It’s a giant understatement to say that 2021 was a funny year for theatre… and for everyone on the planet. But somehow the West End got through it, primarily down to the resilience and brilliance of the people working tirelessly in front of and behind the curtain.
Despite the setbacks, people who love theatre continued to buy tickets and go see a show, and our annual look at what sold the best on WestEndTheatre.com during 2021 is testament to that.
Here we are listing West End Musicals, ranked by numbers of tickets sold, and the Number One slot goes to Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s revival of Mary Poppins The Musical (pictured) at the Prince Edward Theatre in London. Mary Poppins is closely followed by another Disney classic, the stage adaptation of their acclaimed animated – and now live action – The Lion King, now playing at the Lyceum Theatre. Other shows featured in the list are brand new – chiefly Back to the Future, which jumped into the West End in September at the Adelphi Theatre; and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.