Best West End Shows for Groups of Friends

A West End show is one of the best things you can do as a group in London. Whether it is a birthday, a hen do, a works outing or just a long-overdue night out, the right show turns a good evening into a memorable one. The trick is picking something the whole group will enjoy, which is easier said than done when you are herding eight people with different tastes. Here are our picks for the best West End shows to see with friends. If you only have time for one group outing, SIX is hard to beat. The pop-concert musical retelling the stories of Henry VIII's six wives runs at just 80 minutes with no interval, which makes it easy to fit around dinner or drinks. The energy in the room is electric, the songs are catchy, and the audience atmosphere at evening and weekend performances is closer to a gig than a traditional show. It works for mixed groups where not everyone is a regular theatregoer, because it is short, accessible and genuinely fun. Visit BritishTheatre.com for current availability. The original crowd-pleaser. Mamma Mia has been running in the West End for over two decades, and the reason is simple: it is a guaranteed good time. The ABBA songs do most of the heavy lifting, and by the encore the entire audience is on their feet. It is particularly good for hen dos, milestone birthdays and any group that values a singalong over subtlety. The Novello Theatre is compact enough that there is no bad seat in the house. For groups who like their comedy sharp and their jokes very much not suitable for grandparents, The Book of Mormon remains one of the funniest shows in the West End. Written by the creators of South Park, it is crude, clever and relentlessly entertaining. The humour is not for everyone, but if your group enjoys irreverent comedy, this will be a highlight. Works especially well for birthday celebrations and friends' reunions. The show plays at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on Drury Lane. Hamilton works brilliantly for groups because it gives everyone something to talk about afterwards. The hip-hop musical about America's founding fathers is one of the defining productions of the past decade, and the Victoria Palace Theatre staging remains a slick, powerful piece of work. It is also a good choice for mixed groups that include people who do not normally go to musicals, because the music and storytelling are genuinely different from anything else in the West End. Wicked is the kind of show where even the person in your group who said "I don't really do musicals" walks out a convert. The spectacle is huge, the songs are memorable and the story has more emotional weight than you might expect. The Apollo Victoria Theatre is a large venue, which means group bookings are usually easier to accommodate, even at shorter notice. For something completely different, Starlight Express is Andrew Lloyd Webber's roller-skating musical, now in a newly built arena-style venue at Wembley Park. The performers race around the audience on skates, the set wraps around you, and the whole thing feels more like a theme park ride than a traditional show. It is a strong option for groups who want an experience rather than just a performance, and it works well for friends who are not regular theatregoers. If your group fancies something other than a musical, Agatha Christie's murder mystery has been running continuously at St Martin's Theatre since 1952. At around 2 hours 20 minutes, it is a tight, satisfying evening, and the post-show conversation about whodunnit is half the fun. The tradition of not revealing the ending adds a nice element of collective secrecy to a group outing. Book early. Groups of six or more will want seats together, and the best blocks tend to go quickly for popular shows. Midweek evening performances (Tuesday to Thursday) are generally easier for large group bookings than weekends. Many West End productions offer group rates for bookings of ten or more. Check individual show pages on BritishTheatre.com for details, or book through tickadoo where you can compare availability across dates. If your group includes someone with access requirements, contact the venue box office directly when booking. Most West End theatres can accommodate wheelchair users, but specific seating arrangements may need to be arranged in advance. And one practical note: agree on the show before you book. A group chat poll is quicker than trying to build consensus on the night. Pick something with broad appeal, book it, and let the evening take care of itself. Half the fun of a group theatre trip is what happens around the performance. For pre-show drinks, most West End theatres open their bars 45 minutes to an hour before curtain, and many let you pre-order interval drinks to avoid the crush. If you are eating before the show, book a restaurant at least a week ahead for groups of six or more; Covent Garden, Soho and Chinatown are all well placed for most West End venues. After the show, the bars and restaurants around Theatreland stay open late. Leicester Square, Soho and the South Bank all have plenty of options for extending the evening. If your group is splitting a cab home, the rank on Charing Cross Road usually has availability after the curtain comes down. Browse shows and check availability on BritishTheatre.com. For group bookings and the latest ticket availability, visit tickadoo. If you are looking for a flexible gift for a friend organising a group outing, tickadoo gift vouchers let the recipient choose their own show and date.