!  You can also see Dickens’ Old Curiosity Shop on a little road around the corner.  

 

Home | Sir John Soane's Museum

 

[LinMM]

I have a feeling The National Portrait Gallery is closed until June 2023 for some kind of building work. 
It’s either that or the National Gallery itself. 

[bridiem]

2 minutes ago, LinMM said:

I have a feeling The National Portrait Gallery is closed until June 2023 for some kind of building work. 
It’s either that or the National Gallery itself. 

 

The National Gallery is open - I think it's the NPG that is closed.

[Silver Capricorn]

I go to London from Prague for the ROH ballet performance almost every month and I always try to see various London attractions.  I have already visited the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Sherlock Holmes Museum, Harrods, Westminster Abbey, Notting Hills.  I can recommend all of this.  I would like to see the Sky Garden when I visit Cinderella on April 5th.

[munchkin16]

Here's some suggestions from what you've mentioned:

• Historical sights - Tower of London is good fun, the tour guides are excellent. Also some really nice views of London.
• For exhibitions I love the National Gallery and the V&A - definitely don't miss the theatre section of the V&A as there's some lovely costumes and secrets about the old theatres and staging.
• Shakespeare - you could do a tour of The Globe?
• West End Musicals - As mentioned Phantom of the Opera has some ballet in it so might be a safe first choice. For discount tickets for shows check the TodayTix app as they do on the day 'rush' tickets that are around £25 for lots of shows. Rush tickets open at 10am and can sell out fast if it's a peak time performance. Don't buy full price tickets through the app though as they will be more expensive, better to book directly with the theatre. Other options for good value tickets: head to the theatre box office around an hour before the show starts (risky but you can get lucky with a good deal) or check for the specific show, some offer specific discounted tickets for under 25's! If you are unsure of whether a seat is a good choice (some say 'restricted view' but are good value), check the view from the seat on a website called 'Seat Plan'. It's so helpful!
• Instagram - I won't link it but if you google 'most instagramable places London' you'll get a nice list, you could make a little walking tour for yourself of those?
• I'd also recommend a backstage tour of the ROH, they are a great way to maybe get lucky and spot a dancer or two.

[Fonty]

Yes, National Portrait Gallery is definitely closed until June.

 

As a Londoner, I always advise people who are on a short trip to London to steer clear of the British Museum unless you have a burning passion to see something in particular.  Too big, too crowded, and you have to queue to get in.  The popular areas such as the Egyptian Mummies are usually rammed with tourists and parties of school children.  If you want to see one large museum, then I  agree with others about the V & A.   Apart from the theatre section as already mentioned, I always enjoy wandering around the section devoted to fashion through the ages.

If you want something smaller and more intimate, I second the John Soanes Museum, a wonderfully quirky place.  I also like the Wallace Collection for art - its most famous painting is the Laughing Cavalier.  

 

Although I enjoy musicals, I am a little out of touch with the current crop.   However, Oklahoma is on at the moment and has had rave reviews.  Alternatively, a new production of Guys and Dolls is on at the Bridge Theatre, right next to Tower Bridge which has also had 5 star reviews (and which I am going to see myself in April).

 

 

[Pas de Quatre]

A few hours in Greenwich is rewarding. You can travel there by  around means, but on the river is the best. The Thames clipper is like a bus service with various stops to get on or off. In Greenwich itself there is the Cutty Sark, an old tea clipper and the market.  At the top of Greenwich Park is the Royal Observatory which is fascinating.

 

Another interesting gallery in the West End is the Wallace Collection. It also has a lovely restaurant, great for lunch but you need to book. Sorry Fonty just saw you had mentioned it too.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Pas de Quatre

[San Perregrino]

for more dance check out Sadlers Wells theatre, there might be something to interest you that coincides with your visit:

 

https://www.sadlerswells.com/

[Sabine0308]

Also, on my last visit in 2019 (🙈), I enjoyed the Tate Museum, with the wonderful Turner collection. It's free and also has a nice Cafe.

https://www.tate.org.uk/visit

[Fonty]

2 hours ago, Pas de Quatre said:

A few hours in Greenwich is rewarding. You can travel there by  around means, but on the river is the best. The Thames clipper is like a bus service with various stops to get on or off. In Greenwich itself there is the Cutty Sark, an old tea clipper and the market.  At the top of Greenwich Park is the Royal Observatory which is fascinating.

 

 

Yes, the Thames Clipper is a wonderful way to get around London.  You can get a day pass which lasts 24 hours, and is a hop on hop off ticket, which covers many of the main tourist attractions - Tate Britain, the south bank ( including London Eye, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe), the Tower of London and Greenwich.  I have been on this with loads of friends who are visiting from abroad and they really enjoy it.  Plus you can see London at night from the river, all lit up.  

Greenwich is one of my favourite places to visit.  There is so much there, you could happily spend the whole day.  There are also some great pubs.  I love the Cutty Sark pub, which is on the river, but is actually a bit of a walk from the ship of the same name and I am also fond of the Plume of Feathers, which is right by one of the gates to the park.  Both of them are proper pubs, and the latter is a good, old fashioned boozer.  

Incidentally, do feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions about anything I have mentioned on here.  

[Sim]

Wow Rosefairy…with all these suggestions I bet you wish you were spending two weeks  in London!  Do let us know what you end up doing….and enjoy it all!

[LinMM]

I forgot about the Wallace collection as that has a very nice light and airy tea room as well!  But feels more intimate than the National Gallery. It’s just off Oxford St …..down the Selfridges end …so very close to all the shops there if wanting to do any shopping at all. 
I also think one of the Opera House Tours would be great there is one of them  at the moment connected to Sleeping Beauty and fairy tales with a lilac fairy high tea 🙂 which keeps catching my eye as it’s a while since I’ve done one of these ( last time caught Sarah Lamb and Steven McRae  in a studio rehearsing together!!!) 

If over at the V &A end of London there is the Natural History museum near by but  I can’t remember if their yearly wildlife photography exhibition is still running but worth a look! 
Similarly at Greenwich there is the Astronomy photographic exhibition (quite small) which has some really fascinating photographs of stars the moon and planets etc with winning photographs on display. What I like about this one is the photographers give explanations of exactly how they took their photographs so you can appreciate as being more natural or as works of Art. 
Goodness just reading all these suggestions looks like you will have to book an extra week now Rosefairy and maybe try out Sadlers Wells performances as well!! 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by LinMM

[LinMM]

Whoops looking above looks like some simultaneous posting!! 

[Lizbie1]

And if you like dogs, the Wallace Collection has an exhibition about them coming up!

[Sophoife]

@rosefairy thank you so much for starting this thread!

 

Everyone who has contributed suggestions, tips and personal warm and fuzzies, thank you so much too!

 

I'm coming to London, solo, in late April and mid-May (Paris, Italy and Zürich in between), and I have a whole raft of new ideas! As I'm staying near Gloucester Road tube station, I have a feeling the V&A will be the subject of at least one day.

 

Incidentally I'll be at the ROH for Cinderella on Thursday 27th April and Sleeping Beauty on Thursday 11th May, amphitheatre both times, so if anyone would like to say hi (I would love that) please PM me.

[Guest oncnp]

Also highly recommend the Soan but not for the claustrophobic. They do limit admission but the house is crammed with cool stuff and the aisles are narrow

 

If you are  a dog lover, the Wallace Collection is opening a new exhibition about dogs in art.  

[rosefairy]

Thank you to everyone for the wonderful range of answers - you really made my week with this! @oncnp @Lizbie1@LinMM@Sim@Fonty@Sabine0308@bridiem@JNC@jmhopton@Sebastian@Jan McNulty 

 

I've now updated my Google Map with all the recs and this weekend, I'll start making a day-by-day itinary (yes, I'm that kind of person😄) Will definitely be using this map not only for this trip, but also for the next! I think there's a good chance of me being in London again in 2024, the ROH's spell on me is just too strong!

 

The V&A museum was on my list already because I've been there once before as a child and have a great memory of it. I was 10 years old and remember these little backpacks with a sort of "treasure hunt" in them that were rented to children who could then explore the whole museum trying to find all the answers to the riddles and solve the puzzle/find the treasure. There were different themes of these backpacks, I think mine was fashion history themed. I loved it and have always wanted to go back!

 

As to musicals, I've had a look at all the West End shows that are on at the moment via the TodayTix app and have found two favourites - Phantom of the Opera and Matilda. Phantom feels like it's THE classic London musical and would be a great place to start. Matilda is just a book very dear to me (I read it in primary school, but still recall it vividly) and I think the storyline would make for a very fun musical too. I'll have a closer look at ticket prices and availibility tomorrow and decide then, but maybe I can even go to both, let's see!

 

@Sophoife I'm so glad the thread helped you too! And it's a pity that we won't overlap in London, otherwise I would have loved to meet you! Maybe next time though  

 

One more thing I wanted to add: just a couple days ago, I started a ballet blog on Instagram. I know quite a few forum members are active over there too, I will try and find/follow all of you soon, it would be great to stay connected there too! The handle is @thebeautyinballet if anyone wants to follow me already, I've only got some introductory posts so far but more will follow so stay tuned  

Edited March 24, 2023 by rosefairy

[jmhopton]

Hope you have a fab time rosefairy and London lives up to your expectations (I'm sure it will). Would be great if you could manage a return visit too. Even with 2 visits you'll probably only have time to do about half of what has been suggested here! Just a word of warning though. It's great to prioritise things and have an itinerary (I usually do the same when I'm going anywhere new) but don't be afraid to deviate from it if you find some places are too absorbing to move on from as quickly as you thought. You could probably spend the best part of a day just in the V&A, for example and once you're there it takes time to get anywhere else unless you plan to see the Science or Natural History museums. London is very large and its surprising how long it can take  to get from one place to another. Do you take the bus and see more even though it's slower or the tube for speed? Both take direct debit cards if you have one to save you buying tickets. Or you could get an Oyster card. So try and plan a day in a certain area like South Kensington for the big museums and possibly Hyde Park and the Albert Hall; or Covent Garden for a walk,  the markets, the Courtauld gallery, Goodwins Court and Trafalgar square. Sky Gardens is wonderful and I spent a couple of hours there just admiring the unique view but it is a bit out on a limb so you'd have to think what to combine it with.

Unfortunately I won't be in London when you're there but have a great time and let us know how you got on and what you did.

[munchkin16]

If you are interested in Matilda this comes from the website: 

 

TIKTOK £10 TICKETS FOR 16-25 YEAR OLDS

A number of tickets are reserved for every performance. Available on the day of performance in person from 10am at the Cambridge Theatre Box Office. This offer is for individuals aged 16 to 25 who must make the booking themselves. Maximum of 1 ticket per person and proof of age ID will be required. Tickets will be allocated entirely at the discretion of the Box Office

 

Phantom has £30 day seats you can sign up here:

 

https://uk.thephantomoftheopera.com/day-tickets/