Torn in two directions, the West End had to change. Theatreland became a republic of the avant guard and a theme park at the same time. Tradition and futurism held hands. It was a compromise forged between high art and tourism.

Theatres themselves had to change - those hulks of buildings, empty 90% of the time were just too expensive. Deals were struck: with the Mayor to turn auditorium into daytime, indoor parks.

Entertainment and performance collided head on, driven first by the vogue for pop music musicals. There was publicity to be had, money to be made, and risk to be managed. There were messages to be communicated too, and the musicals became politically controversial: Noam Chomsky wrote the lyrics for Miss Saigon 2.

A new trend of Reality Theatre meant that the hottest ticket in town was John Malkovich running a Steak House. And if you couldn't get a ticket, you could always order a prawn cocktail.

IKEA commissioned the first musical-by-night-shop-by-day. It got around Westminster's planning laws. Benny and Bjorn from Abba wrote it. The song 'Flat Pack Inferno' reached No 1 in the charts

Double sided stages - facing the street and the auditorium came into vogue. Sideways on stages meant direct access from the street onto the stage. Giant fly-towers held cash registers, restaurants, and toilets that allowed things to switch from reality to theatre.

Stomp sponsored the waste collection company, or was it the other way around?