Discover London’s most haunted theatres as we go on a ghost hunt around the West End’s spookiest venues. From actor-managers stabbed to death at the stage door to floating heads, mysterious men in grey, spooks in the Stalls and strange backstage noises.

London is a compact city that can only really be discovered by walking its streets. Experience the incredible history of London by taking a guided walking tour of the city, including Theatreland Walking Tours.

Nothing beats browsing in one of London’s great theatre bookshops such as French’s Theatre Bookshop, the National Theatre or Dress Circle, to hunt down that lost play script or theatre memento

Going behind the curtain can be an eye-opening experience. The sheer scale of West End theatres such as Drury Lane, the National or the Royal Opera House is hugely impressive and a backstage tour is a great opportunity to see the hidden world of costume departments, scene-building and technical magic.

Whilst the loss of the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden is still keenly felt, there are a number of opportunities to dip into the history of London’s theatre scene – from the V&A’s new Theatre & Performance space, to theatres such as the National and the Globe.

Even the most dedicated theatre buff cannot live on showbiz alone, which makes Afternoon Tea the perfect meal to schedule in before that evening performance. Here we pick five of the best, from the glitzy Ritz to the alternative oriental afternoon tea of Yauatcha.

The time between a matinee and an evening performance is better known as “the cocktail hour”. Here we reveal five tributes to all things shaken and stirred in our run down of fabulous cocktail bars in London.

It has taken London centuries to appreciate that skill is involved in making a decent cup of coffee, but we’ve finally made some progress thanks to a wealth of outside help. Find the perfect cup of coffee in the West End with our handy guide.