As a centre for the performing arts, London has a long & storied history, spanning both sides of the Thames.
"The theatre is an attack on mankind carried on by magic: to victimize an audience every night, to make them laugh and cry and suffer and miss their trains." (Iris Murdoch)
In our historical imagination, Shakespeare's Globe may form the centre of London's theatrical life. But, in strictly geographic terms, the real centre of the city's performing arts lies on the northern side of the Thames in the cluster of theatres that congregate around Leicester Square and Covent Garden. Many of these city centre venues have become household names across the world. But of no lesser cultural importance are the theatres and concert halls of the city's suburbs. From the Brixton Academy to the Roundhouse in Camden, these local venues have multiplier effects on their host neighbourhoods, through their reciprocal relationship to nearby restaurants, bars and clubs.
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You can use the map above to examine the geographical distribution of London's theatres and concert halls. Use the filter to choose a borough and the map will automatically zoom into that part of town. Then, hover your cursor over any of the dots and a lightbox will appear, displaying the name of the venue, its street location and its postcode.
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