This Month in the West End (May 2026)

Shehrazade Zafar-Arif 28 May, 2026, 17:27

Welcome to another round-up of all the hottest West End news you might have missed in the month of May. From the return of beloved shows like Singin' in the Rain and Heathers the Musical, to cast announcements for Jersey Boys and Trainspotting, it's been an exciting month in the world of theatre - let us catch you up.

Gaten Matarazzo to star in RENT revival

Headshot by Victoria Stevens

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Rent is returning to the West End with a new revival, due to open on 26th September 2026 at the Duke of York's Theatre. Directed by Luke Sheppard, it will star Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things) as the lead Mark Cohen, in his West End debut.

National Theatre announces new shows

Artwork provided by production.

The National Theatre has announced a slate of new shows opening across its Lyttelton and Dorfman theatres, including Benedict Andrews' Electra/Persona, starring Cate Blanchett, along with new productions of Caryl Churchill's Cloud 9 and Jim Cartwright's The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, a new play by Helen Edmundson called Some Woman, and a limited one-week run of Tiago Rodrigues's Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists.

THE HOUSEMAID to be adapted for the stage

The Housemaid movie poster

Lionsgate has announced that a theatrical adaptation of The Housemaid is in development. Based on the novel by Freida McFadden, this psychological thriller was adapted into a feature film in 2025, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL announces London transfer and initial casting

Harry Judd in High School Musical. Photo by Matt Crockett.

The highly anticipated first UK non-replica production of Disney’s High School Musical will transfer to London’s Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre from 12 October 2026, following a summer season in Lowry, Salford. McFly's Harry Judd has been cast as Coach Bolton, taking over for Jason Donovan, who will play him at Lowry.

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN to return to London

Singin in the Rain The cast of Singin' in the Rain. Photo by Johan Persson

The smash-hit production of Singin' in the Rain will embark on a UK and Ireland tour in 2027, including a summer season at London's Sadler's Wells from 2 June to 3 July.

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL returns to London this summer

Artwork provided by production

Following record breaking seasons in London, New York and Melbourne, Heathers the Musical will be returning to London this summer for 52 performances only, opening at the the newest West End venue, Arts at Marble Arch, ahead of a UK and Ireland tour.

Cassidy Janson to star in BURLESQUE THE MUSICAL

Cassidy Janson Photo by Michael Wharley

Olivier Award-winning West End star Cassidy Janson will star as Tess Richarde in the West End production of Burlesque the Musical, coming to the new West End venue The Arts at Marble Arch from 12 September.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR to extend at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Artwork provided by production

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar will be extending for a limited 12-week engagement with further performances announced for Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 16 October 2026, following the show's summer season at the London Palladium.

Cast announced for JERSEY BOYS

JERSEY BOYS CAST Photo by Matt Crockett

The full cast has been revealed for the 20th anniversary UK and Ireland tour of the smash-hit Tony Award-winning musical, Jersey Boys, which will open at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 17 June. The cast will include Luke Baker as Frankie Valli, Carlo Boumouglbay as Tommy DeVito, Lewis Kennedy as Nick Massi, and Toby Miles as Bob Gaudio.

TRAINSPOTTING THE MUSICAL announces full cast

Image provided by production.

Full casting has been revealed for the world premiere of Trainspotting the Musical, which is coming to the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 15 July. As previously revealed, Renton will be played by Robbie Scott in his West End debut. Joining him will be Sheridan Townsley as Sick Boy, Kieran Andrew as Spud, Frankie O’Connor as Begbie, Finlay Paul as Tommy, Rebecca McKinnis as Cathy Renton, Gordon Cooper as Davie Renton, Ashley J Russell as Colleen, Rosie Dignan as Alison, Yana Harris as Kelly, and Sophie Hutchinson as Lizzie.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL returns for a new UK tour

Photo by Marc Brenner.

The smash-hit musical Pretty Woman, based on the iconic 1990 rom com starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, is returning for a new UK tour, opening at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 10 March 2027.

Robert Lindsey and Jemma Redgrave to star in SPRINGWOOD

Headshots provided by production.

The cast has been revealed for the world premiere of Springwood, a new play by Richard Nelson which reimagines the visit of the King and Queen to the US President's country home in 1939, opening at Hampstead Theatre on 19 June. Robert Lindsay will play President Roosevelt, with Jemma Redgrave as Eleanor Roosevelt. They are joined by Andrew Havill as King George VI and Rebecca Night as Queen Elizabeth.

Meera Syal to star in THE CHILDREN at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Image provided by production.

A new production of Lucy Kirkwood’s The Children is coming to the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre this September, marking the play's 10th anniversary. Directed by Rachel O'Riordan, it will star Olivier Award-nominated Dame Meera Syal as Hazel. The Children opens on 2 September.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD announces West End cast

Richard Coyle in To Kill a Mockingbird. Photo by Johan Persson

To Kill a Mockingbird, adapted by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bartlett Sher, is returning to the West End this summer, opening at Wyndham's Theatre from 25 June following its UK tour. The full cast for the new West End season includes the return of Richard Coyle in the role of Atticus Finch.

Our Summer Theatre Sale is Now Live

summer theatre sale

Summer is the season the West End comes alive — and this year, we're making it more accessible than ever. For a limited time only, our Summer Theatre Sale gives you exclusive access to some of the most talked-about shows in the West End. Hurry - it's only on until 7 June!

What London shows are opening in June 2026

There's a whole load of fantastic shows opening this month. Witness the rise of a musical legend in Sinatra the Musical, catch a fresh new take on a classic with the all-female revival of Glengarry Glen Ross, enjoy a Shakespearan comedy in the sun-soaked outdoors with Much Ado About Nothing or A Midsummer Night's Dream, and lose yourself in the spectacle and allure of the great rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Check out the full list of new shows opening this month.

What London shows are closing in June 2026

We're also saying goodbye to several productions this month, so make sure you catch them before they leave the stage. The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's thrilling new Sherlock Holmes mystery closes on 6th June. Romeo & Juliet, starring Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe, is leaving the stage on 20th June. The Olivier Award-winning Inter Alia will close on 20th June as well. Oscar Wilde's wickedly funny An Ideal Husband exits the stage on 6th June, as does the rock 'n' roll classic, Teeth 'n' Smiles.

And finally, here are some of the biggest shows we reviewed in April.

GRACE PERVADES at Theatre Royal Haymarket

★★★★

Ralph Fiennes and Miranda Raison in Grace Pervades. Photo provided by production.

Drama, intrigue, and sardonic comedy all come together in this sweeping historical drama about two of the most well-known thespians of the Victorian stage. Ralph Fiennes and Miranda Raison star as Henry Irving and Ellen Terry in David Hare's gripping and moving homage to the world of theatre. Read our review of Grace Pervades.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at the Globe

★★★★

Photo by Helen Murray

Emily Lim (Brighter Still, The Odyssey) directs this wonderfully chaotic staging of Shakespeare's mischievous, playful comedy about spells, transformations, and the fickle nature of love, in which four young lovers flee into the woods and find themselves ensnared in a world of mischievous fairies. Read our review of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

1536 at Ambassador’s Theatre

★★★★★

Photo by Helen Murray

Set in Tudor England against the backdrop of Anne Boleyn's execution, Ava Pickett's original, and funny debut play follows three women in rural Essex and asks the question: just how much have things really changed for women between then and now? Read our review of 1536.

SHERLOCK HOLMES at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

★★★★★

Joshua James in Sherlock Holmes. Photo by Tristram Kenton.

From writer Joel Horwood and directed by Sean Holmes comes a brand-new stage play that introduces a thrilling new mystery tale in the Sherlock Holmes canon, in which Holmes and Watson find themselves caught in a plot involving a missing treasure, multiple murdered civil servants, stolen government documents, and a conspiracy to topple the British Empire. Read our review of Sherlock Holmes.

STAGE KISS at Hampstead Theatre

★★★

Photo by Helen Murray

Two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl's brilliant romantic comedy makes its UK premiere with a story of two estranged lovers forced to act opposite each other onstage, playing estranged lovers rekindling their romance in a horrible melodrama - which inevitably causes them to rekindle their romance. Read our review of Stage Kiss.

AN IDEAL HUSBAND at Lyric Hammersmith

★★★

Tiwa Lade and Jamel Westman in An Ideal Husband. Photo by Helen Murray.

In this witty, clever comedy by Oscar Wilde, government minister Sir Robert Chiltern has everything a man of high society could ask for, but everything flips upside down when the devious Mrs Cheveley arrives, with secrets to spill and a thirst for drama. From Nicholai La Barrie comes a revival of one of Wilde's most popular plays. Read our review of An Ideal Husband.

KRAPP’S LAST TAPE at Royal Court Theatre

★★★

Artwork for Krapp's Last Tape Artwork provided by production

A theatrical event paying homage to Samuel Beckett with two back-to-back plays. Gary Oldman stars in Krapp's Last Tape, in which a lonely man who records a new tape on each birthday and decides to listen back to one of his old tapes on his 69th birthday. Read our review of Krapp's Last Tape.

THE HARDER THEY COME at Stratford East

★★★★

The Harder They Come cast Photo provided by production

Based on the 1972 cult classic Jamaican crime thriller that brought reggae to the world, The Harder They Come is the story of aspiring singer Ivan, who arrives in Kingston with a dream of becoming a superstar and finds himself tangled in the criminal underworld. Read our review of The Harder They Come.

DARK OF THE MOON at Charing Cross Theatre

★★★★

Dark Of The Moon - Dress Rehearsal The cast of Dark of the Moon. Photo by Tom Bowles.

In this brand new musical based on a 1941 play and the Scottish ballad of Barbara Allen comes a story of star-crossed love and the superstar. In a small rural Appalachian town, the misfit Barbara Allen falls in love with John the Witch-Boy, who gives up his immortality to be with her, but the lovers find themselves haunted by a witch's spell and the prejudice of the townsfolk. Read our review of Dark of the Moon.

And that's everything you might have missed this month! If this has inspired you to fill your summer with trips to the theatre, check out our list of Theatre Shows to Watch in London This Summer. And don't worry if you don't want to break the bank - we've got you covered with out tips on West End Shows to See on a Budget This Summer.