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Last Chance to See in London
This is your chance to be captivated, inspired, impressed, terrified, amused and thoroughly entertained by these West End shows about to close. These theatrical masterpieces are what memories are made of, shows that proved so good, hard to resist and well-loved they made West End history. Explore our Last Chance list, displayed by popularity, and embrace the magic while you can.
The Weir
Harold Pinter Theatre
4.2 40 reviews 4.2 40 reviews Tickets from £294.00Conor McPherson’s darkly atmospheric and powerful play, The Weir,returns to the stage almost thirty years after it first premiered to critical acclaim and praise in the West End and on Broadway. McPherson directs, with Brendan Gleeson making his West End stage debut in the role of Jack.
- Booking until: Saturday, 6 December 2025
- Running time: 1hr 45min. No Interval.
- Starring: Brendan Gleeson
- Playing at: Harold Pinter Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 6 December 2025
Partenope
London Coliseum
5 1 review 5 1 review Tickets from £14.00Handel’s comedic masterpiece about the beautiful Partenope and her four hapless suitors is a colourful, laugh-out-loud opera and a dazzling tale of love and mistaken identities. Now this 18th century Italian opera is getting a 1920s makeover with its new revival at the London Coliseum.
- Booking until: Saturday, 6 December 2025
- Running time: 3hr 30min. Incl. 2 Intervals
- Playing at: London Coliseum
- Booking until: Saturday, 6 December 2025
Emerald Storm
Emerald Theatre
Tickets from £21.00Back by popular demand, Emerald Storm fuses the rhythm of traditional Irish dance with the grittiness of urban tap in a genre-defying and boundary-breaking production by West End star Adam Garcia. Featuring performances from viral tap sensation Bayley Graham and Lord of the Dance's Olivia Graydon, with singing by Britain and America's Got Talent finalist Tom Ball, this immersive theatrical experience will enchant and delight you with its dazzling choreography and musical spectacle before inviting you to join in the fun.
- Booking until: Sunday, 14 December 2025
- Running time: 1hr 55min.
- Playing at: Emerald Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 14 December 2025
West End Musical Christmas
Lyric Theatre
Tickets from £66.00- Opens: Monday, 15 December 2025
Booking until: Monday, 15 December 2025 - Running time: 2hrs. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: Lyric Theatre
- Booking until: Monday, 15 December 2025
Clarkston
Trafalgar Theatre
5 3 reviews 5 3 reviews Tickets from £47.00In this bold new original play by Samuel D Hunter, Joe Locke (Heartstopper, Agatha All Along) makes his West End debut as Jake, who leaves his old life behind after a heartbreaking discovery, and connects with the equally lonely and troubled Chris in the small town of Clarkston, Washington. Two lost young men try to find themselves in this heartfelt, clever story that will leave you laughing and crying.
- Booking until: Monday, 15 December 2025
- Running time: 1hr 35min. No Interval.
- Starring: Joe Locke, Ruaridh Mollica, Sophie Melville
- Playing at: Trafalgar Theatre
- Booking until: Monday, 15 December 2025
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
Ariodante - Royal Ballet and Opera
Royal Opera House
Tickets from £44.00Court conspiracy meets baroque opera in this visually stunning production of Handel’s classic opera about a pair of lovers torn about by accusations of infidelity. Dutch director Jetske Mijnssen, in her Royal Opera debut, brings the powerful, gripping, emotionally thrilling story to life with conduction by Stefano Montanari.
- Opens: Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Booking until: Sunday, 21 December 2025 - Running time: 3hr 45min. Incl. 2 intervals.
- Playing at: Royal Opera House
- Booking until: Sunday, 21 December 2025
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
Elf the Musical
Aldwych Theatre
4.6 256 reviews 4.6 256 reviews Tickets from £35.00Full of magical special effects, joyful musical numbers, laugh-out-loud comedy, and dazzling sets, Elf: The Musical returns to the West End as part of a UK-wide tour just in time for Christmas. Join Buddy, the human raised as an elf, as he journeys to the Big Apple to search for his roots. This heart-warming holiday classic is sure to leave the whole family enchanted.
- Booking until: Saturday, 3 January 2026
- Running time: 2hr 30min. Incl. 1 interval
- Playing at: Aldwych Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 3 January 2026
Choir of Man
Arts Theatre
4.9 313 reviews 4.9 313 reviews Tickets from £35.00The Choir of Man takes audiences through an uplifting celebration of community and friendship in just 90 minutes! If you're looking for feel-good, foot-stomping entertainment unlike anything else the West End has to offer, this is the show for you!
- Booking until: Saturday, 3 January 2026
- Running time: 1hr 30min. No interval.
- Playing at: Arts Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 3 January 2026
COCKFOSTERS
Southwark Playhouse Borough
Tickets from £29.00Hamish Clayton and Tom Woffenden’s witty, quirky comedy about the ups and downs of the Tube returns to Southwark Playhouse Borough after five sell-out runs. Follow holidayers James (Sam Rees-Baylis) and Tori (Beth Lilly) as they make the perilous journey from Heathrow to Cockfosters, all the way down the Piccadilly line, where mayhem ensues. Londoners and non-Londoners alike will adore this zany, satirical take on the woes of public transport.
- Booking until: Saturday, 3 January 2026
- Running time: 1hr 10min.
- Playing at: Southwark Playhouse Borough
- Booking until: Saturday, 3 January 2026
The Snowman
Peacock Theatre
4.7 53 reviews 4.7 53 reviews Tickets from £15.00Back for its 28th year, this enchanting stage adaptation of the beloved picture book by Raymond Briggs returns to the London stage with the heartwarming story of the friendship between a young boy and the snowman he wishes to life. Full of valuable lessons about friendship and imagination, packed with unforgettable songs like the beloved ‘Walking in the Air', this is the perfect holiday musical for children and adults alike.
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
- Running time: 1hr 50min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Playing at: Peacock Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
Jack and the Beanstalk
Lyric Hammersmith
4.7 27 reviews 4.7 27 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.
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
- Running time: 2hr.
- Playing at: Lyric Hammersmith
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story
Alexandra Palace
4.7 18 reviews 4.7 18 reviews Tickets from £21.00The 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
Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas
Garrick Theatre
4 1 review 4 1 review Tickets from £22.00BAFTA-winning children’s presenter Maddie Moate, best known from CBeebies and YouTube, returns to the West End this Christmas, with a thrilling STEM adventure in Santa’s workshop. This clever, interactive show is perfect for children aged four and upwards, filled with festive fun, science experiments, and plenty to learn.
- Opens: Friday, 12 December 2025
Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026 - Running time: 1hr.
- Playing at: Garrick Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
Jack and the Beanstalk - Family
King's Head Theatre
Tickets from £12.00Andrew Pollard's panto retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk at the King's Head Theatre turns the familiar and beloved story on its head in a laugh-out-loud show perfect for children and adults alike. Follow Jack up the beanstalk as he fights to defend the people of Islington, and his mother's ice cream parlour, from the cruel and greedy giant. Starring drag royalty Victoria Scone as the Dame, this cheeky, irreverent reimagining of Jack and the Beanstalk is filled with eccentric characters and unforgettable covers of popular songs.
- 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
Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show!
Theatre Royal Haymarket
5 1 review 5 1 review Tickets from £12.00Celebrate 21 years of Peppa Pig with this brand new stage show packed with music, adventures, and all your children's favourite characters, as Peppa and her family prepare for the arrival of a new baby.
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
- Running time: 1hr 20min. Incl. Interval.
- Playing at: Theatre Royal Haymarket
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 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.
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
- Running time: 2 hrs. Incl 1 interval.
- Playing at: Globe Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
The Nutcracker
St Martins Theatre
Tickets from £15.00This festive season, experience a humorous, inventive, 80s action film inspired retelling of the classic Christmas story, in which two bickering siblings are swept off to a magical world by an enchanted toy to face off with the evil many-headed Mouse King. Filled with heart, original songs, and Christmas spirit, this is the perfect festive musical experience for the whole family.
- Opens: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026 - Running time: 1hr 5min. No interval.
- Playing at: St Martins Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
Snow White
Emerald Theatre
Tickets from £18.00TuckShop returns for its 5th anniversary season with an all-drag pantomime of Snow White that turns this classic fairy tale on its head. Packed with adult humour and bawdy comedy, Snow White stars RuPaul's Drag Race legends like Kyran Thraz, Kitty Scott Claws, Tayris Mongardi, and more. Don't miss this bold, raunchy take on the classic fairy tale, coming to the Emerald Theatre this festive season.
- Opens: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026 - Running time: 1hr 50min. Incl. 1 Interval.
- Playing at: Emerald Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 4 January 2026
The Importance Of Being Earnest
Noel Coward Theatre
4.7 153 reviews 4.7 153 reviews Tickets from £18.00Stephen Fry and Olly Alexander star in the National Theatre's sell-out production of The Importance of Being Earnest, now in the West End for a limited season. Oscar Wilde’s final and best-loved farce is full of scathing satire of Victorian society, endlessly quotable witticisms, featuring a deliciously tangled story about mistaken identities and impersonations that’ll leave you in peals of laughter.
- Booking until: Saturday, 10 January 2026
- Running time: 2hr 45min. Incl. 1 interval.
- Starring: Olly Alexander, Stephen Fry
- Playing at: Noel Coward Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 10 January 2026
A Christmas Carol - Old Vic
Old Vic Theatre
4.9 22 reviews 4.9 22 reviews Tickets from £67.00Charles Dickens' classic Christmas story returns to the stage in this spooky, heartwarming stage adaptation by Matthew Warchus, now in its ninth year. Step into the gloom of Victorian London and join the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a ghostly journey through time in this imaginative, immersive theatrical experience that the whole family can enjoy this festive season.
- Booking until: Saturday, 10 January 2026
- Running time: 2 hours (incl. interval)
- Playing at: Old Vic Theatre
- Booking until: Saturday, 10 January 2026
The Gruffalo's Child
Lyric Theatre
4 6 reviews 4 6 reviews Tickets from £12.00The stage musical based on the beloved children's picture books returns to London in time for the festive season. Follow The Gruffalo's Child on a dangerous, thrilling adventure into the wintry woods, where the Big Bad Mouse lurks. With unforgettable songs, familiar characters, and lots of laughs and scary fun, this is the perfect show for the whole family to enjoy a bit of Christmas magic together.
- Booking until: Sunday, 11 January 2026
- Running time: 1 hr (No Interval)
- Playing at: Lyric Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 11 January 2026
Beauty and the Beast
Charing Cross Theatre
4.8 101 reviews 4.8 101 reviews Tickets from £21.00Beauty and the Beast: A Horny Love Story brings a raunchy, outrageously funny, and unabashedly queer take on the classic love story, in which mama's boy Bertie attempts to charm a foul-tempered beast in a castle badly in need of a makeover. The award-winning He's Behind You! team returns with this witty, camp, and bombastic adult panto packed with original songs.
- Booking until: Sunday, 11 January 2026
- Running time: 2hr 20 min. Incl 1 Interval.
- Playing at: Charing Cross Theatre
- Booking until: Sunday, 11 January 2026
West End shows to see before they close
Maybe you missed out on a new musical you were dying to see, and now it's your last chance. Perhaps you saw a play once before and it was so inspiring you really want to experience it again. You might have only just realised the season's coming to an end for the production you've been keen to see. Either way we have a collection of unforgettable entertainment to see before it's too late. Grab tickets before the curtain falls for the last time, then relax.
So what's it like attending one of the final few performances of a popular West End show? It's really exciting, there's a great buzz, and the audiences are dotted with super-fans there to say goodbye to a production that has meant a lot to them. There's a fast turnaround to enjoy as shows close every week, replaced by new productions set to become just as well-loved.
For every West End closing, there's a new opening. Don't miss out on these last-chance treats, some of the most exciting shows in town. Check out the scheduled end dates then choose your favourite production. Do it right now to void disappointment and fall in love with London Theatre all over again.
Last Chance to See Frequently Asked Questions
I missed a chance to see a show; will it return?
Occasionally, popular shows may see a revival, limited return season or extension, or a UK or global tour. This depends entirely on the production’s popularity, demand, and scheduling. Keep an eye on the News section of our website for announcements about possible revivals and returns.
Are there special discounts for closing-soon shows?
Yes, many productions nearing their final performances offer discounts to fill remaining seats. You’ll often find reduced prices or special promotions in the weeks leading up to a show’s closing date, though availability can be limited.
How will I know if a show I want to see is closing soon?
Keep an eye on this page for an updated list of shows that are closing soon, and check the production’s official website for the dates the show is running for. Most productions will heavily advertise when a show is closing soon, to encourage audiences to book tickets to catch it before it closes.
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