Wilton's Music Hall

Follow the light to the end of the alley, (not an instruction I’d give in all parts of London’s East End, it never did any of Jack the Ripper’s victims any good) but this is worth it.

Stop under the huge street lamp and push open the door. You are transported into the world's oldest surviving Grand Music Hall and immediately enveloped in its intimate, albeit elegantly crumbling (Financial Times) atmosphere.

Don’t expect faded Victoriana, over 300 years the building has evolved from Victorian sailors' pub to music hall, Methodist Mission to rag warehouse, eventually falling derelict before reopening as the venue it is today.

Best seats in the house (face on to stage) are AA28 and AA29 unless you are more than 5’5” tall in which case select the seats on either side of these.

Two bars (one serving excellent gin) plus a small restaurant and plenty of seating space. Plus that very civilised concept of being able to take drinks into the theatre. Don’t forget to pre-order interval drinks and the 20 minute interval is plenty of time to share a pre-ordered pizza.

A performance to watch out for in February;- The Good, the Bad and the Fifty

Diary of Wilton's Music Hall repairs week 1: The Work Begins! A unique insight into the repairs of Wilton's main auditorium. The project ran from July 2012 - January 2013 as part of the ongoing work to safeguard the world's oldest surviving music hall.