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Facts and fiction
^ Ô Best theater shows for teenagers A Living close to London has so many advantages, but one of the best has to be the array of theatre productions on offer. From the Lion King to The Mousetrap, visitors travel from all over the world to take advantage of the West End shows. With a daughter now verging on the teenage years, I explore the best shows in London for teens and tweens. “Mum, what show will we see in London this year?” asks my younger. Every summer, we plan a special day out, just me and my daughter. As a family, we do so much, and both children are busy with various weekend pursuits, and it can be difficult to get any one-to-one time as a parent with each of our kids. So, she and I plan a day in the summer holidays to visit London. We began when my son was a baby, to get some time together that was all about her, and it’s a tradition which has lasted. We shop - what once was a four-hour stint in Hamley’s is now a full-scale fashion expedition along Regent and Oxford streets; we eat - ice-cream for tea in Haagen Dazs was always a favourite, but now when she’s older it’s more likely to be macarons at the Café Royal. And then there’s the theatre. It started with Oliver! And we’ve since seen Mamma Mia, Wicked, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But she’s older now, and on the cusp of being able to manage some older themes, which opens up even more theatre options. So, I’ve been exploring the reviews to decide what we should add to our list. Here’s my round up of the best London theatre shows for teenagers. B Matilda. We actually saw Matilda when my children were nine and six respectively. All four of us were spellbound for the entire show. The acting is impeccable and energetic, the staging is so clever, and the music is so addictive that it has boosted my daughter’s desire to practice her piano. She is so intent on learning to perform ‘Naughty.’ My own opinion is that it is much, much better than its colleague Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Tim Minchin’s hilarious lyrics is bringing it to life in a way that even Roald Dahl couldn’t They might mumble about it in advance, but teens will come out as inspired as everyone else. C Wicked. The classic battle between good and evil is always a hit, and Wicked continues to draw visitors, ten years after its opening night in London. It’s the one show we’ve seen that my daughter is keen to see a second time, and it’s always a close call whether to go for something new, or this Wizard of Oz remake she loved so much. What I think works for teenagers is the whole ‘coming of age’ angle to the story, the suggestion that not all bad people
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