Phantom of the Opera

Synopsis

With Love Never Dies appearing at the Adelphi Theatre in 2010, see where it all began with The Phantom of the Opera, which continues strong at its home of Her Majesty’s Theatre in London. It is a show that has remained at its home for over 23 years, allowing thousands of performances to take places to millions of audience members. International productions have also brought the story to people in many different countries as it is translated into new languages and introduced to new cultures.

Over its long history it has picked up two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Musical and Best Performance in a Musical, and seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Lead Actor. Andrew Lloyd Webber must be glad he settled on the famous 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux as his latest musical venture back in the 1980s.

As a result, The Phantom of the Opera is a global phenomenon that is an intrinsic part of our culture. It has iconic moments and characters that have been referenced and parodied in various further works, whilst a movie version released in 2004 under the direction of Joel Schumacher (starring Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum) brought it to even more audiences.

The Phantom of the Opera takes audiences back more than a century, where a mysterious figure lurks beneath the Paris Opera House. He is a disfigured young composer known only as the Phantom, who hides his face from the public by wearing an iconic mask. He reaps havoc in the theatre, causing distress and chaos when things do not go to his choosing, particularly when a young singer he idolises Christine Daaé does not get a role in the new opera Il Muto. Falling backdrops and the discovery of corpses are just some of the incidents that take place as the Phantom declares his love for Christine, who is horrified by the disfigurement beneath the mask.

As the show progresses, the Phantom devises new ways of winning her heart whilst those involved with the theatre devise ways of capturing him. Christine becomes engaged to the opera manager Raoul and the Phantom finds his heart is continuously broken in two, but before the final curtain call Christine is going to be faced with some difficult choices to make.

One of the best known performers to take on the role of the Phantom is Ramin Karimloo, who won awards and acclaim for his portrayal. He will soon be taking on the role once more as the sequel show Love Never Dies opens in 2010. It sees the Phantom continue to tempt Christine a decade after the events of The Phantom of the Opera, relocating the action from the Parisian theatre to Coney Island in New York.

The Phantom of the Opera is at Her Majesty’s Theatre, where it continues to take bookings until late 2011.

Discounted Tickets

Venue Information

Her Majesty's Theatre
Haymarket
London
SW1Y 4QL
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Directions

Take the Bakerloo or Piccadilly line to Piccadilly Circus station and exit onto Haymarket. The theatre is approximately 5 minutes walk.

Seating Plan