The statue of Shakespeare in the middle of Leicester Square replaced a former statue of George the Second. Shakespeare is shown leaning on a pile of books pointing to the words "There is no darkness but ignorance." The statue is a copy of the William Shakespeare memorial in Westminster Abbey.

Leicester Square co-hosts the annual London Film Festival. Plaques and handprints of famous celebrities surround the Square. Also, on the pavement are inscribed the distances in miles to countries of the former British Empire.
"tkts" is run by the Society of London Theatre, the trade association that represents London theatre.
 Half price and discount theatre tickets are available on the day of performance and up to a week in advance.
Tickets can only be bought in person - It's easy to spot the booth as there is usually a line of people waiting to get a cut- price, cheap theatre ticket.

By the time of the 19th century, Leicester Square was known as an entertainment venue where many people gathered to spend their free time; it also housed several hotels.
A large theatre, the Alhambra, built in 1854, dominated the site at that time and the Square has remained the heart of the West End theatre and entertainment district ever since.





Leicester Square

Leicester Square, is to many people " the heart of London" and millions of people visit and pass their free time here every year. With its restaurants, cinamas, nightclubs, street artists and entertainers all trying to catch the attention of the thousands of people who pass by at every time of day or night, the area is a magnet for those who want to have a good time (particuarly, on a Friday and Saturday evening when it seems as if the whole of London is partying the night away). Leicester Square is currently being redeveloped by Westminster City Council in the run up to 2012 - as a result of the work; you may see hoardings around the Square.

From the latest box office hits to cult festivals, the Prince Charles Cinema is the heart of independent film in London. Films can be seen from 1.50 - great value classic cinema is shown downstairs, whilst, upstairs, new premium films are screened. For over five years, it has hosted the sing-a-long version of The Sound of Music, on a regular basis.

The four corner gates of the park have busts of Sir Isaac Newton, the scientist; Sir Joshua Reynolds, the first President of the Royal Academy; John Hunter, a pioneer of surgery; and William Hogarth, the painter. The most recent addition is a statue of film star and director Charlie Chaplin

Joshua Reynolds, acknowledged as one of the most influential portrait artists of his time, bought a house in 1760 at Leicester Fields, known today as Leicester Square. Here he painted and entertained London's celebrities and famous statesmen, writers and aristocrats.
His works can be seen in the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate and the National Gallery in London.

Leicester Square is the centre of London's cinema land and UK film premieres are typically hosted at one of the square's four major cinemas.
The Square is also home to several nightclubs, such as the Hippodrome, Equinox and Maximus.





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The first play by Shakespeare was produced in 1591. Shakespeare's Globe was a famous Elizabethan theatre in London.
Leicester Square was once a highly fashionable place to live and included a royal residence as well as the homes of many famous people, since it was laid out in 1670.
Located on the south side of Leicester Square, the booth is open Monday to Saturday (10am - 7pm) for matinee and evening shows, Sunday (12 noon - 3-30 pm) for matinee only
The statue of Charlie Chaplin (by john Doubleday), was unveilled in 1981.
william Hogarth (1697 - 1764) lived and worked in Leicester Square. His house, became a hotel in 1801 - probably Leicester Square's first public restaurant.
Leicester Square cinema tickets can be expensive but cheap tickets for classic cinema can be found here
At number 46, Reynolds made a great fortune painting the portraits of London celebrities and famous high society figures of the time
The Empire opened in Victorian times and was one of the popular music halls of the time