Way back at the start of December my Dad and I took a quick trip to London to see Lazarus. The new musical written by David Bowie before he died. Here is what happened.

We started off the day by getting the first train from Edinburgh to London. I wouldn’t really recommend this but it worked out that getting the train there and home on the same day was cheaper than getting a hotel. With most musicals this would have been totally impossible but Lazarus is in Kings Cross theatre (just next to the station) and it’s much shorter than typical musical.

BRITISH LIBRARY

We got to London for around 12. We had a little time before lunch so headed over to the British Library. This is just a few minutes walk from King’s Cross and I would definitely recommend a visit if you get the chance.

I couldn’t take photos inside but they have a exhibit of old and rare books. They have the Magna Carta, old copies of the bible, original Beatles song lyrics. So many interesting books to look at (what would you expect from a library). The gift shop is another must visit. So many bookish things to buy (along with a really good selection of books).

THE PARCEL YARD

We had lunch at The Parcel Yard, this is a restaurant in King’s Cross Station. It’s sort of train themed, it’s very rustic, has old crates and stuff. It’s a really nice place for eating. I think it also has a pub downstairs. And it worked out well since the theatre was just outside.

LAZARUS

I have a full review of Lazarus, the short version of that is it’s very strange. But the exact sort of thing I would expect from David Bowie. The music was fantastic, I loved the story and how it fits in with Bowie’s previous work. The one thing I would say is King’s Cross Theatre isn’t the greatest. It’s really more of a tent than a proper theatre.

At some points you can actually hear what’s going on next door in the Railway Children. It does also mean that the theatre is much smaller so you’re still pretty close to the stage even if you’re right at the back (like we were). Another pro is everything is new so the chairs are actually comfortable to sit on.

PLATFORM 9 AND 3/4S SHOP

A trip to London wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Platform 9 and 3/4s shop. They’ve actually expanded this quite a bit since I was last there. There is now a bigger place to collect photos, and they sell more regular Harry Potter merch along with the Platform 9 and 3/4s stuff. They also had a lot of Fantastic Beasts stuff out.

I would say the only problem with this expansion is it meant there was space for more people to cram in. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this shop any less than packed. Still worth a visit though.