The West End is the largest theatre district in the world and is the epicentre of British commercial theatre. The West End originally took its name from the fact that it was situated to the West of the City of London. In more recent times the definition of the theatre district has changed. A vast majority of West End theatres can be identified because of their location in the area popularly known as Theatreland.

Theatreland, the heart of the West End, is bordered by The Strand to the south, Oxford Street to the north, Regent Street to the west and Kingsway to the east. While they fall outside of these boundaries, the Victoria Palace and the Apollo Victoria are, due to their size and status, also considered West End venues, as is, in the opinion of some people, the National Theatre. The heart of Theatreland is Shaftesbury Avenue which currently hosts six theatres.