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Whether you're a first-time visitor or a life-long Londoner, Nigel's tour is a celebration of London's film history that will help you see the West End through new eyes, packed with fascinating stories and characters from cinema, music, royalty and more.
Nigel is so knowledgeable and enthusiastic that it's impossible not to get swept up in the glorious cinematic history.
Nigel's knowledge was dazzling and it was great to learn so much about how the Hollywood studios came to dominate the West End pre- and post-WWII. Lots of fun facts and opportunities to share stories and ask questions. Highly recommended.
Lots of fascinating stories and visuals to bring the history alive. It has made me look not just at cinemas but the West End more generally with a lot more attention.
Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus have always been home to London’s grandest cinemas – this is where premieres take place, Hollywood stars brush shoulders with royalty and the biggest movies play on the biggest screens.
Hollywood’s major studios established many of these cinemas and for decades American-inspired picture palaces owned by the likes of MGM, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox dominated the West End.
On this tour you’ll be tracing the footsteps of stars like Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Harrison Ford and the Beatles. You’ll also see the locations of films including An American Werewolf in London and Last Night in Soho.
Starting with the grand former Empire Music Hall and taking in such landmarks as the Odeon Leicester Square and the London Pavillion, we’ll see architecture that spans from the late 19th century up to the present day and includes some of London’s most striking art deco and modernist gems.
You’ll hear stories about the high-kicking dancers who entertained audiences before films in the silent era, how cinemas coped with the blackout of World War II and about the varied – and often unusual – cinematic firsts that have taken place in these iconic buildings.
The walk lasts about two hours, starting in Leicester Square and finishing at Picturehouse Central in Piccadilly Circus.
The group size is limited to 15 people to ensure the tour remains conversational and everyone can feel involved.
