Lions, gangsters, phantoms, and now killer rabbits; the theatre lights of London’s West End are glowing brighter than ever.

With a host of great theatre shows such as the Guys and Dolls, Phantom of the opera and Blood brothers currently drawing in audiences in London, it seems that theatre is far from dead. With great shows available that are suitable for kids like The Lion King, through to ones that are ideal for older visitors like Chicago, it is easy to see why the West End theatre has not succumbed to the slow decline that appears to be affecting various other areas of the entertainment industry.

The continued prominence and strength of the theatre industry in the West End can be seen through the emergence of companies like UK short break holiday specialist, Superbreak, promoting inclusive hotel and theatre breaks through competition prizes on prime time television. Further indications of the glowing health of UK theatre can be seen in the recent record set by Les Miserables as the longest running West End musical ever, and the London opening of the hit Broadway performance of Monty Python’s Spamalot.

Although nearly forty years old, Monty Python is still a much loved institution in the UK and all around the world, and with the exception of the Spanish Inquisition, everyone knows what to expect from their irreverent productions. The new Python launch is sure to attract an audience who are not normally theatre goers, and are looking for something other than the standard musical fare.

Spamalot is, as their own marketing asserts, "Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, SPAMALOT is the new musical directed by Oscar winning Mike Nichols, with a book by the third tallest Python, Eric Idle, and an almost but not entirely new score by Eric Idle (no relation) and John du Prez.

Retelling the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table and featuring a number of gratuitously scantily clad showgirls, not to mention the cows, killer rabbits and French people."

With a host of awards already under its belt for the Broadway production, the transfer to the Palace Theatre in Shaftsbury Avenue in London from the start of October 2006, including Tim Curry reprising his Broadway roles, which is to be taken over by multi award winning actor Simon Russell Beale at the beginning of next year, it looks set to continue its success.

With shows such as this helping to continually renew the image of the musical, and with companies looking to promote London and all the shows available, the future of theatre in the West End is looking bright.