London Plays

Sink into the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's magical summer season with Atri Banerjee's blissful, dreamy production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, brought to life with a beautiful folk-infused score that will immerse you into a dizzying world of fairies and enchantments. Four lovers find themselves lost in fairyland, where a poorly timed love potion by the trickster Puck causes their already tangled relationships to become even more confusing. Experience Shakespeare's most spellbinding comedy in London's most beautiful theatre.

Step into London’s historic County Hall for Witness for the Prosecution, where Agatha Christie’s gripping courtroom drama unfolds in an unforgettable, immersive setting. This acclaimed production brings you up close to the suspense as shocking twists keep you guessing right until the final verdict.

Florian Zeller’s razor-sharp and darkly witty marital comedy about truth, lies, and everything in between comes to the Apollo Theatre, returning to London after a decade with a dizzyingly twisted story filled with adultery and deception. Stephen Mangan, Ardal O’Hanlon, Sarah Hadland and Janie Dee star in this dazzling revival of the Olivier-nominated play, directed by Lindsay Posner, which promises to leave audiences at the edge of their seats.

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.

From Olivier Award-winning playwright James Graham (Dear England) comes a fascinating new play that tells the story of British economist John Maynard Keynes, 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.

The Play That Goes Wrong is an unmissable comedy, delivering laugh-out-loud moments as a fictional theatre company attempt to perform a murder mystery production collapses. Known for its brilliantly timed physical humour and unexpected mishaps, The Play That Goes Wrong is the longest-running comedy in the West End for a reason!

Rediscover the Wizarding World 19 years after the epic Battle of Hogwarts with the multi-award-winning production, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Jampacked with spectacular spells, embark on a mind-blowing race through time with one of London's most popular plays!

Gillian Anderon 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.

Sandra Oh will star as the titular Misanthrope in this modern adaptation of Moliere's classic comedy of manners, in which a brilliant but misanthropic novelist lashes out against the sycophantic society around her and risks destroying her reputation. Martin Crimp's wickedly funny and clever retelling will relocate this classic play to the modern day, with Moliere's anti-hero reimagined as a woman, in a searing and contemporary take on this dark comedy about public perceptions.

Olivier Award winner Hiran Abeysekera (The Father and the Assassin) stars in a stunning new adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, in this new play by Anupama Chandrasekhar. Experience the story of Mowgli, a wild child raised by the animals of the jungle, in this epic, colourful production that brings Kipling's iconic jungle setting to life with jaw-dropping, life-sized puppets. Coming this Christmas, The Jungle Book is a piece of theatrical marvel that the whole family can fall in love with.

Sink into the Globe Theatre’s highly anticipated 2026 summer season with this electrifying staging of Shakespeare’s playful, chaotic comedy about spells, transformations, and the fickle nature of love. Four young Athenian lovers, caught in a love quadrangle, flee into an enchanted forest, where they become the victim of a love spell by the mischievous fairies that dwell within it. Dream and reality blur into midsummer madness in the sun-soaked open air of the Globe Theatre, making for an unforgettable and immersive theatrical treat.

Alexander Zeldin makes his much anticipated return to London to direct his powerful, uplifting play about a grandmother forced to live in a care home after a fall, where she befriends other elderly people in the same uncertain stage of transition, and learns to appreciate life’s unexpected joys.

Keira Knightley, Stephen Dillane, and Luke Thompson star in Robert Icke's stage adaptation of the German psychological thriller, The Lives of Others, in which a Stasi agent in East Berlin finds his loyalties tested when he begins spying on a couple. A star-studded cast brings to life this story of surveillance, espionage, oppression, and the struggle for personal freedom, in its first-ever stage adaptation that promises to bring a fresh take that speaks to our modern world.

Cate Blanchett stars in this thrilling production that blends ancient myth and modern psychology, fusing Sophocles's Electra with Ingmar Bergman's Persona. An actress suddenly falls silent during a performance of Electra and what follows is an unsettling, intense encounter between two women. Directed by Benedict Andrews, this bold new play explores grief, identity and performance.

Experience a hilarious new Jane Austen novel with the smash-hit comedy Austentatious. Inspired entirely by a title from the audience and performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment - it’s a riotous, razor-sharp show where swooning is guaranteed.

Adapted by Conor McPherson and directed by Ian Rickson, The Cherry Orchard, Anton Chekhov's final play, is coming to the Harold Pinter Theatre in a bold, powerful new staging that explores a family on the brink of change and a world in transition. Award-winning actress Kristin Scott Thomas plays Lyubov Ranevskaya, an aristocratic Russian landowner who returns to her childhood estate and finds her family home and beloved cherry orchard under threat.

Step into the Globe's decadent, joyful summer season with Chelsea Walker's production of Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare's wittiest comedy, in which polar opposites Benedick and Beatrice clash in a battle of the sexes while their friends attempt to matchmake them. Full of mistaken identities, witty banter, and hilarious antics, Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies for its sharp-tongued hero and heroine, and tricksy, mischievous plot.

Stanley Tucci makes his London directorial debut with Richard Nelson's witty, poignant exploration of a pivotal moment in history. In the days leading up to World War II, King George VI and President Roosevelt meet at the latter's country home along with their wives, leading to a weekend full of negotiations, culture clash, and spilled secrets. Don't miss this clever and richly observed history play that brings together the personal and the political.

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.

Brainiac Live, the nation's favourite family science show, is returning to the West End this summer just in time for the school holidays. With a mission to get kids to see science as fun and exciting, this exhilarating show features thrilling live experiments performed onstage, including liquid nitrogen clouds, vortex smoke rings, exploding hydrogen balloons, and spinning CO₂ chairs. Perfect for the whole family, don't miss this joyful, electrifying, and downright hilarious celebration of our weird and wonderful world.

Mischief Theatre's A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is a laugh-out-loud comedy that transforms the beloved holiday classic into a chaotic disaster filled with mishaps and mayhem. With brilliant physical comedy and unexpected twists, it's the perfect festive treat that will have you in stitches from start to finish.

Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Guards at the Taj) brings his signature wit and absurdist comedy to this darkly funny play about the events leading up to World War I. three unlikely assassins are charged with murdering Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and cementing their place in history, in this disarmingly comedic story about the unlikely heroes and villains in history.

Award-winning actor, comedian and Strictly Come Dancing winner, Bill Bailey is back with a brand new show that brings the timeless art of vaudeville to life. With a thrilling blend of comedy, music, and variety acts, Vaudevillean is packed with stories of showbiz and city life, designed to amuse and amaze. With his trademark wit, charm, and talent, Bailey sets out to enthrall audiences with good family fun that will sweep you away from the humdrum of daily life, and entertain you with stories of the strange and spectacular.

Black Panther star Letitia Wright will star in the UK premiere of Tracey Scott-Wilson's The Story, a smart and slick newsroom drama about an ambitious young reporter's investigation of a murder of a white teacher in a black neighbourhood. Clint Dyer (Othello, Death of England) directs this thrilling mystery play about the elusive nature of the truth, which offers a raw look at the relationship between race and media.

Charles 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.

August Wilson's landmark 1985 play, set in the 1950s, is the sixth installment in his ten-part Pittsburgh Cycle, exploring the evolving African-American experience in the face of race relations. In this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning drama, Troy, a working class 53-year-old man, struggles to provide for his family as head of the household. From one of America's most influential 20th century writers comes a powerful story about race, class, and ambition.

Lucy Kirkwood's fiercely clever and timely 2016 play follows two retired nuclear scientists at the end of the world, forced to grapple with the consequences of their actions. Directed by Rachel O'Riordan and starring Meera Syal, this poignant, harrowing story explores themes of inter-generational accountability, personal morality, and the environmental crisis, which feel just as relevant to our modern age as they did when they were written.

Experience one of theatre's most entertaining comedies with the play that marked Alan Ayckbourn as one of the English stage's most brilliant comedians. In How the Other Half Loves, three couples find their lives entangled after accusations of infidelity lead to a web of misunderstandings, deceptions, and lies. Filled with wit, mayhem, and sly social commentary, it is a raucous take on sex, class and marital misunderstanding. 

Ben Whishaw and Kathryn Hunter star in Colin Teevan's stage adaptation of Christian Kracht's internationally best-selling novel about a mother and son on a chaotic road trip through the Swiss Alps as they attempt to give away their family fortune and escape their dark history. Witness a darkly comedic story of redemption, connection, and family unfold as part of the Young Vic's exciting 2026/27 season.

Don't miss a rare opportunity to catch one of Shakespeare's least performed comedies, in which a group of men who have sworn off women are tempted by the arrival of a group of women in Navarre, leading to a battle of wits and desires, and a story filled with wordplay and poetry. Indiana Lown-Collins brings this rarely staged play to life through energetic flamenco dance, inviting you to join a celebration of fiery romantic tension and joyous revelry this summer.

The team behind the 2025 production of Three Sisters, Caroline Steinbeis and Rory Mullarkey reunite as director and translator for Chekhov's timeless story of ambition and desire, inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet. In this outstanding piece of Russian drama, the lives of four individuals intersect on a rural estate when Konstantin Treplev, a brooding young experimental playwright, falls deeply in love with a local ingenue named Nina, who finds herself drawn to Konstantin's mother Arkadina's lover Boris. What follows is a thrilling psychological drama.

Celebrate 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.

Adapted from the bestselling book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Smartest Giant in Town heads to London for a limited festive run. Follow the heart-warming tale about friendship and helping those in need through a puppet-filled adventure, perfect for younger audiences.

Places aren't haunted, people are. Witness the horror phenomenon based on Oren Peli's Blumhouse film franchise, now on the stage for the first time. An American couple moves into a haunted house in London, running from their past, and are tormented by terrifying supernatural entities.

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.

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.

Anton Chekhov's thrilling, keenly observant, and clever comic drama has enchanted audiences and thrilled critics for generations. In this bold new adaptation by Simon Stone (The Lady From the Sea), the story of Nikolai Ivanov, an unhappy government official searching for an escape from the humdrum of a midlife crisis is retold in a modern setting. Chris Pine makes his London stage debut as one of Chekhov's most complicated heroes.

King of Tango German Cornejo and his spectacular dance company return to present a night of authentic Argentine tango and a score that celebrates the legacy of the great tango composer Astor Piazzolla. Ten world class dancers and a live orchestra of musicians and singers come together to spin a story of passion, desire, and drama, told through one of the most irresistible dance forms.

This modern classic from Caryl Churchill, one of Britain's most influential playwrights, offers a daring and satirical exploration of gender, power and the legacies of empire, by transposing a colonial administrator and his family from Victorian-era colonial Africa to 1970s London. Directed by Dominic Cooke and featuring a fiercely talented cast, this revival of Churchill's landmark work is filled with audacious theatricality and razor-sharp wit.

Kimberly Belflower's bitingly funny and urgent revisionist take on Arthur Miller's The Crucible follows five high school girls as they study the classic play and navigate sexual politics and gender inequalities in small-town Georgia. After a sold-out Broadway run, this witty play about feminine rage is making its way over to the Royal Court Theatre to bring the Salem Witch Trials to the modern age.

Experience Shakespeare's famous tragedy about star-crossed lovers in a whole new light with this ballet reimagining developed by Rudolf Nureyev in 1977 and revived for its 50th anniversary year. The English National Ballet Philharmonic perform Prokofiev's soaring score live to bring to life the tragic story of doomed lovers Romeo and Juliet and the feuding Montagues and Capulets. With electrifying drama, a gorgeous score, and jaw-dropping choreography, this is an unmissable treat for fans of ballet and Shakespeare alike, and has stood the test of time since it was first created.

Step into the Globe's highly anticipated 2026 summer season with a classic Shakespearean comedy, in which young lovers Rosalind and Orlando navigate romance while hiding out in the Forest of Arden. Featuring mistaken identity, disguises, and live music, Sean Holmes and Charlie Josephine team up to bring this light-hearted and euphoric story of love, lust, and revelry to life in the gorgeous open-air Globe Theatre.

Based on Wladyslaw Szpilman's internationally acclaimed memoir, which was the inspiration for Roman Polanski's Academy Award-winning 2002 film, The Pianist is a new musical that recounts Szpilman's harrowing experiences as a renowned pianist in 1930s Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. It features Szpilman's own music with new lyrics and is freshly orchestrated by Simon Lee, bringing his music and story together on the stage for the first time, in a love letter to the extraordinary power of creativity.

Ferocious, brutal and damning, this is an epic story of a life ravaged by ecological disaster. Written by the multi-award-winning Titas Halder, it explores the fallout of the 1984 Bhopal disaster, in which a pesticide plant released toxic gas that killed thousands in the Indian city, from the perspective of a young girl and her family. Relive the horror of a dark period in Indian history from the perspective of one family in this raw, deeply human story based on shocking true events.

Francesca Mills stars in this new production of acclaimed British dramatist Jim Cartwright's modern classic, directed by Robert Hastie. Mills plays Little Voice, who sings in the sanctuary of her bedroom until she's forced into the spotlight and made to confront the perils that come with fame and stardom. Revived multiple times and adapted into film, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is a powerful, heartrending story that has been enthralling audiences for decades.

Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and Noah Galvin (Dear Evan Hansen) make their West End debuts in this thrilling new play about two estranged brothers, a record mogul and a struggling musician, reunited in a desperate collaboration that brings to light the trauma of their shared childhood. With original music by three-time Grammy Award-winner Ben Harper, this is a breath-taking story about brotherhood and male violence, creative theft, and the cost of turning personal pain into art.

Step into a prehistoric world and meet an incredible line-up of hyper-realistic dinosaurs, including a Triceratops, Giraffatitan, Microraptor, Segnosaurus, and of course, everyone's favourite Tyrannosaurus Rex. Jaw-dropping puppetry brings these remarkably life-like dinosaurs to life, giving children of all ages a chance to get up close and personal with these prehistoric marvels in an interactive experience that is both educational and entertaining. Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Family Show in 2024, this is the perfect summer treat for the whole family to enjoy together.

Ancient Rome comes to the beautiful candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse as Julius Caesar kicks off Shakespeare's Globe's winter season. Joe Hill-Gibbins (Ghosts, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse) returns to direct Shakespeare's brutal and timely tale of friendship, betrayal and political violence, staged for the first time ever in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. In this classic Roman tragedy, the ambitious dictator Caesar's growing power causes his allies to turn against him in a murderous plot, but public opinion quickly turns against them, giving way to bloody civil war.

Step into the dizzying, topsy-turvy world of Wonderland and follow Alice on a maddening adventure down the rabbit hole as she attempts to return home while dodging the terrifying Queen of Hearts. Adapted by Penny Farrow and directed by Nate Bertone, this immersive retelling brings Lewis Caroll's delightfully absurd novel to life with breath-taking costumes, jaw-dropping puppetry, colourful sets, and a thrilling original score, making it the perfect theatrical treat for the whole family.

La Distance is an intimate, inventive play by Portuguese playwright and director Tiago Rodrigues that explores separation, hope, and the bond between parent and child, set within a collapsing world. Set in a dystopian future where the earth is dying and half of humanity relocates to Mars, a father desperately tries to salvage his relationship with his daughter across the vast expanse of space.

Created by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, Hamlet Hail to the Thief is a dynamic new version of Hamlet where Shakespeare's words are illuminated by Radiohead's music. Experience Shakespeare's greatest tragedy retold through Radiohead's celebrated album Hail to the Thief, in a unique theatrical experience performed live by a cast of musicians and actors, which combines theatre, music and movement.

Spirited Away – A wondrous fantasy

Studio Ghibli is a famous Japanese animation studio based in Koganei, Tokyo, a highly respected presence in the international animation industry. Now their classic movie Spirited Away is coming to London's West End for 2024, adapted for the stage and in theatreland for a three month run. This is the European premiere, and the fun takes place at the London Coliseum from April.

Holy Fool is a tense, darkly witty exploration of the absurdity of tyranny, the bravery of resistance and the triumph of the human spirit. Witness the story of Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the greatest musical figures of the 20th century, as he quietly resists the tyrannical rule of Stalin's regime through the power of his music.

Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada returns following his heartfelt and hilarious debut, The Horse of Jenin, with a new play that blends storytelling, stand-up and physical comedy in a very human tale of family and connection, hope and joy. Follow Alaa as he journeys from Jenin to Amman across the Jordan Valley, carrying a dripping container of olive oil, on a moving and funny road trip that explores the realities of the Palestinian struggle and the impacts of colonialism.

Thirty years ago, Laith's parents fled Iraq to escape Saddam Hussein's dictatorship and claimed asylum in the UK. Now his family is falling apart while Laith struggles to hide his darkest secret. Funny and moving, Insane Asylum Seekers is an autobiographical play from British-Iraqi award-winning playwright Laith Elzubaidi which explores British-Iraqi identity, generational trauma, family expectations, and the realities of the refugee experience.

Described as Black Mirror meets Succession, this new play by Tony Craze award-winning writer Chris Fung blends dark comedy, horror, and social commentary in a twisted tale of family loyalty, cabalistic elites, and what we're prepared to sacrifice for proximity to power. Brian Tran sits down for an interview for the role of the world's most powerful leader, but the interview questions become increasingly brutal, turning into a masterclass in psychological warfare. Get ready for a darkly dystopian and thrilling exploration of the realities of power.

This provocative new play from Helen Edmundson is directed by Blanche McIntyre and stars Anne-Marie Duff as Julie Robson, a woman who is constantly overlooked until a chance encounter on a station platform forces her to take a stand against the systems that shape and define the world. Driven by thought-provoking questions about what it means to raise your voice, this is an unmissable play among the National Theatre's powerful slate of 2026 plays.

Olivier-nominated director Jaz Woodcock-Stewart (Paradise Now!, Bush Theatre) makes her Globe directorial debut with Shakespeare's rarely performed masterpiece. This is one of Shakespeare's least performed plays but remains a fascinating exploration of the harsh realities of power and politics, in which King John takes the throne after the death of his beloved brother and finds his rule challenged on all sides. 

Olivier, Tony and BAFTA-winning Mark Rylance leads this bold new production of Moliere's classic comedy, Tartuffe, in which the fraudulent holy man Tartuffe takes advantage of a wealthy man's devotion to steal his property, marry his daughter, and seduce his wife. Directed by Darren Raymond, Tartuffe (Remixed) relocates this hilarious comedy to a modern-day African-Caribbean household. It will star the graduates of award-winning drama charity Intermission Youth.

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.

A smart, funny, and provocative comedy about what money can or can't buy, Sacrilegious is directed by Andy Sandberg and written by Tom Schulman, the Academy Award-winning author of Dead Poets Society. On the holiest day of the year, an idealistic young rabbi dares to challenge the billionaire president of his congregation, questions a multi-million-dollar donation, and ignites a battle for the hearts and minds of the entire community. Don't miss this razor-sharp play about the clash between principle and power.

Amidst falling birthrates and the chaos of adulthood, two couples find themselves asking what they truly want out of life, daunted by career ambitions and brunch plans, not to mention the realities of legacy and parenthood. Raw, authentic, and movingly funny, this new play by Scott Elmegreen and Drew Fornarola explores why couples are waiting longer to have kids, or debating whether to have them at all.