Best new theatre: London 2020's unmissable shows

4000 Miles, The Old Vic

Timothée Chalamet is a young actor on his way to world domination. And now he's coming to the London stage to star in this Pulitzer-nominated play about a young man and his grandmother.

Leopoldstadt, Wyndham's Theatre

A world premiere from play writing royalty Tom Stoppard: Leopoldstadt follows the highs and lows of a Jewish family in the first half of the 20th century.

A Doll's House, Playhouse Theatre

Golden Globe winner Jessica Chastain will swap the big screen for the London stage to make her UK theatre debut in a production of A Doll's House. Director Jamie Lloyd promises a 'bold reappraisal of Ibsen’s great masterpiece.'

To Kill A Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre

Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of Harper Lee's 1961 novel finally comes to London after impressing on Broadway. Rhys Ifans plans Atticus Finch, the lawyer who defends a black man in the racist deep south.

Hamlet, Young Vic

The Young Vic is refreshing perceptions of the indecisive prince Hamlet as Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife) breaks the reign of white men to Shakespeare's tragic hero. She'll join the ranks of Maxine Peake and Michelle Terry in breaking gender convention for what's set to be a bold and insightful production.

Oedipus, West End

A star cast assembles to re-invent the Oedipus myth on the West End stage. Helen Mirren and Mark Strong lead a modern, English-language version of Sophocles' tragedy, as re-imagined by visionary theatre-maker Robert Icke.

101 Dalmatians, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

We can already spot the family hit of the summer... 101 Dalmatians will come to life in a new musical at the Open Air Theatre. Dodie Smith's beloved 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians is set in Regent's Park, so it will be particularly special to see the adventure play out in the middle of the park.

Death in Venice, Barbican Theatre

Inspiration, infatuation and desperation come to the Barbican as Internationaal Theater Amsterdam adapts Thomas Mann's 1912 novella Death in Venice for the stage. Former Dutch poet laureate Ramsey Nasr re-works the text and auteur Ivo van Hove directs, punctuating drama with classical music performed by Britten Sinfonia.

Romeo and Juliet, National Theatre

Romance, rebellion and tragedy come to the National Theatre as two rising stars take on Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers. Josh O'Connor and Jessie Buckley play the title parts in a new production of Romeo and Juliet reflecting contemporary religious tensions on Italy.

Uncle Vanya, Harold Pinter Theatre

A starry team assemble to transform Chekhov's Uncle Vanya for a new West End production. Olivier-winning playwright Conor McPherson, whose hits include Girl from the North Country and The Weir, re-works the 1898 classic to explore the passion, humour and frustration of life at the turn of the 20th century.

Sunday in the Park with George, Savoy Theatre

Jake Gyllenhaal makes his long-awaited return to the London stage in a musical revival that delighted audiences and critics alike on Broadway. He plays post-impressionist painter Georges Seurat in Stephen Sondheim's Pulitzer-winning 1984 musical.

The Book of Dust - La Belle Sauvage, Bridge Theatre

A fantasy Oxford, catastrophic floods and a menagerie of daemons come to the Bridge theatre as Nicholas Hytner brings Philip Pullman's magic to the stage. La Belle Sauvage the play will open in July 2020, more than a decade after Hytner enchanted audiences with his stage version of His Dark Materials.

The Wife of Willesden, Kiln Theatre

White Teeth author Zadie Smith is venturing into theatre and penning her debut play, a modern version of Chaucer's The Wife of Bath, set in Willesden. It will open at Kilburn's Kiln Theatre as part of a year-long celebration of the Borough of Brent.

Hello Dolly! Adelphi Theatre

Multi Olivier and BAFTA Award winning star Imelda Staunton follows in the footsteps of Barbara Steisand to play Dolly Levi, the meddlesome socialite at the heart of 1964 musical, Hello Dolly!.

The Welkin, National Theatre

This new play takes audiences back to 1759, where a young woman is sentenced to hang for murder. Playwright Lucy Kirkwood (Chimerica) weaves an intriguing tale of justice, starring Maxine Peake.

Endgame, Old Vic Theatre

Daniel Radcliffe returns to The Old Vic in a Samuel Beckett double bill, with Endgame and Rough for Theatre II.

The Seagull, Playhouse Theatre

Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke is swapping her dragons for a seagull as she makes her West End debut in a fresh take on Chekhov. Clarke will play Nina, the ambitious ingenue at the heart of 1896 play The Seagull.