I always thought that a night out to the theatre as an option for a girls night out sounded like snoozeville.  Spending the night in silence with a bunch of oldies trying not to fall asleep after 9pm and drinking over priced glasses of wine? No thank you.

At the age of 21 I’d rather have spent the evening downing shots of Sambuca and trying to work my way through the cocktail menu of a local bar. Now a little older with less tolerance to hangovers and discovering a penchant for the theatre, I’d much rather dress up and head to the West End of my local theatre rather than a wild night out. That’s not to say a night a the theatre is dull by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, if you haven’t been to the theatre in a while, you’ll be in for a treat.

You’ll quite often find me on my feet at the end of the night, remnants of a glass of wine in hand (albeit in a plastic cup) and belting out a much loved song or doing the shoulder shuffle in time with the music.  With the majority of shows done & dusted by 10:30pm, you’re heady with excitement and set up for a couple of post cocktails with your girls to dissect the show and replay your favourite parts over a Whiskey Sour.

There are a number of shows that would be perfect for girls night out but I’ve picked my “5 Faves” for the ultimate Girls Night Out (you may notice a theme!)

Ghost has had a 2k16 makeover complete with state of the art video projections built into the set in order to bring the story “to life” (ironic turn of phrase considering the show name).  The show stays true to the 1990 film featuring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze and tells a story of love, grief and the afterlife.  This show left me sniffling like a baby but was an amazing adaptation.  And yes, it does include THAT pottery scene.

As well as being a successful and entertaining adaptation of the classic film starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard Musical is made up of a super talented cast and is a moving tribute to a powerhouse of the music world. This show has Whitney Houston written all over it and it shows that just like the story line, Whitney Houston’s hits stand the test of time and are still as relevant today as they were twenty years ago.  Tickets for The Bodyguard at The Dominion Theatre, London are available on Theatre Tickets.UK

With over 40 pop hits from the 60’s being played and sung live on stage (including rather fittingly ‘Bobby’s Girl’, ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’ and ‘Runaround Sue’) Dreamboats and Petticoats is a much loved theatre favourite.  A fun filled show of pretty dresses, brilliant choreography and some laugh out loud moments from an enthusiastic and thoroughly entertaining cast.

The Sound of Music isn’t the rip roaring and fast paced show you’d expect to see from shows at the theatre today. There’s no bells, whistles or special effects for example but what there is is beautiful and grand stage backdrops, including the dark wooden interiors and pillars of the Abbey, the sweeping staircase of the Von Trapp’s house and of course, the mountain.  Completed by incredible acting and an extremely talented cast, The Sound of Music is a nostalgic masterpiece.

Dust off your beige iridescent lipsticks ladies, whether you’re a die-hard Dirty Dancing fan (like me) or are after a night out at the theatre with the girls, or guys for that matter, you’ll never be sorry about catching this show.  The audience really get into this show.  There’s wolf whistling, cat calling and whoops of delight throughout and by the final dance you’d be hard pushed to find someone not on their feet and applauding.  Yes they do the lift, yes they do the mamba and the cha cha… & there’s watermelons!

This is a collaborative post in conjunction with Theatre Tickets.