Piccadilly Circus is at the junction of London’s Regent Street and Shaftesbury Avenue. But there are no clowns or animal acts in Piccadilly - just a circus of people, pubs, stores and monuments nearby the famous West End theaters.
New York has Times Square… and London has Piccadilly Circus, with the traffic, crowds, tourists and and neon lights. The area was given its distinctive (and now famous) name as early as 1743. The junction was created in 1819.
The bronze Shaftesbury memorial fountain you’ll see here today was erected in 1893. It is topped by a statue of Anteros, the Angel of Christian Charity. The Evening Standard of London uses a graphic of the nude statue on its masthead. This statue was a significant techical innovation at the time, as it was the first sculpture ever to be cast in aluminum. In the late 1980s, the fountain was moved from the center of Piccadilly to its present location at the south west corner of the intersection.
Not far from the center of Piccadilly is The Reduced Shakespeare Company, an unusual troupe that has been performing at the Criterion Theater here since 1995. Their specialty is the rapid, highly-improvised, presentation of the complete works of Shakespeare in 97 minutes. It might be best to say that their performance “draws inspiration” from the famous playwright’s 37 plays. If you want to catch a show, plan ahead: the 600-seat theater sells out regularly.
The surrealistic Reduced Shakespeare show fits in well with the ambiance of the area. But if you are more interested in traditional forms of theater, then you’ll find that London’s renowned West End shows are only a few minutes walk away. Here you can see the best of British theater - shows which often are later imported to Broadway.
On the northeastern side of Piccadilly Circus is the London Pavilion. First erected in 1859 as a music hall, Shaftesbury Avenue bisected the site in 1885. A new building for the purpose was built and by 1923 was even lit with electric billboards. Rebuilt in 1986, the original 1885 facade was preserved and the area converted to a shopping arcade. Later it was connected to the neighboring Trocadero Centre.
Needless to say, there are plenty of shopping opportunities here. One good bet is to look for CDs and DVDs: Virgin Megastore has a shop here, along with its major rival HMV. Lillywhites, a major sporting good retailer, is also nearby, having been there since 1925. Under the complex is the tube station (the London Underground subway system).
There are also pubs everywhere, but be selective. Some are very touristy, others in the area are not friendly to tourists at all. As you make your way to a pub that’s just right for you, don’t miss the giant curved TV screen of Piccadilly. Not even Times Square can compete with this one.
Other tours and destinations in London.
After a long flight, why not spoil yourself on a luxurious executive transfer to your London Hotel. Free bottled water, newspapers and wet wipes are included as well as a high quality professional chauffeur.
Explore the very best of London on a full-day guided tour. You’ll take a scenic drive through the West End and City, go for a cruise on the River Thames and visit the Tower of London.
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