London Theatreland Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Punch Bowl

'The Punch Bowl' was a review show which was enacted at the Duke of York's Theatre in London on 21st May, 1924, It starred British actress, Hermione Baddeley, who featured in the 1964 film, 'Mary Poppins'. Another review show in London during the 1920s included 'Clowns in Clover' in 1927 at the Adelphi Theatre.

Answer: Private Lives

'Private Lives' premiered on 18th August 1930 at the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road. It starred Coward himself in the lead role and Gertrude Lawrence. It told of the private lives of two couples, Elyot and Sybil, and Amanda and Victor.

Answer: Tonight and Every Night

The Windmill Theatre never closed its doors even during the London Blitz of World War 2. Its motto was 'We Never Closed'. 'Tonight and Every Night' was an American musical which starred Hayworth as Rosalind Bruce, a singer and dancer who performed in the fictional Music Box Theatre, another venue which never closed during the war.

Answer: The Mousetrap

'The Mousetrap' opened in London's West End in 1952 at the Ambassadors Theatre. It had already had a successful run in several nationwide theatres including Nottingham, Liverpool and Birmingham. This Agatha Christie murder mystery has starred many famous actors of stage and screen, including Richard Attenborough and Sheila Sim when it first opened in London.

Answer: Hair

'Hair' had a successful run at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End between 1968 and 1973. The songs and characters portrayed life during the Vietnam war peace movement where hippies, drugs and promiscuity were the norm. Lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni included 'Aquarius', 'Hair' and 'Good Morning Starshine'.

Answer: The Rocky Horror Show

Written by Richard O'Brien, this cult musical featured many popular songs including 'Sweet Transvestite' and 'The Time Warp'. It starred O'Brien as Riff Raff, the hunchback butler who greeted young sweethearts, Brad and Janet, after their car suffered a flat tyre. Little did they know they were about to meet Frank N. Furter, a cross-dressing scientist.

Answer: Cats

'Cats' was at the start of a very busy career for musical composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber. He went on to write several musicals, all of which have appeared on the London stage. These included 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' in 1968, and 'Sunset Boulevard' (1993). 'Cats' was based on the book by T. S. Eliot and the original cast featured Brian Blessed and Elaine Paige.

Answer: Blood Brothers

'Blood Brothers' starred Barbara Dickson as Mrs Johnstone, a woman at the end of her tether as she could not support her seven children. Songs included 'Marilyn Monroe' and 'Tell Me It's Not True'. It won the Laurence Olivier Award for best musical in 1983. Willie Rusell was a British dramatist known for his films, 'Educating Rita' and 'Shirley Valentine'.

Answer: Spamalot

Spamalot was based on the 1975 film 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'. It was set during medieval times with Tim Curry in the lead role as King Arthur. Another favourite song heard during the musical was 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'. The London production was shown at the Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue before touring the rest of the UK.

Answer: Kinky Boots

'Kinky Boots' was based on a 2005 British film of the same name. Cyndi Lauper wrote the music to the stage version which had its premiere in Chicago during 2012, and then on to London in 2015. The story told of a shoe factory on the brink of closure before they designed a new pair of red shiny thigh-high leather boots. The show featured the catchy song, 'Raise You Up'.