Lyric Theatre

The oldest surviving playhouse on the billboard-heavy Shaftesbury Avenue, the Lyric Theatre (not to be confused with Lyric Hammersmith) is an unassuming venue. Its simple architecture is devoid of the elaborate gilt and sculpture that adorns most nineteenth-century theatres, leaving the Lyric looking more like a period property than an entertainment venue. Starting life as a home for comic operas, it's since gone on to stage a mixed bag of comedy (Eddie Izzard, Frank Skinner), classics ('Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', 'Death of a Salesman') and musicals including the critical hit 'Cabaret' and people's production 'Thriller Live'.