On Saturday 20 – Sunday 21 June, Society Of London Theatre and Westminster City Council will be taking over Trafalgar Square and getting ready for West End LIVE 2020.
And if you’re already counting down the days, we don’t blame you. We may be acting all cool, calm and collected but really, we’ve already started our vocal warm-ups. And because we are so excited, we’ve been reminiscing about West End LIVEs of years gone past. To whet your whistle for this biggest weekend in London theatre, here are our top 10 favourite moments of West End LIVE.
When Rock Of Ages reunited in 2015
For two glorious years, Rock Of Ages *rocked* the West End. From 2011 to 2013, the beloved musical and all its 80s glory transformed polite theatre watchers into rowdy headbangers. When the show left London and went on tour, a big hole was felt in the theatre community.
So in 2015, we reunited the cast. The talented bunch performed a rendition of Don’t Stop Believin’ and the crowd went wild. Who needs wizards to have a magical experience?
That Fantine and Eponine mash-up
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They’re probably the two most miserable from Les Mis so it’s no surprise the two tragic female characters have possibly the most moving songs out of the whole show.
So when Fantine and Eponine stepped on stage and belted out a Glee-worthy mash-up of On My Own and I Dreamed A Dream, there wasn’t a single hair that wasn’t on end or goosebump-free inch of skin.
The barricades
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As the world’s longest-running musical, it’s not surprising that Les Misérables shows up twice on our list.
Every year, the outstanding cast perform a big number from the show and, as everyone knows the words, the whole crowd joins in and it feels like you’re at the barricades.
Getting a sneak peek at Everybody’s Talking About Jamie before it came to the West End
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It was already a massive hit in Sheffield but when Everybody’s Talking About Jamie appeared at last year’s West End LIVE, it hadn’t had a public performance in London.
We got to see the energetic cast perform the eponymous song, met John McCrea, and even saw composer Dan Gillespie Sells perform an acoustic version of one of the songs. Swoon.
Andrew Polec and Bat Out Of Hell rocking the Square
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When the cast of Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell The Musical are in a live environment, nothing is safe. Not least if you’re a microphone chord, being juggled in the electricity of the moment. Bat Out Of Hell’s performance last year was incredible.
The 2017 West End LIVE finale
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Spreading the message of love, unity and community, John Owen-Jones, Marisha Wallace, Nathan Amzi and Trevor Dion Nicholas brought West End LIVE 2017 to a close with an incredible and moving performance of John Farnham’s You’re The Voice. This performance is what West End LIVE is all about. Brilliant performers connecting with the masses.
Enjoying the ‘crème de la menthe’ of Only Fools & Horses
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Mais oui, mais oui! We won’t ever forget that time Del Boy and Rodney put on a pukka show. Only Fools And Horses The Musical‘s hilarious West End LIVE 2019 gave us all the laughs making it tough to say Bonjour 😉
Those annual crowd-pleasers
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Can you honestly say you can hear Circle Of Life from Disney’s The Lion King without getting a bit choked up? Okay, we believe you.
When & Juliet made it’s West End LIVE debut
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Making their West End LIVE debut in 2019 were & Juliet and we LOVE that they just did not hold back! This show-stopping performance was packed with songs by Max Martin and had us boogying and bopping all the way through. After all, who doesn’t love a bit of Ariana Grande, Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys?
The audience
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Okay, it’s not a moment. But the absolute best thing about West End LIVE is you, the fan that comes and spends the whole weekend with us.
Your energy, love and joy make London theatre what it is. And we’re so grateful when you decide to spend your hard-earned weekend with us, rocking out to the best the West End can offer.
More excited about this year’s show than ever? Stay up to date with all the news at West End LIVE 2020, here and keep an eye out for announcements on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and emails. We can’t wait to see you there!