12 Best New Theatre Openings in September 2026
Shehrazade Zafar-Arif
24 August, 2026, 15:22
Autumn is nearly here, which always means a busy period for the West End, and an exciting time for theatre lovers. This September, we have a lot of new shows to look forward to, from brand new plays like The Standard of Living to the return of beloved classics like RENT, and the chance to see big stars on stage, like Gillian Anderson in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Tilda Swinton in Man to Man.
Summary
- This September, we can look forward to brand-new plays by award-winning playwrights, like Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy and The Standard of Living.
- Get ready for star-studded casts in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Tru, and Man to Man.
- We're especially excited for the highly anticipated return of RENT, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year!
Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy
Photo provided by production.
From award-winning writer Ava Pickett comes a brand-new original play that's a modern retelling of the story of Helen of Troy, starring Michelle Dockery and Laura Aikman. Helen returns home to Sparta after the end of the war fought in her name, and through the reality of her homecoming comes a fierce, heartbreaking story of friendship, motherhood, and rage. Lisa Spirling makes her directorial debut at Stratford East with clever, raw, and brutal play about the woman at the heart of one of the most famous wars in history.
- Playing at Theatre Royal Stratford East
- Opens 3 September
Bloodsport After Helen of Troy Tickets
Thelma & Louise
Photo provided by production.
One of the most iconic films of the nineties is coming to the stage, in a brand-new musical adaptation of Thelma & Louise, directed by Trip Cullman and starring Amy Lennox and Rachel Tucker as the unforgettable road tripping heroines who wind up on the run from the FBI after one of them kills a would-be rapist. Funny, clever, and thrilling, it offers a fresh take on a story of violence and female friendship that feels even more relevant to today's gender politics. Book now and get ready for a razor-sharp and heart-racing story that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout.
- Playing at the Young Vic
- Opens 3 September
Million Dollar Quartet
The cast of Million Dollar Quartet. Photo provided by production.
Step back into the 1950s with this thrilling celebration of the sound of rock 'n' roll. It's 1956, and Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley walk into a Memphis recording studio for an impromptu jam session that would shape the trajectory of rock 'n' roll music across the world. Get ready for a story of ambition, jealousy, and fame, set to a truly jaw-dropping soundtrack filled with classic rock tunes you know and love.
- Playing at the Arts at Marble Arch
- Opens 4 September
Million Dollar Quartet Tickets
Man to Man
Photo provided by production.
Tilda 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.
- Playing at the Royal Court Theatre
- Opens 5 September
Tru
Photo provided by production.
Jay Presson Allen's 1989 play about the great American novelist, screenwriter, and playwright Truman Capote is coming to London, with Jesse Tyler Ferguson at the helm of this funny and heartbreaking one-man play. Get ready for an unflinching portrait of the brilliant mind behind In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany's as Capote reckons with his career in the aftermath of his scandalous unfinished memoir, with an intimate, powerful, and utterly unique theatrical experience.
- Playing at Menier Chocolate Factory
- Opens 19 September
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Photo provided by production.
Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup lead this latest revival of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, a brutal, outrageous drama about a married couple in a toxic spiral, who pull an unsuspecting younger couple into their terrifying games. Marianne Elliot directs this latest take on a classic that has enthralled audiences since 1962, packed with razor-sharp wit, drama, and unforgettable characters, in a scandalous exploration of a marriage gone wrong.
- Playing at Soho Place Theatre (@sohoplace)
- Opens 21 September
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf Tickets
The Standard of Living
Photo provided by production.
From Olivier Award-winning playwright James Graham (Dear England) comes a fascinating new play that tells the story of British economist John Maynard Keynes (played by Rory Kinnear), exploring revolutionary ideas as he rewrote the rules of modern economics during a time of global crisis. Don't miss this new piece of work by one of Britain's most prolific and insightful dramatists, combining history, economics, and politics with powerful storytelling.
- Playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
- Opens 21 September
The Standard of Living Tickets
Hay Fever
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Noel Coward's 1925 comedy is returning to the West End with an explosive revival at Wyndham's Theatre starring Christine Baranski and Richard E. Grant. Emily Burns directs this outrageously funny play about an eccentric family who invites a group of hapless guests to their English country house for a weekend of chaos, confusion, and embarrassment. One of Coward's funniest and most beloved plays, Hay Fever has been charming audiences for the past century and now it's your chance to experience this farcical comedy of manners in all its glory.
- Playing at Wyndham's Theatre
- Opens 22 September
Into the Woods
The cast of Into the Woods. Photo provided by production.
From award-winning director Jordan Fein comes the Olivier Award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s beloved and classic musical, in which characters from the Brothers Grimm’s unforgettable fairy tales come together in a desperate search for a happily ever after. Combining a fantastic score, memorable storytelling and endearing characters with a dark and clever twist on the fairy tales we all know and love, Into the Woods premiered at the Bridge Theatre and was the most nominated musical revival of the year at the Olivier Awards. Now you can watch it in the West End!
- Playing at the Noel Coward Theatre
- Opens 22 September
The Last Ship
Photo provided by production.
Developed by Sting in 2011, The Last Ship is inspired by the Grammy Award-winning musician's own childhood in a British shipbuilding town. With an inspiring, heartwarming story about a shipyard on the brink of closure and a group of shipwrights who come together to build one final ship, this new staging features a company of over 50 and a score of dazzling, beloved songs by Sting that blend rock, jazz, folk, and traditional sea shanties. With Sting himself starring, and reggae icon Shaggy appearing in two performances, this is an unmissable theatrical experience for fans of this iconic British musician.
- Playing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Opens 22 September
RENT
The cast of RENT. Photo by Oliver Rosser.
With a book, music, and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, Rent follows a group of impoverished artists living in Manhattan's East Village, navigating love and loss, grappling with the realities of poverty, and living with the invisible, inevitable threat of HIV/AIDS. Filled with unforgettable songs such as 'Rent', 'La Vie Boheme', 'Take Me or Leave Me', and 'Seasons of Love', Rent is one of the most beloved pieces of theatre of all time, and now London audiences can experience it all over again. Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo stars as Mark Cohen, joined by a talented young cast.
- Playing at the Tom Stoppard Theatre (formerly the Duke of York's Theatre)
- Opens 26 September
Affluenza
Photo provided by production.
Inspired by true events surrounding a shocking legal defence, Affluenza explores the ripple effects of power and privilege in the fallout from a drunk driving accident in the Hamptons. Written and directed by Andy Sandberg, this biting and darkly funny new play unpacks moral accountability, family legacy, and the justice system, in a way that's deeply timely and urgent to modern-day America. Opening the same night as RENT, it also stars a Stranger Things veteran, Noah Schnapp, in the lead role!
- Playing at Riverside Studios
- Opens 26 September
Looking for more inspiration? Check out our list of all the new book to stage adaptations you can see in London this year. And if you're interested in looking further afield from the West End, read our breakdown of all the most exciting shows at Edinburgh Fringe. Finally, don't forget to check out London Theatre Week for some unbeatable discounts on theatre tickets!
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