Theatre Shows to Watch for International Women's Day

Sylvia at Royal Albert Hall

Beverley Knight and Susan Rose in SYLVIA. Image courtesy of production.

Sylvia chronicles the story of feminist and socialist activist Sylvia Pankhurst, daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, from her painful childhood to her eventual split with her mother’s activism. Described by the Guardian as the next Hamilton, it’s a story of loyalty, love, and revolution, wrapped up in a powerful epic set to an electrifying soundtrack that fuses hip-hop, funk, and soul. Beverley Knight and Sharon Rose star as Emmeline and Sylvia Pankhurst. If you love the idea of history retold through hip-hop, don’t miss this tribute to a British feminist icon.

Sylvia Tickets

1536 at Ambassadors Theatre

Siena Kelly, Tanya Reynolds and Liv Hill in 1536 at the Almeida Theatre. Credit Helen Murray.

Award-winning writer Ava Pickett's debut captures and retells an unforgettable piece of history, the execution of Anne Boleyn, through the eyes of three ordinary women, offering a fresh take on a historical event we all know well. In Tudor England, ordinary women gather in a field in Essex, their childhood meeting place, to trade gossip from London, particularly the shocking news that King Henry VIII has ordered the execution of Queen Anne Boleyn. Soon these women recognise the parallels between their ordinary rural lives and the royal drama that's consuming the country, forcing them to make choices that inevitably lead to violence. This witty, darkly humorous, and clever play investigates whether female solidarity can survive in a world where misogyny is state sanctioned.

1536 Tickets

Marie and Rosetta at Soho Place Theatre

Beverley Knight and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu in MARIE AND ROSETTA. Image courtesy of production.

Mississippi, 1946: Sister Rosetta Tharpe has been shunned by church folk. Her crime? Bringing a taste of rhythm and blues to gospel music and performing in nightclubs with her electric guitar. Saintly young singer Marie Knight persuades her to perform together on a tour of the segregated southern states. In return, Rosetta is determined to introduce a bit of swing into Marie's traditional gospel style. Beverley Knight and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu bring to life the untold true story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe and her role in revolutionising music through a mix of rock 'n' roll and gospel singing, honouring and celebrating her often overlooked place in music history with a musical that combines blues, gospel, and rock n roll.

Marie and Rosetta Tickets

Bird Grove at Hampstead Theatre

Elizabeth Dulau in BIRD GROVE. Photo by Johan Persson.

Alexi Kaye Campbell pens a witty and topical new play about the coming of age of George Eliot, one of the greatest British novelists, and a woman who pushed against social dogma and gender conformity to produce some of the most beloved novels of the time. It's 1841, and Mary Ann Evans has just become of marriageable age. Her father, Robert, moves her to Bird Grove House, determined to find her a suitable husband through their local church. But Mary Ann's intellect, willfulness, and self-confidence, and the progressive new ideas growing in her mind, cause her to clash with her more traditional father and the life he dreams of for her. Inspired by her beloved books and a new friendship with the local radicals, Mary Ann rebels against the rules and societal norms around her.

Bird Grove Tickets

Mrs President at Charing Cross Theatre

Keala Settle in MRS PRESIDENT. Image courtesy of production.

Witness the untold story of Mary Todd Lincoln, widow to the late President Abraham Lincoln. Overcome by grief in the aftermath of her husband's assassination, she seeks to step out from under his long shadow and escape a world eager to define her on its own terms. Accused of treason and shunned by society, she turns to Mathew Brady, the world's first celebrity photographer, to help her reclaim her story and rebuild her public image. But everything unravels with a power shift that turns their collaboration into a fierce struggle for authorship, truth, and control. Acclaimed artist, playwright, and historian John Ransom Phillips brings to life the legacy of the most misunderstood First Lady in this powerful exploration of identity, female agency, and the biases of history.

Mrs President Tickets

Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy at Theatre Royal Stratford West

Artwork for BLOODSPORT provided by production.

Another new play from Ava Pickett, shedding light on yet another famous woman in history. What happens when the woman who started a war comes home to finish it? Helen of Troy, the woman whose incomparable beauty set off one of the most famous wars in history when she ran off with Prince Paris of Troy and her husband, Menelaus of Sparta, declares war on Troy in order to get her back. Now, after the decade-long Trojan War that ended with Troy burning, Helen has returned home to Sparta. It’s a story about feminine rage, female friendship, and motherhood in the face of the brutality of war.

Bloodsport Tickets

Inter Alia at Wyndham's Theatre

Rosamund Pike in INTER ALIA. Photo by Manuel Harlan.

Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike (Saltburn) plays Jessica Parks, a London Crown Court Judge who is forced to reconcile the complexities of her roles at work and home as a professional, wife, mother, friend and feminist. Unafraid to challenge an unjust system, she’s thrown off balance when an unthinkable event shatters her carefully managed world, forcing her to confront what justice truly means, both in the courtroom and at home.

Inter Alia Tickets

Yentl at Marylebone Theatre

Amy Hack in YENTL. Image courtesy of production.

Yentl is the story of a young woman who defies Orthodox tradition by studying Jewish theology with her rabbi father. After her father's death, Yentl defies the laws of segregation by disguising herself as a man and joining a yeshiva where she can continue her education. As her search for knowledge continues and she struggles with her feelings for a fellow student, what unravels is a complex exploration of faith, gender, tradition, and challenging the boundaries set by society. It’s a remarkable story of courage, identity, and living your truth, directed by Gary Abraham and starring Amy Hack as Yentl.

Yentl Tickets

Oh Mary! at Trafalgar Theatre

The cast of OH MARY! Photo by Manuel Harlan.

American comedian, actor, and playwright Cole Escola’s comedic play offers another and more absurdist take on Mary Todd Lincoln. This off-beat, outrageous dark comedy reimagines the story of Mary in the weeks leading up to the assassination of her husband - formerly US president Abraham Lincoln. In this tongue-in-cheek take on history, Mary is a foul-tempered alcoholic, stuck in an unhappy marriage with the deeply closeted Abe, desperate to relive her glory days as a cabaret dancer. This one-act, 80-minute play is packed with hilarious gags, alcohol-fuelled antics, and general mayhem as it takes an absurdist spin on an American First Lady as you've never imagined her before.

Oh Mary! Tickets

I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical at Hackney Empire

Alexandra Burke in I'M EVERY WOMAN. Image courtesy of production.

Do you love the Queen of Funk? I’m Every Woman is the story of Chaka Khan’s incredible life: from her time as a member of the Black Panthers fighting for civil rights, to her struggles with addiction and the challenges of being a black woman in the music industry - and of course, her rise to global stardom as she went from being the lead singer of funk bank Rufus to launching her solo career. Witness this iconic star’s rise to fame in a turbulent musical industry, filled with beloved songs and cameos by other musical giants. It’s a story of resilience, overcoming the odds, and above all, a love of music.

I'm Every Woman Tickets

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding at the Lyric Hammersmith

The cast of JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING. Image courtesy of production.

Writer Jocelyn Bioh and director Monique Touko, the dream team behind School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, reunite for a funny, clever, and joyful play filled with complex, brilliant female characters. Jaja's is a bustling braiding salon in Harlem, New York, run by a lively, cheerful team of West African expert stylists, immigrants who've brought with them generations of braiding traditions. Here, women from across the neighbourhood community come to have masterpieces created on their heads. The play follows this group of women over the course of one hot summer day, filled with laughter, shared secrets, angry customers, betrayals - and above all, a collection of dreams that increasingly pit them against the city they love and call home.

Jaja's African Hair Braiding Tickets

John Proctor is the Villain at the Royal Court Theatre

Artwork of JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN provided by production.

In this revisionist take on Arthur Miller's The Crucible, five young women set out to shed light on the darkest secrets of their small town. Set in rural Georgia, a group of high school students are assigned to study The Crucible, whose protagonist John Proctor was convicted of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. As their class debates the play's themes of power, gender inequality, and female sexuality, they juggle the ups and downs of forming a feminist club, a father being accused of sexual harassment, and an illicit student/teacher relationship. Tony Award-winner Danya Taymor (The Outsiders) directs Kimberly Belflower's bitingly funny Tony Award-nominated play that was praised as 'vital, hilarious, thrilling, and urgently necessary' by the New York Times.

John Proctor Is the Villain Tickets

This International Women’s Day, celebrate a diverse and unique variety of women’s stories, told by women and performed by some of the best actresses in theatre.