London Coliseum

Not my first trip to the Coliseum and on this occasion I was here to see the English National Opera perform Madam Butterfly.
The building itself is opulent and splendid and the perfect setting for opera as it’s grandeur adds to the whole wonderful experience. We were sat in the Gods and It was a very hot and humid Tuesday evening so the stairs did take their toll on my when finding my seat. I did discover the lift during the first interval (there were two) so that helped with proceedings.
There are bars and plenty of seating conveniently placed throughout the venue so, no mater where you are seated, you will have somewhere close to perch during the interval. I almost feel that those in the cheap seats have the best option as there is an atrium like area at the top of the building that is quite simply fabulous. I would happily hang out there even without catching a show. There are some really interesting snack options too.
The cheap seats… well they are cheap for a reason. Not much depth to them and quite closely packed together so get prepared to know the people you are seated by. The lady next to me said I smelled lovely and I think she was lucky considering the climate. But yeah, its very intimate though I had a fine view of the stage and the audio was faultless.
I did go outside in the intervals and you are meant to take your ticket with you. Something I totally forgot to do. I did a sort of dance to show my unique top and was promised I would be permitted entry again if I dance on the way back. The staff were really lovely on the whole and clearly love working in this environment. The lady in the lift was also quite a hoot.
I feel it is worth saying something about the show itself as if a venue consistently puts on good shows it does speak to the venue. Madam Butterfly was an amazing and very emotive show. As per usual the ENO put a new spin on an old tale. This isn’t for your traditionalists but they are always so innovative in how they portray a story. Utilising ninja style performers who play part of the set or portray additional characters through puppetry. It was really quite beautiful and what I have come to expect from the ENO and the Coliseum.
Highly recommend for a cultured night out!

We went to the Coliseum to see Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard. Terrific, one of the best musical productions I’ve seen. Amazing cast, brilliant orchestra and the staging was one of the most elegantly simple yet creative sets I’ve ever seen.
But on to the theatre itself. I’d never been here before, but it has to be the most visually stunning theatre I’ve ever been to. We were up in the balcony, so perhaps this gave me a better viewpoint to look at the actual theatre itself. It’s just so beautiful, in the kind of fake-​Roman styling. It’s hard to believe that the design work dates from 1905, except then you have to remember that no-​one would ever create something like this in the modern era. You’d be laughed at for suggesting a theme.
The seats are a little unusual up in the balcony, in that they’re only kind of half depth so you feel like you’re perching on it with your bottom. But it does give the illusion of more leg room, even if it’s required for more of your leg than usual. The capacity of this place is immense, and despite the gradient of the balcony, it didn’t feel like one of those cramped dark balconies I’ve sat in other theatres. Love the place, would happily come back and I’m very pleased that they take a hard line on people who are late — some places let you in after a song but at the Colosseum you can only enter at the interval. So that avoids the obnoxious person who shuffles through two rows in front of you some twenty minutes into the performance.
BTW, since I couldn’t do this joke anywhere else, I’ll do it here. I think it’s only Glenn Close in the stalls. In the balcony, it’s Glenn Far. Yeah, I’m not going to be hired for stand up anytime soon, am I?

Came here to watch the Barber of Seville. The balcony seats provide a great view of the stage but the seats are uncomfortable. It feels like you’re tilted forward. The venue is regal and enjoyable to see any performance.

Came in early January to watch Swan Lake.
It is a beautiful theatre, we were told that it had recently been done up. There is a lot to see whilst getting seated and waiting for the ballet to start — lots of beautiful pictures, art work and very detailed sculptures.
The staff were all very friendly, cheerful and helpful, which was a delight, though we were rushed a bit to leave at the end.
Getting drinks was easy and from what I saw, there are two bars. There were enough staff that we didn’t have to wait very long to be served. The drinks are given in quite big cups and we were also able to pre-​order drinks for the interval.

Amazing venue & English National Opera really are a fantastic outfit! AMAZING productions & all in English! So you don’t even need to read the sur-​titles! Saw Verdi’s Otello there recently with some mates who hadn’t been to the opera before & they absolutely loved it. Stuart Skelton as Otello was mind-​blowing & Allan Clayton as Cassio was absolutely hilarious! Pissed for the whole show! Can’t recommend this place enough & if you get in there early you can get some really cheap tickets!

The theatre is just beautiful, a large opulent theatre, where the English National Opera is based. The seats in the stalls were very comfy. We saw Otello, sang in English, although I still prefer opera sang in Italian, as it is much more amazing, as the lyrics does not lend itself to English as much. However, the two leads’ performance was really good and in such a superb venue, makes a lovely afternoon or evening out.

This is a great venue for a night out at the Opera. The theater itself is beautiful, and our seats in the stalls were comfy.
Finding this place was easy, given the huge rotating globe that says «Coliseum» on it. Entry was smooth as well, just a quick check of the ticket, no assigned doors for specific seating areas, very efficient!
We had a pre-​show drink at one of the bars – which are nicely designed with cool backlighting, even if it is a giant advertisement. The prices were fairly reasonable, unless you were drinking champagne like us. I will never understand why a glass of champagne costs double that of a glass of wine, and you get less! Still, it is tasty and we paid it, so I guess that’s why – they get away with it. They also take orders for interval drinks to expedite the process. Great idea!
We were in the second row and from here the orchestra pit was visible. It wasn’t a distraction from the show, but might not be something everyone wants to see. Additionally, to see the subtitles/​translation, on a screen above the stage, you do have to strain your neck just a bit. Luckily most English National Opera performances are in English, so once you adjust to the performers, the subtitles aren’t absolutely necessary. Though I’m sure performing classic operas in English is a major violation in the eyes of many opera fans.
The location is great for grabbing a pre– or post-​show meal, with many restaurants just steps from the theater.

Once we were happily filled with burrito, my friends and I were able to look forward to a wonderful evening of cultural elegance in this superb venue. Steeped in history and classical prowess, the Coliseum really does take some beating as a venue if you considering visuals alone. It is beautifully decadent, opulently designed with works of art that I could have spent hours staring at. Definitely gives a great first impression.
I’m not one to review plays etc on Unilocal as such, since I think in this review I should rate the building itself and not a transient production that it holds. But I will mention that I saw Madam Butterfly and was absolutely blown away by the incredibly moving story told by ture opera professionals with increadible set design and musical accompaniment.
All merit top marks so far. Loss of 2 stars in this case (yes 2!!) were for the inexplicably uncomfortable chairs that we were stuck in for over 3 hours! Now we got tickets in the balcony so I don’t expect top quality velvet, but I equally don’t expect a chair that makes you sit up so straight you fill you are about to topple over the balcony. I also don’t expect legroom that the most miniscule of children would find is not enough to sit comfortably — ironically your legs are so squashed in to the seat in front you know you won’t topple over the edge despite the back of the chair appearing to force you to a dramatic demise.
Such a shame for such a beautiful place.

Bought tickets to see La Boheme (last minute, day of the show at TKTS).
We had 3^rd row seats (on the left side of the stage).
Opera was nice (but was in English), which was a little disappointing).
Coliseum was nice… old, historic theater. Great to catch a show while on vacation, and you can’t beat the location.

By far one of the most beautiful and elegant theatres in London. i went to see the ballet recently and was simply stunned by the sheer magnificence of this building. I recommend dress circle seats (i had a front row) which allows a view of the orchestra pit as well as a perfect view of the stage. On my visit the orchestra were simply stunning and the english national ballet dancers were perfection. The costumes and scenery were absolutely spectacular and I was mesmerised throughout. There were 3 intervals for this 3 hour performance of Sleeping Beauty where a bar was available on every floor for champagne, wine beer or even coffee and you could order your next drink and collect it in the areas with your name attached (although 13.50 for a glass of Veuve Cliquot was a bit excessive I thought. Ice cream, theatre binoculars and programs were reasonably priced and were a nice souvenir. (Theatre tip; the steak and co steakhouse offers a free bottle of wine for your meal with your theatre tickets-​another great choice) before or after the show.

As an avid theatre goer, my Mum has been adamant over the past few years that she was going to take me to the opera so I could experience it and when some fairly cheap tickets at The Coliseum (home of the English National Opera or ENO as those in the know call it) and an ‘easy’ opera — Madame Butterfly — came up, Mama P was determined we would go.
When we booked it a couple of months prior (along with the ballet for July — yep, you guessed Mama P’s trying to get me into that too!), the box office staff were really nice, friendly and helpful.
On the night, after waiting around for a while in the foyer we, along with others, were told the dress circle and bar were open and we could get into the lift (yes you can tell you’re at the opera when there’s a lift — it was an education already!!) Which we did and were then barked at by the lady operating the lift as to why we’d got in so a couple of us said that her colleague had said we could, etc, this seemed to a). Confuse her but b). Shut her up so we got on our way. We went upstairs, ordered drinks for then and the interval and then went off to the loos. Oh my, the loos! Again, hello opera, not theatre! None of this, queuing out the doors and only having 3 scabby loos inside and not having any room to swing any cats you might want to. Oh no, these loos were great, well maintained and there a number of them, and even a few full length mirrors. I was impressed already.
The opera itself was okay and on the whole I enjoyed it, unfortunately I’d worked that morning so did nod off a couple of times and because it was boiling in the theatre. At least I wasn’t snoring or lying back asleep un my seat like some others sat nearby!
Annoyingly there were a number of occasions where the subtitles didn’t work and, although the opera was sung in English, you did need them.
What I found really irritating and frustrating though, was the constant whispering, rustling of sweets, food packets, and even phones going off. I was horrified and it was really distracting and certainly not in keeping with what I have expected of an audience at the opera.
Certainly an experience, not sure id it’s one I want to repeat in a hurry.

A gorgeous theatre and a fantastic ballet gala in memory of the world famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova!

This is indeed a beautiful theatre, both from the outside and in. Sadly, as much as I try, I just can not get into opera.
The staff were extremely helpful when I made a mistake with my booking.

Dedicated to Roland Petit and performed by The English National Ballet, this trio of ballets was staged to celebrate one of the greatest choreographers of the 20^th century.
The opening ballet was L’Arlesienne performed by Erina Takahashi and Esteban Berlanga, it tells the story of a young man tormented by ghosts of his past and following his wedding day, succumbs to his insanity.
The second was Le Jeune Homme et la Mort (The Young Man and Death) performed by Anton Lukovkin and Jia Zhang.
The third and final ballet was Carmen performed by Anais Chalendard and Daniel Kraus telling the tragic love story between Don Jose and beautiful dancer Carmen.
All three performances were beautifully staged and were complimented wonderfully by The Orchestra of The English Ballet conducted by Benjamin Pope.
It was a quite magical afternoon of dance and storytelling, all in the stunning surroundings of the historic and prestigious Grade II listed London Coliseum Theatre.

A really beautiful venue. My boyfriend and I sat gazing at the ceiling for half an hour before the performance started. The lions, the faces, all that gold paint! Stunning.
Also, the onsite facilities (bar, etc.) are very good (acceptable prices, even!) with a wide range of drinks and refreshments.

Since we had been to London many-​a-​times, we decided this go around we would go to London and do some ‘Christmas-​y’ things we had never done. For me, that naturally included The Nutcracker — my all-​time favorite ballet. So, off we went and found ourselves at the London Coliseum.
We found the theater to be absolutely beautiful. So ornate, traditional, with specks of modernity thrown in. Sure, what do we know… how cultured can two Angelenos be? But in our travels around the world, we’ve been to many a theater and we still thought this was extremely beautiful. And the view truly was not bad at all. We, by no means, had ‘expensive’ tickets and felt like we could see the stage and the beautiful ballerinas just fine.
The staff were helpful and polite when we were confused about where to pick up our tickets, what to do when we didn’t bring the correct credit card, etc. The facilities were all beautiful, clean, and the ice cream everyone told us about… well, thanks for that little tidbit of information! All in all, we had a wonderful time at the ballet. Heck, even my hubby enjoyed himself!

My falling in love with the Coliseum, home to the English National Opera, started as I observe the fusion between the classic and the modern. Initially, I mistook the place and drew comparison with Royal Opera House and found it more for the Royal pride then theatre performances. It is indeed the largest theatre with 2359 seats in London (c.f. 2,268 in ROH). Coliseum’s interior deco probably attracts more eyes with its gold and grand circles (widest proscenium arch in London).
For non British Europeans and me, Chinese, it is an acquired taste. My 1^st experience w/​Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte… a bit awkward. However, the recent performance, i.e. Don Giovanni and Faust, offered me some new feeling and perspective… a musical stage beyond the vocal empowerment. They’re singers and dancers, often with new twists. It is the integration of the whole experience marks the Avant Garde. It sustains its vision that opera should be for everyone through an innovative and dynamic programme, created by imaginative stage directors and designers from across the arts and performed by leading artists. For example, one can much relate Jersey boys to Faust from the Tony Award-​winning director Des McAnuff’.
I’m grateful to have some theatre pro friends to give guidance and accompany, i.e. Emillie W, and Chen-​en.

I’ve been to the ballet twice in London. The first time was at the Royal Opera House and the second was here at the London Coliseum. Even though the ROH is STUNNING, I have to say my second experience was worlds better. It’s a really beautiful venue and there don’t appear to be any bad seats in the house (there are plenty of BAD seats at the ROH).
More than anything else, I really appreciated the staffs diligence when it came to noisy folks. When I went to the ROH I was so excited and the entire experience was ruined by:
1.) people next to me videotaping the entire thing, even though it’s ‘strictly prohibited’. The bright light and beeping from the video camera was so distracting.
2.) the people in front of us STOOD UP for the entire 3^rd act, completely obstructing our view.
The ROH staff did nothing at all. Yet at the Coliseum if you even DARE crinkle a plastic wrapper or whisper too loudly, you can bet a member of staff will tap you on the shoulder. I LOVE that. We were able to sit through the entire show without even the slightest disturbance. That really meant a lot to me and it was all thanks to the excellent staff. It sounds simple, but honestly makes a huge difference.

An absolutely stunning venue to see ballet or opera. The ornate interior and plush red seats hark back to a bygone age, but the performances aim to make the ‘snooty’ entertainments accessible to a modern audience. This year’s Nutcracker was a case in point: the cartoonish costumes avoid the tutu and codpiece stereotype, and the smiles on kids’ faces show that ballet can appeal to a younger generation.
A great venue, and a great place to test the balletic and operatic waters if you’re not sure it’ll be to your taste. At the very least you can stare in wonder at the theatre’s interior.

Admittedly, I have no idea why this place is called the Coliseum but I know that it is the home of the English National Opera. I got to see a performance for free which is the only reason I’d go here. It’s not because it’s bad, just because of the atmosphere. Very genteel, very well to do.
People were probably looking at us, I don’t think we looked quite up to scratch.
Oh well, «The Barber of Seville» was really good, we had brilliant seats especially as it was a freebie. I don’t really like that they sing in English, I can handle subtitles and I would have much preferred it sung in it’s original tongue. But what ENO wants, ENO gets.
The ice-​cream is phenomenal, definitely go for the lemon sorbet and there’s free water if you are ever parched. Be warned if you are late, you won’t get your seat until the interval, so don’t be late then.