Lyric Hammersmith

I went to see bugsy malone (just now actually), the play is so good I needed to review it right away. My review will be in two parts, you can skip to the play ahead.
The theatre is very modem in the outside and very classic inside. It makes for a nice mix. You can tell the kids actually train there, everything is in the open. A special mention needs to go out to all of the staff, most friendly staff I’ve seen. Outside there are several good options to eat and most are open by the time the end plays. The area is not too crowded which is nice and certainly helps.
Now for the play, we all know the story, its one of Alan Parker masterpieces. In my opinion the movie is ruined by not having the actual kid voices. When you get a small kid singing with a deep grownup voice it takes you away from the magic. The kids in this show are amazing, they have great voices and great acting skills. Having kids adds an unexpected advantage, this kids are not afraid to get dirty, so the action is much more real. The dance routines are excellent and when you stop to see them, they are so cute, bugsy and blousey can’t have more than 10 years. Of course fat Sam steals the show. They all have great futures ahead of them. It ends in September and is very cheap, catch it.

What a theatre, what a space.
Totally redone, beautiful, yes you have to travel to Hammersmith to get there, which can be a little out of the way, but it’s worth the journey.
We saw an adorable version of «Bugsy Malone» here, and it was great. You can’t miss the Lyric, it’s the giant white building with a glowing sign that says Lyric on top of it. And once you get there, it’s easy to find the entrance, tons of writing literally on the walls that will lead you to the theatre, bar, or anything else you need to see.
The theatre itself was big, open, and matched anything I’ve seen in the West End shows. We were on the ground floor near the back but could see and hear perfectly. I can’t state for every seat but at least where we were, it was great.
They also move the line quick at the bar so you can grab a snack or drink during intermission and still make it back to your seat with plenty of time. Very important for a theatre.
Loved the building, loved the show, loved everything about the night. I can’t say anything but good things.

Had a Valentine’s night out at the Lyric this week and it’s an interesting space – a very traditional little theatre nestled into a modern renovated lobby and café area. They are in the midst of further redevelopment, it seems from their website.
There’s tons of seating in the café and a level up on the way into the theatre itself, all comfy and, when I was there, full of people sipping pre-​theatre drinks.
What matters in a review of a theatre venue rather than a particular show? I’m tempted to say that if it’s the kind of place I’d want to spend time in regardless of the show, it’s doing something right; and the Lyric was a space I’d love to park my laptop in for a few hours. Fortunately, their roof garden and indoor spaces are open from early to late on performances days and 9:30 — 5:30 on other days.
What a great resource for folks in the area!

Pretty classy, been going there for years, any production is never a let down.
I would recommend to anyone young or old–

.A comfortable and classic-​styled theater with an eye catching, gorgeous ceiling. The environment is cozy yet spacious with an all around fair view of the stage. I went here to see Sarah Kane’s Blasted on assignment, which was an out of this world play… not for the kids! («In-​yer-​face-​theatre) The type of play to make you cringe down into your seats! There’d also a café and a bar on the mid floor to lounge and wait for the play to begin.

A beautiful yet small theater. Just recently saw Spring Awakening at this theater and felt that the theater itself is a beautiful, intimate space. My biggest gripe is the WC which did not look as renovated and new as the café space, plus the toilet wouldn’t flush which was both frustrating and embarrassing as the queue was quite long.
There was a mix up with my tickets at will call and the staff was extremely patient and helpful. The café gets pretty crowded and I was left standing awkwardly about with my cup of tea while trying to figure out where to get situated prior to the show.
We had amazing seats in the stalls and overall I would have given the theater five stars but for the toilet issue.

The Lyric has always been one of my favourite theatres, and has gained further appeal when it was mordernised a few years ago. The entrance is now on the main square rather than next door to the depressing shopping mall it is part of. The bar/​café on the first floor is a nice place to meet friends. Not so keen on the café on ground floor level.
More importantly, the programme can compete with those of West End theatres, while the prices are much more reasonable. Most shows are available for just £9 if you book fast enough.
Plays are not limited to the main theatre or the smaller studio and also include unusual site specific performances in the surrounding area.
I’m lucky to live nearby, but it the Lyric is definitely worth travelling to Hammersmith to. Transport is excellent with the Piccadilly, District and Hammersmith & City Lines all within a couple of minutes’ walk from the theatre, as well as a major bus station.

Saw ‘Metamorphosis’ here after reading many great reviews… indeed the show was tremendously well-​done. Incredible the way the main actor performed the bulk of the show hanging upside down, often snapped around the room like he was on a rubber band — very high production values all-​around.
We had *terrible* seats though… the way this theatre works is very high and narrow… so even if it doesn’t look like you’re that far back on the seating chart, you still might feel like you’re in the rafters… looking down into the pit where the action is going on. If you come here, I highly suggest you spend the money for the *good* seats so that you don’t feel like you’re sitting in the flyspace.
Otherwise, the venue is good. Contemporary décor with a streamlined, but cosy feel. Plenty of spaces to be before and after the show. There were drink deals in the bar following the play to get you to stay. Lots of tasty items on the café and restaurant menu — we had gelato before the curtain rose!

I was lucky to get a pair of tickets to see Othello here in November. It’s a sold out run and there’s a good reason for it. The Lyric had used its good sound system and deep stage to the best effect. Most of the action took place in a Mancunian pub, which was created at the front of the stage. Street fights, such as Iago’s knifing of Rodrigo took place towards the back of the stage. The action was moved from renaissance Venice to a 21^st century council estate in Manchester. I’ve always thought that the Lyric is one of the few London theatres to understand that the punters like enough space to meet and chat before a performance. The food and the bar are both good.

The Lyric is a fabulous little theatre, which always shows interesting productions. It’s very handy for people who live or work nearby to have a decent place in the area. As an off-​west end place, it leans towards smaller shows, by lesser known playwrights, but it’s all the better for it. We recently sawOthello, which was absolutely outstanding and lively. The best bit is that the seats are about half the price of its big West End sister theatres; you can get top price stalls seats for just £25. It’s also worth checking out the previews, which are often even cheaper.

Over the years the Lyric has provided me with many great shows to go– a mix of music and theatre. The venue is really intimate, not small, just a really nice sort of classic theatre, which you don’t expect when you enter the modern looking front part.
I have seen plays here, but the best times have been music events. It is sort of wierd because you can’t stand up, but once you get used to the atmosphere it is really cool.
I also came to a poetry and music evening here, which was slightly wanky. I was quite innapropriately tipsy and couldn’t help being a bit loud, suddenly it hit me that I was not at a normal gig, but at a seated one, and everyone was deadly silent! HA.
The café and restaurant is really good too, the food is sort of pretentious but that means that it does taste good. It is vaguely pricey but why not treat yourself to a nice cake or foccacia sandwich?
If something is on at the Lyric, then it generally means it is going to be good!

The Lyric has a lot going for it, not least their children shows on Saturdays and young people department which is under their creative learning umbrella. This energy seeps into their main house work and the audience, unlike many London theatres, is a young and vibrant one. The work they choose to show are fresh, dynamic and often challenges the norms of what theatre should be represented as. A great example would be their staging of Tony Kushner’s ‘Angels in America’ which was a scenographic feast.

This is a wonderful little theatre which shows a wide variety of plays, both modern and more traditional. Tickets are usually at a reasonable price making shows accesible to a wider audience. The theatre is pretty small but this makes shows more intimate and personal.
There is a nice café/​bar on the middle floor, grat for a pre-​show or interval drink.
My only criticism would be the result of a recent play I saw where a fight broke out in the upper circle. The commotion went on for at least 10 minutes before escalating to a full on shouting match. It was very disruptive for the audience and the young cast and I felt more could have been done quicker to bring the situation under control. The play had to be stopped and restarted which meant the audience lost some focus and the play never quite recovered its momentum again.

Fancy a night at the theatre? Comedy, music, or something a bit more serious (Othello for instance), Typical Londoner and can’t be bothered to go into the centre of town ?
Well have a night out at the Lyric in Hammersmith.
Plenty of places to go for a meal or a drink before hand, after which sit back and relax.
Proper theatre is not my cup of tea but I have been to numerous comedy nights here and had a thoroughly great time.
With a wide selection of performances and genre, there is surely something for everyone. Support the arts and log on to find out what is on.

Although a bit bland and boxy from the outside, the inside of the Lyric Theatre is really contemporary and has a constant buzz. With a diverse range of shows they strike a nice balance between more conventional theatre and innovative work. I particularly enjoyed the site specific work they did where you sat out on the terrace with headphones on and a pair of binoculars and watched the performance take place in various windows on the other side of the square. Very clever.
The food is good in their café too, not so cheap but theatre food never is.

Life is a cabaret and when watching this performance live you feel part of the production and the life it represents. Full of energy and using original tricks to include the writer’s kookiness, the Cabaret musical is fantastic!
The production has a number of challenging songs, that one may not know but still have reason to tap a foot to. If you do know the film, you will not be disappointed and although it may not be Lisa Minnelli on stage, the cast are very talented and put on a sterling performance.
The set has been crated excellently allowing for the easy fast changes needed for this production. It also embodies the oddness that is typical of this musical and what makes it a success.
This musical will make you walk out wanting to take over the world even though you’ve seen the underbelly of it.

This is a quite a nice little theatre to go and watch something like Cabaret. The play set in pre-​war Berlin is about free-​spirited Sally Bowles a singer in a Cabaret Spot called the The Kit Kat Club who is and out of trouble as tension mounts in East Berlin. I think Liza Minelli was good when she did the film but the more realistic version is much better.

The Lyric Hammersmith is a wonderful theatre. Perched on Lyric Square, it’s a real pleasure to go to see something here. A mixture of traditional and modern is the architectural style within and without the theatre. Inside, the auditorium is plush, dripping with chandeliers and clad with velvet curtains over its three tiers. The bars and cafes are modern with clean lines and sharp angles.
The theatre features the main auditorium and studio space so it has a big programme of events including brilliant children’s theatre and large scale stand up nights. The production value of the shows I’ve seen has always been very high but the quality of the shows themselves I’ve often hated or loved. ‘Nights at the Circus’ was excellent, as was Mark Ravenhill’s ‘Pool No Water’ but some of the in house productions have been really disappointing.
As a resident of the borough I am able to see every show for free on the first night, which I think is a brilliant scheme to ensure locals are involved in the theatre, which I find generally creates a sense of pride in the community and the work being produced. Additionally, as the Lyric is not a West End theatre the prices are very reasonable with excellent concessions (like £6 tickets for under 25s).