Old Compton Street
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Old Compton Street is the centre of the gay community in the Soho district of London, England, featuring many gay bars as well as straight bars and a popular theatre.
Until 2004, the long-running production of Mamma Mia, a musical based upon the songs of ABBA, which has a cult status amongst gay men, was located in the theatre. When Mamma Mia moved to larger premises in another part of the west end, a production of Mary Poppins moved in, which has an even more camp following.
One notable pub on the street is the Admiral Duncan pub, which in 1999 was the site of a nail bomb attack which killed 3 people and injured over a hundred. A neo-nazi, David Copeland was later found guilty of the attack, which had been intended to injure members of London's gay community. Formerly drably decorated, the Admiral Duncan was re-opened painted pink and purple with a large gay pride rainbow flag flying outside, which has remained there ever since.
Along the street are also numerous gay bars, including the Village, Escape, Comptons (catering to the leather crowd), and G-A-Y bar. Also on the street are a variety of bohemian cafe's, including Balans (unusual in England due to staying open 24 hours), and a variety of sex shops (a few of which are exclusively aimed at the gay market).
Old Compton Street is also the home of some of London's film and video post-production houses.