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London Fringe Theatre - Off West End Shows
Explore fascinating new plays and fresh new musicals in smaller Off-West End theatres across the city, the very best of London Fringe theatre. Here's where to find unforgettable musicals, dramas, operas, pantomimes, stand-up and more, in intimate settings seating anything for forty to four hundred. You might even discover a West End legend in the making.
Sunny Afternoon
Alexandra Palace
4.6 349 reviews 4.6 349 reviews Tickets from £15.00- Opens: Thursday, 15 January 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 31 January 2026 - Running time: 2hr 40min. Incl. interval.
- Playing at: Alexandra Palace
- Booking until: Saturday, 31 January 2026
A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story
Alexandra Palace
4.8 4 reviews 4.8 4 reviews Tickets from £18.00The spellbinding retelling of Charles Dickens' Christmas ghost story, about a bitter old miser visited by three ghosts, returns to Alexandra Palace after its smash-hit success in 2023. Full of powerful lessons and spooky thrills, this Christmas classic is the perfect treat to get you and your family ready for the festive season.
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
- Running time: 2hr 10min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: Alexandra Palace
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
Twelfth Night (Barbican)
Barbican Theatre
Tickets from £30.00Prasanna Puwarajah's witty, bittersweet production of Shakespeare's masterful comedy comes to the West End after a sold-out run in Stratford-upon-Avon. Mistaken identities, disguises, and chaotic love triangles abound in this wildly mischievous play about a young woman who pretends to be her twin brother and falls in love with her employer. Book now to catch this wickedly funny play this winter.
- Opens: Monday, 8 December 2025
Booking until: Saturday, 17 January 2026 - Running time: 2hr 55min. Including Interval.
- Playing at: Barbican Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 17 January 2026
After Sunday
Bush Theatre
Tickets from £12.00In this absorbing new debut play by Bush Writers’ Group alumni Sophia Griffin, four strangers find solace and community in a Caribbean cooking group as they seek to overcome their pasts.
- Booking until: Saturday, 20 December 2025
- Running time: 1hr 40min.
- Playing at: Bush Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 20 December 2025
Sweetmeats
Bush Theatre
Tickets from £12.00This tender, heartwarming love story about second chances follows Hema and Liaquat, two South Asian elders who connect over their very different philosophies on life, health, and dessert. Written by Karim Khan (Brown Boys Swim) and directed by Natasha Kathi-Chandra, Sweetmeats is a new and original play about falling in love later in life and rediscovering life's sweetness, told with heart, humour, and charm.
- Opens: Saturday, 7 February 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 21 March 2026
- Playing at: Bush Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 21 March 2026
HEART WALL
Bush Theatre
Tickets from £12.00Written 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.
- Opens: Tuesday, 7 April 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 16 May 2026
- Playing at: Bush Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 16 May 2026
Pinocchio - Globe
Globe Theatre
Tickets from £8.00This festive season, the timeless story of Pinocchio, a little wooden puppet who longs to be a real boy, comes to life in the iconic wooden O of the Globe Theatre. This heart-warming, magical musical by Charlie Josephine and Jim Fortune will enchant children and adults alike, while sharing powerful lessons about family, community, and what it means to be human.
- Opens: Saturday, 29 November 2025
Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
- Playing at: Globe Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
Jack and the Beanstalk - Family
King's Head Theatre
Tickets from £12.00- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
- Running time: 2hr. Incl. 1 20 min interval
- Playing at: King's Head Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
Already Perfect
King's Head Theatre
Tickets from £13.00This inspiring, powerful new musical by American actor and singer Levi Kreis (Million Dollar Quarter) is an authentic, unflinching journey through the past. On the eve of a career milestone, a depressed Levi and his sponsor Ben are confronted by a younger version of Levi from the past, triggering a journey of self-reflection set to a score that blends pop, ballad, and gospel music in a feast of the senses.
- Opens: Friday, 9 January 2026
Booking until: Sunday, 15 February 2026 - Running time: 1hr 40min. No Interval.
- Playing at: King's Head Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 15 February 2026
Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
London County Hall
4.7 261 reviews 4.7 261 reviews Tickets from £19.00Step into London’s historic County Hall for Witness for the Prosecution, where Agatha Christie’s gripping courtroom drama unfolds in an unforgettable, immersive setting. This acclaimed production brings you up close to the suspense as shocking twists keep you guessing right until the final verdict.
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Running time: 2hr 20min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: London County Hall
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 October 2026
An Ideal Husband
Lyric Hammersmith
4.6 19 reviews 4.6 19 reviews Tickets from £12.00‘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.
- Opens: Friday, 8 May 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 6 June 2026
- Playing at: Lyric Hammersmith
- Booking until: Saturday, 6 June 2026
Jack and the Beanstalk
Lyric Hammersmith
4.7 26 reviews 4.7 26 reviews Tickets from £15.00This festive season, Jack and the Beanstalk returns to the Lyric Hammersmith in this delightful panto retelling full of madcap adventure, larger-than-life characters, and unforgettable song and dance numbers. Don't miss this classic English fairy tale about a boy and a magic beanstalk, now told with a twist, full of fun for the whole family.
- Opens: Friday, 28 November 2025
Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026 - Running time: 2hr.
- Playing at: Lyric Hammersmith
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
Lost Atoms
Lyric Hammersmith
Tickets from £12.00Written by Anna Jordan and produced by Frantic Assembly, Lost Atoms tells the story of ex-lovers Robbie (Joe Layton) and Jess (Hannah Sinclair Robinson) as they explore all of the could-have-beens of their relationship. Interrogating all the ways a relationship can succeed and fail, and how our memories can play tricks on us, this tragic and witty play with take you on a powerful and emotional journey.
- Opens: Friday, 30 January 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 28 February 2026
- Playing at: Lyric Hammersmith
- Booking until: Saturday, 28 February 2026
Relics
Lyric Hammersmith
Tickets from £12.00Family, legacy, and growing pains collide in this painful but funny play by Ben Ockrent and directed by Michael Longhurst, where four siblings gather at the home of their late mother to divide up her possessions, and instead stumble on a shocking secret.this raw, powerful play interrogates legacies and complicated relationships in a masterful feat of storytelling that you won't want to miss.
- Opens: Friday, 19 June 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 18 July 2026
- Playing at: Lyric Hammersmith
- Booking until: Saturday, 18 July 2026
Jaja's African Hair Braiding
Lyric Hammersmith
Tickets from £12.00Step into the bustling, lively neighbourhood of Harlem, where the women of the community gather at Jaja's braiding saloon to have their hair done and share laughter and dreams with the whip-smart, fiercely strong stylists who work there. Written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Monique Touko, this clever, funny, and heartwarming play is a celebration of chasing your dreams in a beautiful, diverse, and deeply challenging city while finding solace and strength in community.
- Opens: Thursday, 19 March 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 25 April 2026
- Playing at: Lyric Hammersmith
- Booking until: Saturday, 25 April 2026
Equus
Menier Chocolate Factory
4.8 5 reviews 4.8 5 reviews Tickets from £15.00Peter Shaffer's shocking, unsettling 1973 psychological thriller returns for a gripping revival directed by Lindsay Posner. In this disturbing story that confronts the conflict between faith and passion, a psychiatrist is drawn into the world of a young man who blinded six horses in an act of religious and sexual obsession, and finds himself questioning everything. Equus is a bold, startling play that has been haunting audiences since it was first staged.
- Opens: Thursday, 7 May 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 27 June 2026
- Playing at: Menier Chocolate Factory
- Booking until: Saturday, 27 June 2026
Fallen Angels
Menier Chocolate Factory
Tickets from £25.00Noel Coward's funniest comedy returns to the stage for its centenary, with a wickedly witty and outrageous story about two wives drawn into the temptation of infidelity when a charming ex-lover comes back into their lives. Once banned for its scandalous content, Fallen Angels will have its first London revival in 25 years, with an all-star cast including Janie Dee and Alexandra Gilbreath.
- Booking until: Saturday, 21 February 2026
- Running time: 2hr. Incl. 1 Interval.
- Playing at: Menier Chocolate Factory
- Booking until: Saturday, 21 February 2026
The Holy Rosenbergs
Menier Chocolate Factory
Ryan Craig's emotionally stirring, powerful family drama follows a Jewish family ostracised by their community when their lawyer daughter begins investigating war crimes in Gaza while her brother is killed serving with the IDF. Returning for a major revival at the Menier Chocolate Factory, this provocative play tackles themes of family, identity, and tradition, and feels just as resonant today as it did when it was first staged.
- Opens: Friday, 27 February 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 2 May 2026
- Playing at: Menier Chocolate Factory
- Booking until: Saturday, 2 May 2026
Jersey Boys
New Wimbledon Theatre
4.8 1917 reviews 4.8 1917 reviewsThe hit West End and Broadway musical returns for a UK and Ireland tour in 2026 and 2027, starting at London's New Wimbledon Theatre. Now in its 20th anniversary, the musical tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from the streets of New Jersey to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, filled with their greatest hits. Get ready for an unforgettable soundtrack of 1970s rock n roll and the story of an uplifting rise to fame and stardom.
- Opens: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 27 June 2026
- Playing at: New Wimbledon Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 27 June 2026
Annie
New Wimbledon Theatre
4.5 57 reviews 4.5 57 reviewsThe much loved and heartwarming story of courageous orphan Annie and her search for family and home returns to the UK in this sparkling revival of the hit Broadway classic. Featuring all the characters you love (and love to hate), like Daddy Warbucks, Miss Hannigan, and of course, Annie herself, and songs you grew up hearing, like 'Tomorrow' and 'It’s the Hard Knock Life', Annie has enchanted generations of audiences for years.
- Opens: Saturday, 23 May 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 30 May 2026
- Playing at: New Wimbledon Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 30 May 2026
Waitress
New Wimbledon Theatre
4.6 430 reviews 4.6 430 reviews Tickets from £23.25Friendship, following your dreams, and the perfect pie - these are the ingredients for your favourite uplifting musical. The beloved musical based on the iconic 2007 film returns to the stage for a magical tour through the UK and Ireland, starting in London. Relive the story of waitress and budding pie-maker Jenna, as she navigates an abusive marriage, an unexpected pregnancy, and a budding romance on her journey to make her dreams come true.
- Opens: Saturday, 28 March 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 4 April 2026 - Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Starring: Carrie Hope Fletcher
- Playing at: New Wimbledon Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 4 April 2026
Friends! The Musical Parody
New Wimbledon Theatre
After winning hearts in New York and Las Vegas, the laugh-out loud musical celebrating the popular sitcom, Friends, will come to the UK in an unmissable tour. The show is packed with all your favourite moments, unforgettable quotes, and a new original soundtrack, as it follows Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chander, Joey, and Phoebe through 1990s New York.
- Opens: Friday, 5 June 2026
Booking until: Thursday, 10 September 2026
- Playing at: New Wimbledon Theatre
- Booking until: Thursday, 10 September 2026
The Rat Trap
Park Theatre
Tickets from £15.00Written by Noel Coward and reimagined by Bill Rosenfield, The Rat Trap is the story of the turbulent marriage between two brilliant but egotistical creative minds.
- Opens: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 14 March 2026 - Running time: 2hr 20min. Incl. 1 Interval.
- Playing at: Park Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 14 March 2026
Dracapella
Park Theatre
Tickets from £15.00Dracula meets acapella in this satirical retelling of Bram Stoker's novel that puts a new and hilarious spin on the story of the world's most famous vampire. Dan Patterson and Jez Bond's outrageous parody reintroduces you to familiar characters such as hapless hero Jonathan Harker, vampire hunter Van Helsing, and of course, the terrifying Count Dracula himself - as you've never imagined them before. Sit back and enjoy acapella covers of your favourite songs in this mischievous and madcap musical.
- Opens: Wednesday, 3 December 2025
Booking until: Saturday, 17 January 2026
- Playing at: Park Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 17 January 2026
Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 4
Park Theatre
Tickets from £47.00Whodunnit [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.
- Opens: Monday, 11 May 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 27 June 2026 - Running time: 2hr 20min. Incl. 1 interval
- Playing at: Park Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 27 June 2026
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience
President Hotel
4.7 428 reviews 4.7 428 reviews Tickets from £55.00Faulty Towers The Dining Experience debuted in Brisbane back in 1997 and is now a huge success across the world, including here in London. Enjoy the antics of Basil, Sybil and Manuel in a 2 hour interactive production whilst tucking into a 3-course lunch or dinner.
- Booking until: Sunday, 20 December 2026
- Running time: 2hr.
- Playing at: President Hotel
- Booking until: Sunday, 20 December 2026
Top Hat
Queen Elizabeth Hall
4.8 262 reviews 4.8 262 reviews Tickets from £42.00Heady, romantic, and colourful, with stunning choreography and witty dialogue, Top Hat returns to London this winter for a six-week limited run. Kathleen Marshall brings to life this musical adaptation of the 1935 Hollywood classic, packed with Irving Birling's greatest hits.
- Opens: Friday, 12 December 2025
Booking until: Monday, 26 January 2026 - Running time: 2hr 35min. Incl. 1 Interval.
- Playing at: Queen Elizabeth Hall
- Booking until: Monday, 26 January 2026
Cats
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
4.3 256 reviews 4.3 256 reviews Tickets from £71.50For seven weeks only, Andrew Lloyd Webber's timeless, iconic musical about the life and times of a very special group of cats will be coming to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre before heading on a UK-wide tour. Don't miss the revival of this magical, memorable musical filled with colourful characters and unforgettable songs, returning to London after a decade.
- Opens: Saturday, 25 July 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 12 September 2026 - Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Starring: Beverley Knight
- Playing at: Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 12 September 2026
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Riverside Studios
Don’t panic! The beloved sci-fi franchise gets a second life on the London stage in this gloriously absurd and searingly witty stage adaptation of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy . Join Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Trillian, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Marvin the Paranoid Android and the rest of the eccentric crew on a zany intergalactic adventure.
- Booking until: Friday, 15 May 2026
- Playing at: Riverside Studios
- Booking until: Friday, 15 May 2026
The Nutcracker - Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
4.5 6 reviews 4.5 6 reviews Tickets from £96.00- Opens: Monday, 29 December 2025
Booking until: Wednesday, 31 December 2025 - Running time: 2hr 50min. Incl. 2 intervals.
- Playing at: Royal Albert Hall
- Booking until: Wednesday, 31 December 2025
Sylvia
Royal Albert Hall
Tickets from £34.50Kate Prince's electrifying, powerful musical about the life and career of feminist activist Sylvia Pankhurst returns to London. Set to a sizzling soundtrack that fuses hip hop, funk, and soul, it chronicles Sylvia's childhood, her complicated relationship with her mother and sister, fellow activists Emmeline and Christrabel, and her struggle to reconcile her pacifism with her activism. Fans of Hamilton will love this bold new musical about revolution and loyalty.
- Opens: Friday, 13 November 2026
Booking until: Sunday, 15 November 2026 - Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Starring: Beverley Knight, Sharon Rose
- Playing at: Royal Albert Hall
- Booking until: Sunday, 15 November 2026
OVO - Cirque du Soleil
Royal Albert Hall
4.9 9 reviews 4.9 9 reviews Tickets from £54.03The circus is back in town with this buzzing, colourful adventure as OVO Cirque du Soleil returns to the Royal Albert Hall. The story of a mysterious egg and the love between a ladybug and a fly is told through a series of thrilling, mind-boggling acrobatics, and a visually stunning set and costume design that immerses you right into the wondrous world of its insect characters. Come be amazed at the myriad of tricks and effects blended into the magic of storytelling.
- Opens: Friday, 9 January 2026
Booking until: Sunday, 1 March 2026
- Playing at: Royal Albert Hall
- Booking until: Sunday, 1 March 2026
The Sleeping Beauty - English National Ballet
Royal Albert Hall
5 2 reviews 5 2 reviews Tickets from £31.00Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s visually stunning and ambitious production of The Sleeping Beauty arrives on the Royal Albert Hall stage for the first time. In this dazzling, bewitching spectacle, witness the classic fairy tale come to life, full of gorgeous sets, costumes, choreography, and a score that will take your breath away.
- Opens: Thursday, 25 June 2026
Booking until: Sunday, 28 June 2026 - Running time: 2hr 30min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: Royal Albert Hall
- Booking until: Sunday, 28 June 2026
The Unbelievers
Royal Court Theatre
4.3 4 reviews 4.3 4 reviews Tickets from £65.00Nicola Walker stars in Nick Payne's play, which presents a striking portrayal of motherhood, faith, family - and the lengths we go to for those we refuse to forget. The Unbelievers makes its debut at the Royal Court Theatre in Autumn 2025.
- Booking until: Saturday, 29 November 2025
- Running time: 1hr 45mins.
- Playing at: Royal Court Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 29 November 2025
Guess How Much I Love You?
Royal Court Theatre
Tickets from £27.00Luke Norris's heartbreaking and emotional drama about a couple confronting impossible choices and the enduring power of hope and love opens at the Royal Court as part of its 70th anniversary season. Audiences will fall in love with this unflinching look at life's unpredictability, directed by Jeremy Herrin.
- Opens: Friday, 16 January 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 21 February 2026
- Playing at: Royal Court Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 21 February 2026
Man to Man
Royal Court Theatre
Tickets from £27.00Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) returns to a career-defining role after over 30 years, in German dramatist Manfred Karge's powerful story of resilience and survival during wartime. Directed by Stephen Unwin (The Conquest of the South Pole), Man to Man tells the story of Ella Gericke, who adopts her late husband's identity in order to get by in 1930s Germany.
- Opens: Saturday, 5 September 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 24 October 2026
- Playing at: Royal Court Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 24 October 2026
Krapp’s Last Tape/Godot’s To-Do List
Royal Court Theatre
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.
- Opens: Friday, 8 May 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 30 May 2026 - Starring: Gary Oldman
- Playing at: Royal Court Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 30 May 2026
John Proctor Is the Villain
Royal Court Theatre
Tickets from £27.00Kimberly Belflower's bitingly funny and urgent revisionist take on Arthur Miller's The Crucible follows five high school girls as they study the classic play and navigate sexual politics and gender inequalities in small-town Georgia. After a sold-out Broadway run, this witty play about feminine rage is making its way over to the Royal Court Theatre to bring the Salem Witch Trials to the modern age.
- Opens: Friday, 20 March 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 25 April 2026 - Running time: 1hr 40min. No interval.
- Playing at: Royal Court Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 25 April 2026
Archduke
Royal Court Theatre
Tickets from £27.00Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Guards at the Taj) brings his signature wit and absurdist comedy to this darkly funny play about the events leading up to World War I. three unlikely assassins are charged with murdering Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and cementing their place in history, in this disarmingly comedic story about the unlikely heroes and villains in history.
- Opens: Saturday, 20 June 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 25 July 2026
- Playing at: Royal Court Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 25 July 2026
Matthew Bourne The Red Shoes
Sadlers Wells
5 4 reviews 5 4 reviews Tickets from £18.00Based on the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale; Matthew Bourne's The Red Shoes heads to London for the Christmas season at Sadler's Wells. This powerful tale of obsession, possession and one girl's dream to be the greatest dancer in the world has captivated audiences for years!
- Opens: Tuesday, 2 December 2025
Booking until: Sunday, 18 January 2026 - Running time: 2hrs. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: Sadlers Wells
- Booking until: Sunday, 18 January 2026
Mary, Queen of Scots
Sadlers Wells
3 1 review 3 1 review Tickets from £18.00From Scottish Ballet comes a visually stunning, powerful new ballet in which the dying Queen Elizabeth I is haunted by the ghost of her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. With choreography and a set that combine classicism and modernity, as well as a jaw-dropping original score, this is a bold and clever take on an iconic piece of British history and two formidable queens.
- Opens: Thursday, 5 March 2026
Booking until: Sunday, 8 March 2026 - Running time: 2hr 15min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: Sadlers Wells
- Booking until: Sunday, 8 March 2026
The Car Man
Sadlers Wells
5 2 reviews 5 2 reviews Tickets from £18.00British choreographer Matthew Bourne's dance production tells the story of a small-town Italian-American community whose lives are changed when a handsome, dangerous stranger walks into their diner. With a passionate, high-energy score by Terry Davies and inspired by Bizet's iconic opera, Carmen, The Car Man will sweep you off your feet and into a sizzling American epic.
- Opens: Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 29 August 2026 - Running time: 1hr 55 min. Incl. 1 Interval.
- Playing at: Sadlers Wells
- Booking until: Saturday, 29 August 2026
Ballad Lines
Southwark Playhouse Elephant
Three women, separated by space and time: a 17th century minister's wife in Scotland, an 18th century Irish teenager, and a queer woman in present-day America. Told through a gorgeous, stirring blend of folk music and modern original songs performed by an all-female band, this powerful, emotionally resonant musical makes its London premiere with an unmissable 8-week run in 2026.
- Opens: Friday, 23 January 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 21 March 2026
- Playing at: Southwark Playhouse Elephant
- Booking until: Saturday, 21 March 2026
Lifeline
Southwark Playhouse Elephant
Becky Hope-Palmer and Robin Hiley's bold new play intertwines the history of Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin with a modern story about a doctor whose childhood sweetheart is suffering from an antimicrobial resistance infection. This searing commentary on modern medicine and the flaws in the healthcare system is set to a soundtrack of original songs and features real-life healthcare workers in its chorus. It will have its London premiere at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant in 2026.
- Opens: Saturday, 28 March 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 2 May 2026
- Playing at: Southwark Playhouse Elephant
- Booking until: Saturday, 2 May 2026
Ivanov
The Bridge Theatre
Tickets from £35.00Anton Chekhov's thrilling, keenly observant, and clever comic drama has enchanted audiences and thrilled critics for generations. In this bold new adaptation by Simon Stone (The Lady From the Sea), the story of Nikolai Ivanov, an unhappy government official searching for an escape from the humdrum of a midlife crisis is retold in a modern setting. Chris Pine makes his London stage debut as one of Chekhov's most complicated heroes.
- Opens: Saturday, 4 July 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 19 September 2026 - Starring: Chris Pine
- Playing at: The Bridge Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 19 September 2026
Into The Woods
The Bridge Theatre
Tickets from £30.00Into the Woods masterfully weaves classic fairy tales into a rich, thought-provoking story. With Sondheim’s stunning score and a darkly humorous yet heartfelt narrative, it'll be the first major revival of the production in London for over nine years!
- Opens: Tuesday, 2 December 2025
Booking until: Saturday, 18 April 2026
- Playing at: The Bridge Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 18 April 2026
Kenrex
The Other Palace
Tickets from £25.00Part true crime, part Western, Kenrex is based on a real story of a small town murder which left 60 witnesses, all who denied ever seeing anything. In this glorious one man show, Jack Holden embodies a colourful cast of characters in a small town thriller about a community coming together against a tyrant.
- Opens: Wednesday, 3 December 2025
Booking until: Sunday, 1 February 2026 - Running time: 2hr 5min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: The Other Palace
- Booking until: Sunday, 1 February 2026
Broken Glass
Young Vic
Tickets from £25.00Rarely performed but undoubtedly powerful and relevant even today, Arthur Miller's Broken Glass gets a searing new revival at the Young Vic from Jordan Fein. in 1938 Brooklyn, Jewish Sylvia Gellburg has an unexpected reaction to reading about Nazi atrocities against her people in Germany. As she navigates her strange lower body paralysis, her conversations with her new doctor will throw into sharp relief the cracks in her marriage. Don't miss this bold, thoughtful, and painfully clever play about confronting the horrors of the world outside and within us.
- Opens: Monday, 23 February 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 18 April 2026
- Playing at: Young Vic
- Booking until: Saturday, 18 April 2026
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Young Vic
Tickets from £25.00Omar Elerian directs the European premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s witty, surreal tragicomedy set during the Iraq War, featuring a talking tiger, a solid gold toilet, and an unforgettable story about the search for redemption in the wake of violence and trauma.
- Opens: Wednesday, 3 December 2025
Booking until: Saturday, 31 January 2026
- Playing at: Young Vic
- Booking until: Saturday, 31 January 2026
CARE
Young Vic
Tickets from £30.00Alexander 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.
- Opens: Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Booking until: Saturday, 11 July 2026
- Playing at: Young Vic
- Booking until: Saturday, 11 July 2026
See something special with Off West End Theatre
This is London's version of 'Off Broadway', the London Fringe, where the finest new productions and revivals live. Some of them are Offies winners, proud owners of well-deserved Off West End Theatre Awards and nominations. If an exciting, constantly changing list of entertainment for audiences of all ages is your thing, you'll enjoy discovering these great venues scattered in and around the West End itself and beyond.
You might find yourself a member of a small audience in a theatre on the top floor of a London pub, or one of a few hundred people loving the intimacy of a small purpose-built theatre space. The home of top quality, small scale productions packed with new and established talent, it's always worth checking back regularly to see what's new off the West End. From Hoxton Hall to Brixton House, the Arts Depot to Stockwell Playhouse, there are around fifty varied venues in London's Fringe scene, all waiting to welcome you.
As well as discovering a load of fantastic new shows you'll unearth areas of the capital you've never been to before, enriching your adventures. So what kind of thing would you most like to see gathering momentum in the West End Fringe?
London Fringe Theatre - Off West End Shows Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between fringe theatre and West End?
West End venues are generally large, commercial theatres located in London’s theatre district, and typically host popular, blockbuster shows. Off-West End theatres, also known as fringe theatres, are smaller, independent venues located outside the West End, and often host a wider range of experimental, up-and-coming, and typically more affordable shows.
Are fringe theatre shows as good as West End shows?
While most fringe theatre may not have the same big budget or spectacle as West End production, they can be just as memorable and innovative. In fact, because they’re less driven by commercial demand, they can sometimes be more creative, diverse, and experimental. Fringe theatre venues are also often smaller and offer a more intimate experience to audiences. It’s also an excellent way to support up and coming theatre makers. Many award-winning actors, writers, and directors began in fringe venues, and some shows even transfer to the West End after gaining popularity.
Are fringe theatre tickets cheaper than West End tickets?
Because production and venue costs tend to be cheaper for off-West End shows, their tickets are often significantly cheaper in comparison. While West End tickets can range from £30 to £150+, most fringe venues charge between £10 and £25, making them a great option for affordable theatre.
How long do fringe theatre shows typically run for?
Fringe theatre shows often have a shorter lifespan than West End shows. Instead of open-ended runs, most fringe shows play for a few nights to a few weeks, often as part of festivals or seasonal programming. Individual performances are often shorter too—around 60 to 90 minutes without an interval, compared to the 2 to 3 hours you’d expect in the West End.
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