London Theatre Guide: best plays on now in London, 2019
Wondering what theatre to book and what plays to see? From fringe to the West End: London's best theatre
London Theatre Guide: best plays on now in London, 2019 (Photograph: Peter Lewicki)
BEST PLAYS ON NOW
Spooky: Ghost Quartet, Boulevard Theatre ★★★★★
A ghostly musical brings a tale of love, loss and betrayal to Soho's new Boulevard Theatre.
read our review
Bold: The Antipodes, National Theatre ★★★★★
Hotshot American writer Annie Baker returns to the National Theatre with The Antipodes, a new play about stories.
read our review
Boundary-breaking: [BLANK], Donmar Warhouse ★★★★★
Writer Alice Birch and director Maria Aberg collaborate with Clean Break theatre company for an experimental new play about women affected by the justice system.
read our review
Beautifully layered: Master Harold and the boys, National Theatre ★★★★★
Director Roy Alexander Weise revives Athol Fugard's semi-autobiographical masterpiece about apartheid era South Africa with comedy and tragedy in miniature.
read our review
Slapstick silliness: Groan Ups, Vaudeville Theatre ★★★★★
Mischief Theatre, award-winning purveyors of sell-out slapstick hilarity, takes us back to school with Groan Ups. Five adult actors don dungarees and regress to become six-year-olds in a funny but touching coming of age story.
read our review
Word play: Translations, National Theatre ★★★★★
What’s in a name? Brian Friel’s 1980 play Translations, revived at the National Theatre, tells the story of English cartographers anglicising Irish landmarks, exploring the weight of history, nationhood and myth mingled into place names.
read our review
Sobering: A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Trafalgar Studios ★★★★★
Toby Stephens and Claire Skinner star in a revival of Peter Nichols' landmark bittersweet comedy about caring for a disabled child.
read our review
Old-school horror: Ghost Stories, Ambassadors Theatre ★★★★★
Ghost Stories returns for a limited run on the West End, just in time for a terrifying Halloween treat.
read our review
Westminster wit: Hansard, National Theatre ★★★★★
Hansard crashes together rather bluntly a family drama with parliamentary proceedings, as the Thatcherite setting echoes contemporary politics.
read our review
Backstage drama: Noises Off, Garrick Theatre ★★★★★
Backstage comedy and chaos come to the Garrick Theatre as Jeremy Herrin's revival of Noises Off transfers after impressing at the Lyric Hammersmith.
read our review
Here we go again: Mamma Mia! The Party, O2 ★★★★★
Greek Island paradise and golden pop music come to life as Sweden's hit immersive Abba experience transports us to a taverna with feasting, singing and lots of dancing.
read our review
Virtual reality: War of the Worlds the immersive experience ★★★★★
Immersive theatre company dotdotdot return to London with a new experience based on The War of The Worlds. Don a VR headset and become a character in the story
read our review
Easy as pie: Waitress the Musical, Adelphi Theatre ★★★★★
London gets a slice of the action as hit musical Waitress brings sweet story of pie-baking and self-discovery to the West End. The songs are fresh, but the story feels a little stale.
read our review
Feel-good true story: Come From Away, Phoenix Theatre ★★★★★
This utterly heart-warming musical about those stranded in a tiny Canadian town in the aftermath of 9/11 will restore your faith in humanity and leave you with a huge smile.
read our review
Courtroom drama: Witness for the Prosecution, County Hall ★★★★★
Director Lucy Bailey takes over London Country Hall for an immersive, site-specific production of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution.
read our review
Exceeds expectation: Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre ★★★★★
The London transfer of Lin-Manuel Miranda's magnificent hip-hop music is every bit as brilliant as we had hoped. Make it your mission to get tickets.
read our review
Party with Gatsby: The Great Gatsby immersive theatre ★★★★★
The roaring twenties come to life with sparkle, drama and a large yet intimate party in this immersive production of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
read our review
Pure magic: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Palace Theatre ★★★★★
find out how to get tickets
Delightful disaster: The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre ★★★★★
Slapstick silliness reigns supreme in this behind-the-scene play about an ill-fated production. Even those who are fearful of farce will find themselves won over by the infectious comic talents of Mischief Theatre Company.
And Mischief Theatre's follow up show, A Comedy About A Bank Robbery which is now running at the Criterion Theatre, is more of the same irresistible silliness. It would be a crime to miss it.
read our review
Side-splitting satire: The Book of Mormon, Prince of Wales Theatre ★★★★★
Musicals don't come much funnier than this whipsmart satire by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The story of two Mormons travelling about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get still shocks and delights.
book now
Spooky: Ghost Quartet, Boulevard Theatre ★★★★★
A ghostly musical brings a tale of love, loss and betrayal to Soho's new Boulevard Theatre.
read our review
Bold: The Antipodes, National Theatre ★★★★★
Hotshot American writer Annie Baker returns to the National Theatre with The Antipodes, a new play about stories.
read our review
Boundary-breaking: [BLANK], Donmar Warhouse ★★★★★
Writer Alice Birch and director Maria Aberg collaborate with Clean Break theatre company for an experimental new play about women affected by the justice system.
read our review
Beautifully layered: Master Harold and the boys, National Theatre ★★★★★
Director Roy Alexander Weise revives Athol Fugard's semi-autobiographical masterpiece about apartheid era South Africa with comedy and tragedy in miniature.
read our review
Slapstick silliness: Groan Ups, Vaudeville Theatre ★★★★★
Mischief Theatre, award-winning purveyors of sell-out slapstick hilarity, takes us back to school with Groan Ups. Five adult actors don dungarees and regress to become six-year-olds in a funny but touching coming of age story.
read our review
Word play: Translations, National Theatre ★★★★★
What’s in a name? Brian Friel’s 1980 play Translations, revived at the National Theatre, tells the story of English cartographers anglicising Irish landmarks, exploring the weight of history, nationhood and myth mingled into place names.
read our review
Sobering: A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Trafalgar Studios ★★★★★
Toby Stephens and Claire Skinner star in a revival of Peter Nichols' landmark bittersweet comedy about caring for a disabled child.
read our review
Old-school horror: Ghost Stories, Ambassadors Theatre ★★★★★
Ghost Stories returns for a limited run on the West End, just in time for a terrifying Halloween treat.
read our review
Westminster wit: Hansard, National Theatre ★★★★★
Hansard crashes together rather bluntly a family drama with parliamentary proceedings, as the Thatcherite setting echoes contemporary politics.
read our review
Backstage drama: Noises Off, Garrick Theatre ★★★★★
Backstage comedy and chaos come to the Garrick Theatre as Jeremy Herrin's revival of Noises Off transfers after impressing at the Lyric Hammersmith.
read our review
Here we go again: Mamma Mia! The Party, O2 ★★★★★
Greek Island paradise and golden pop music come to life as Sweden's hit immersive Abba experience transports us to a taverna with feasting, singing and lots of dancing.
read our review
Virtual reality: War of the Worlds the immersive experience ★★★★★
Immersive theatre company dotdotdot return to London with a new experience based on The War of The Worlds. Don a VR headset and become a character in the story
read our review
Easy as pie: Waitress the Musical, Adelphi Theatre ★★★★★
London gets a slice of the action as hit musical Waitress brings sweet story of pie-baking and self-discovery to the West End. The songs are fresh, but the story feels a little stale.
read our review
Feel-good true story: Come From Away, Phoenix Theatre ★★★★★
This utterly heart-warming musical about those stranded in a tiny Canadian town in the aftermath of 9/11 will restore your faith in humanity and leave you with a huge smile.
read our review
Courtroom drama: Witness for the Prosecution, County Hall ★★★★★
Director Lucy Bailey takes over London Country Hall for an immersive, site-specific production of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution.
read our review
Exceeds expectation: Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre ★★★★★
The London transfer of Lin-Manuel Miranda's magnificent hip-hop music is every bit as brilliant as we had hoped. Make it your mission to get tickets.
read our review
Party with Gatsby: The Great Gatsby immersive theatre ★★★★★
The roaring twenties come to life with sparkle, drama and a large yet intimate party in this immersive production of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
read our review
Pure magic: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Palace Theatre ★★★★★
Whether or not you approve of the script (no spoilers here) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is every bit as magical as we'd hoped on stage. The sheer theatrical spectacle is enough to make you wonder if maybe, just maybe, there might be some wizards involved.
find out how to get tickets
Delightful disaster: The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre ★★★★★
Slapstick silliness reigns supreme in this behind-the-scene play about an ill-fated production. Even those who are fearful of farce will find themselves won over by the infectious comic talents of Mischief Theatre Company.
And Mischief Theatre's follow up show, A Comedy About A Bank Robbery which is now running at the Criterion Theatre, is more of the same irresistible silliness. It would be a crime to miss it.
read our review
Drag queen teen: Everybody's Talking about Jamie, Apollo Theatre ★★★★★
Teen drag queen musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie is a young, fun and fresh celebration of being a little bit different.
Musicals don't come much funnier than this whipsmart satire by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The story of two Mormons travelling about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get still shocks and delights.
book now
