The 8 Best New London Theatre Openings in May 2026

Beetlejuice the Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre

Image provided by Story House.

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. Catch it at the Prince Edward Theatre from 20th May.

Beetlejuice Tickets

High Society at the Barbican Theatre

The cast of High Society. Photo by Dan Kennedy.

Don't miss the party of the year with Cole Porter's much-loved musical comedy in this sparkling revival directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, coming 19th May. A witty, laugh-out-loud that pokes fun at Oyster Bay high society, this musical takes you right into the wedding preparation for the latest nuptials of pretentious socialite Tracy Lord, which quickly descend into chaos with the arrival of her ex-husband. High Society stars Call the Midwife's Helen George and Anything Goes's Felicity Kendal and features many of Porter's classic songs such as 'Just One Of Those Things', 'Let's Misbehave', 'I Love Paris', 'Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?', and more.

High Society Tickets

An Ideal Husband at the Lyric Hammersmith

The cast of An Ideal Husband. Photo by Courtney Nathan Phillip.

"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, coming 8th May.

An Ideal Husband Tickets

1536 at the Ambassadors Theatre

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Ava Pickett's debut play returns after delighting audiences and critics at the Almeida Theatre in summer 2025. Bold, clever, funny, and dark, it retells the story of the execution of Anne Boleyn, through the eyes of three ordinary women in Essex, each with her own domestic troubles and difficult choices to make. With a searing commentary on misogyny and female solidarity, 1536 is an unmissable theatrical experience. You can watch it from 2nd May.

1536 Tickets

Sherlock Holmes at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

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A new Sherlock Holmes mystery comes to the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, from writer Joel Horwood and director Sean Holmes. Step into Victorian London and experience a thrilling mystery filled with deadly, high-stakes chases and shocking twists, as Holmes and Watson go against the clock to unveil the mastermind behind a deadly conspiracy. Lovers of Sherlock Holmes and the detective genre will fall in love with this brand new original story in the Sherlock Holmes canon, coming 2nd May.

Sherlock Holmes Tickets

Dark of the Moon at Charing Cross Theatre

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Loosely inspired by the Scottish ballad Barbara Allen, Dark of the Moon is an ethereal, enchanting musical about witchcraft, small-town prejudices, and forbidden love, in which Barbara Allen, a small town girl from rural Appalachia, falls in love with John, a witch-boy, while their dynamically polarised communities fight to keep them from being together. With a thrilling score that blends country/bluegrass and rock, this bold new staging of a timeless story will sweep you away into the Appalachian mountains with a story about love that defies all odds. Dark of the Moon opens on 18th May.

Dark of the Moon Tickets

Mother Courage and Her Children at Shakespeare's Globe

Image provided by Shakespeare's Globe.

As part of its highly anticipated summer season, Shakespeare's Globe will be tackling the great German playwright Bertolt Brecht for the first time, with a staging of his harrowing anti-war masterpiece directed by Elle While. Michelle Terry stars as Mother Courage, a war profiteer who will do whatever it takes to protect her children, in this dark, urgent play that explores the realities of war, capitalism, and complicity, and which feels just as relevant today as it did when it was first written. Witness this harrowing story from 7th May.

Mother Courage and Her Children Tickets

The Last Man at Southwark Playhouse Elephant

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The Last Man is a gripping one-person musical that unfolds like a psychological thriller – part gig, part video diary, part survival story, driven by a live rock score, immersive sound design, and dark humour. In this hit one-person Korean rock musical, newly reimagined for English-speaking audiences, a mysterious virus has consumed the earth, leaving the streets filled with the undead. Armed with supplies to last a year, one survivor locks themself inside a bunker to wait it out, but the endless isolation starts warping their sense of reality. The UK premiere arrives at Southwark Playhouse Elephant on 9th May.

The Last Man Tickets

April was also a very exciting time for theatre, with the prestigious Olivier Awards taking place on 12th April. You can read the full list of winners here, and check out all the Olivier-nominated shows to watch in London this year here.