Entertainment

THEATRES
Evening performances usually begin at 8, 8.15 or 8.30, and terminate about 11 p.m. Matinees, beginning at 2, 2.15 or 2.30, are usual at most houses on at least three days a week. For details see daily newspapers. Seats for the better parts of the house should be booked in advance, either at one of the Agents or Libraries, or by wire or telephone. It frequently happens that Agents owing to their advance bookings, have better seats for disposal than can be secured at the box offices.

The price of seats usually includes the entertainment tax. For the cheaper (unreserved) seats it is generally necessary to wait in the queues, which, in the cases of popular performances, often begin to form hours before the doors are opened; but at certain theatres even the cheaper seats can be booked. The numbers immediately following the names of theatres in the following list refer to the map below, showing the situation of most of the West End houses, and the nearest railway stations. Certain theatres have an established reputation for a particular kind of play, but in others the nature of the performance varies from time to time, and in reading the third column in the following list due allowance should be made for changes of management, etc.

VARIETY THEATRES, MUSIC HALLS ETC
Matinées generally at 2 or 2.30, evening performance at 7.45. In many houses two performances a night are given, beginning about 6.15 and 8.45 respectively. Smoking is permitted. Prices are generally lower than in theatres for the corresponding class of seat. The numbers immediately following the names in the following list refer to map above.

 

CINEMAS
In all the principal thoroughfares will be found Cinematography Theatres, offering their patrons a constantly varied and frequently excellent programme. These entertainments are very popular, and are crowded throughout the afternoon and evening. Well known establishments are the Tivoli, Strand, W.C.; Capitol, Haymarket; Empire, Leicester Square; Piccadilly, Denman Street, W., Regal, Marble Arch, W.; Plasa, near Piccadilly Circus; the Stoll Picture Theatre, Kingsway, W.C.; New Gallery, Regent Street; Marble Arch Cinema, Rialto, Astoria, Charring Cross Road; the Polytechnic, Regent Street; the Coronet, Notting Hill Gate, W. In addition, important cinema shows are frequently given at certain theatres and music halls, while travel films are shown from time to time at the Philharmonic Hall, Great Portland Street, W.