London Shows playing in May 2026

The Authenticator reunites writer Winsome Pinnock and director Miranda Cromwell, the dream team behind Rockets and Blue Lights, with a gothic psychological thriller about an artist who inherits her family's stately home and enlists the help of an academic and her mentor to uncover its hidden secrets. This powerful, chilling story about the secrets that haunt us features a brilliantly talented cast including Rakie Ayola, Sylvestra Le Touzel, and Cherrelle Skeete.

Written by Bush Writers' Group alum Kit Withington (As We Face The Sun) and directed by Bush Theatre Associate Director Katie Greenall, Heart Wall is the story of a family falling apart in their grief, told through the perspective of a daughter trying desperately to move on, even as hidden secrets come to the surface. Don't miss this heartrending and clever exploration of grief and family.

Inspired by the 2001 film by Baz Luhrmann that starred Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor; passion, romance and spectacle collide in the dazzling extravaganza, Moulin Rouge The Musical! With its electrifying performances, extravagant costumes, and memorable score, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a breathtaking celebration of love and the transformative power of art.

Young rising star playwright Leo Simpe-Asante's clever and confident absurdist comedy will open at the Royal Court Theatre as a curtain raiser to a searing revival of Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape, starring Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), which returns to the Royal Court after almost seventy years. Don't miss an evening of scintillating theatre that combines a bold new voice with a classic.

Step into the world of ABBA like never before with ABBA Voyage, a revolutionary blend of live performance and cutting-edge technology. Described as 'ground-breaking' by Metro, ABBA Voyage is one of the most popular immersive experiences London has to offer.

‘I love London Society! It is entirely composed now of beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics.' So says the complicated hero of Oscar Wilde's darkly witty and scathing social satire about London high society, in which Sir Robert Chiltern finds his perfect life threatened when the devious Mrs Cheveley threatens to wreck his reputation with political scandal and blackmail. Don't miss this bold new adaptation of Wilde's outrageously funny and clever play by the Lyric's Associate Director Nicholai La Barrie.

Choderlos de Laclos's scandalous, provocative French novel about seduction, manipulation, and betrayal comes to the stage in this thrilling adaptation directed by Marianne Elliott. Aidan Turner and Lesley Manville star as the scheming, power-hungry Vicomte de Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil in this darkly witty satire of pre-revolutionary French elite society in all its glamour and social vice.

Emmy award-winner, Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee Rosamund Pike will star in the world premiere of Inter Alia. Set to be a "searing exploration of modern masculinity and motherhood", this production will reunite the team behind the global phenomenon Prima Facie.

Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] returns with more improvisation, comedic chaos, and a delightfully unique premise, where each performance sees a new celebrity step into the lead role with no rehearsing whatsoever. This year, step into the Wild West, a world of cowboys, sheriffs, and lost gold, and sing along with a company of actor-musicians and a live saloon pianist as you watch a talented actor find their way through the story blind.

Experience a hilarious new Jane Austen novel with the smash-hit comedy Austentatious. Inspired entirely by a title from the audience and performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment - it’s a riotous, razor-sharp show where swooning is guaranteed.

Don’t miss the electrifying Dirty Dancing musical coming to the new Capital Theatre in London in 2025, where the iconic story of Baby and Johnny comes to life like never before. With breathtaking choreography, unforgettable hits like "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," and a fresh take on the classic tale, this production promises an experience that will leave you on your feet. 

Ralph Fiennes and Miranda Raison star as Henry Irving and Ellen Terry in this new play by acclaimed playwright David Hare and directed by Jeremy Herrin. Grace Pervades transfers to London after a wildly successful run at the Theatre Royal Bath. Don't miss this witty, dramatic historical play about two theatre legends and the resounding impact they had on an industry we all love.

Alexander Zeldin makes his much anticipated return to London to direct his powerful, uplifting play about a grandmother forced to live in a care home after a fall, where she befriends other elderly people in the same uncertain stage of transition, and learns to appreciate life’s unexpected joys.

Now celebrating its 25th year in the West End, Mamma Mia! is an irresistible musical set to ABBA's timeless hits. The show contains 23 of the biggest ABBA hits, including unforgettable hits like "Dancing Queen", "Waterloo" and the title song "Mamma Mia".

Loosely based on the 2017 movie everyone loves, Come Alive! - The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular is a new London attraction situated in a purpose-built big top. With the finest in musical theatre and extraordinary circus skills, this is one for all the family to enjoy!

Beloved children’s book character Paddington Bear gets his own musical, directed by Luke Sheppard with music by Tom Fletcher. This heart-warming story of a lost bear searching for a home in London will premiere at the Savoy Theatre in November this year.

The beloved musical comedy featuring puppets and human actors is returning to the West End after two decades. The winner of multiple Tony Awards, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and a book by Jeff Whitty, Avenue Q has been delighting audiences with its unique concept, catchy songs, and loveable characters since it first premiered in 2006, and now London audiences get to experience this quirky, charming story once again.

Disney's The Lion King is an unparalleled West End theatrical experience, bringing the enchanting world of the African savannah to the stage in a mesmerising spectacle for all ages. Adapted from the 1994 animation film, The Lion King has been selling out to audiences for over two decades.

Now in the 10th longest-running West End stage production in British history, Wicked is the multi-award winning musical based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Dubbed Best Musical of the Decade by Entertainment Weekly, Wicked continues to be one of the West End's most popular family musicals.

Wacky ghosts, madcap hijinks, a haunted house - step into the musical adaptation of Tim Burton's 1988 classic, where goth girl Lydia Deetz moves with her family into a house haunted by a recently deceased couple and the terrifyingly funny poltergeist Beetlejuice, all determined to scare off the newcomers. After a wildly successful Broadway run, Beetlejuice: The Musical arrives to haunt the West End with an unforgettably charming story, eccentric characters, and an irresistible soundtrack.