London Theatres

One of the country’s most respected drama critics, Michael Coveney has written about theatre for over three decades, as staff critic on the Financial Times, Observer and Daily Mail. His books include a history of the Glasgow Citizens Theatre and biographies of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Dame Maggie Smith. Peter Dazeley FRPS, known as Dazeley, is a celebrated London photographer renowned for fine art and advertising  photography. His work has won many awards from organisations across the world, including the Association of Photographers and the Royal Photographic Society in the UK, EPICA in France, Applied Arts Magazine in Canada, and Graphis Inc. in the USA. Dazeley is a member of the Association of Photographers and a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and is the photographer of Unseen London, London Uncovered, London Theatres (all Frances Lincoln).  Mark Rylance is an actor who recently appeared as Thomas Cromwell in the BBC's Wolf Hall. He is also a trustee of the Shakespearean Authorship Trust and an Honorary Bencher of The Middle Temple Hall. He was the Artistic Director of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre for ten years and wrote the play I Am Shakespeare.

1. Grandes Dames: Haymarket, Drury Lane, Her Majesty’s, Covent Garden, Palace
2. Palaces of Pleasure: Palladium, Coliseum, Shaftesbury, Dominion, Prince Edward, Lyceum, Prince of Wales
3. Popular landmarks: National Theatre, Sadler’s Wells, Shakespeare’s Globe, Old Vic, Roundhouse, Royal Court, Regents Park
4. Informal delights: Young Vic, Almeida, Donmar, Tricycle, New London, The Other Palace
5. Legends Alive: Richmond, Playhouse, Adelphi, Queen's, New Ambassadors, New Wimbledon
6. Hidden Gems: Alexandra Palace, BBC Radio Theatre, Normansfield, Charing Cross,
7. Eastward Ho!: Barbican, Hackney Empire, Stratford East, Wilton’s Music Hall
8. West End jewels: Wyndham’s, Savoy, Gielgud, Phoenix, Novello, Duke of York's, St Martin's, Criterion