London Theatre Guide: best plays on now in London, 2022
Wondering what theatre to book and what plays to see? From fringe to the West End: London's best theatre
BOOK AHEAD...
Immersive musical: Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
The Bridge announces its first musical: an immersive production of Guys and Dolls, directed by Nicholas Hytner. Read more.
Festive cheer: A Christmas Carol, Old Vic Theatre
Jack Thorne's absorbing and atmospheric A Christmas Carol returns to The Old Vic for the sixth year, blasting away any bah humbugs. Read more.
Starring Sir Ian McKellen: Mother Goose, Duke of York's Theatre
The Lord of the Rings star leads the cast of Mother Goose. The pantomime is touring until Easter 2023, calling in at the West End's Duke of York's Theatre for Christmas. Read more.
Celebrating suffragettes: Sylvia, Old Vic Theatre
Kate Prince's suffragette musical Sylvia, starring Beverley Knight, is fully realised at the Old Vic. Read more.
Cowboys and farm girls: Oklahoma!, Wyndham's Theatre
Director Daniel Fish's Tony-winning revival of Oklahoma! transfers from the Young Vic to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre for 2023. Read more.
Gender fluid: Orlando, Garrick Theatre
Emma Corrin (The Crown) takes the lead role in Neil Bartlett's new adaptation of Virginia Woolf's 1928 novel Orlando for The Michael Grandage Company. Read more.
Political masterpiece: Best of Enemies, Noel Coward Theatre
Following a critically-acclaimed, sell-out run at the Young Vic theatre last winter, James Graham's Best of Enemies gets a West End transfer. Read more.
SHOWING NOW....
Starring David Tennant: Good, Harold Pinter Theatre ★★★★★
David Tennant returns to the stage to explore Nazism in a revival of CP Taylor's production of Good, directed by Dominic Cooke. Read more.
From anime to stage: My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre ★★★★★
Japanese composer and musician Joe Hisaishi teams up with the RSC to bring Studio Ghibli’s 1988 movie My Neighbour Totoro to the Barbican stage. Read more.
Five-star revival: The Doctor, Duke of York's Theatre ★★★★★
Robert Icke's The Doctor, starring Juliet Stevenson, finally gets its West End after a stunning premiere at the Almeida. Read more.
Broadway transfer: The Band's Visit, Donmar Warehouse ★★★★★
Grammy-winning, hit Broadway musical The Band's Visit impresses at the Donmar Warehouse in a new production directed by Michael Longhurst. Read more.
Harlem Renaissance: Blues for an Alabama Sky, National Theatre ★★★★★
Samira Wiley (Orange Is the New Black) and Giles Terera (Hamilton) star in Lynette Linton’s mesmeric revival of Blues for an Alabama Sky at the National Theatre. Read more.
Sicilian dreams: Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare's Globe ★★★★★
Director Lucy Bailey returns to the Globe with a playful, libido-fuelled take on Much Ado About Nothing that runs on Love Island-style drama and sexual tension. Read more.
Courtroom classic: To Kill a Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre ★★★★★
Aaron Sorkin's smash-hit stage adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird comes to the West End, with Rafe Spall starring as Atticus Finch. Read more.
Total immersion: Punchdrunk's The Burnt City, Woolwich Works ★★★★★
Immersive theatre pioneers Punchdrunk return to London with The Burnt City, an immersive extravaganza based on the fall of Troy. Read more.
Star-powered revival: Cabaret, The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre ★★★★★
Jessie Buckley and Eddie Redmayne star in director Rebecca Frecknall’s revival of Cabaret, staged inside an intimate reconstruction of the musical’s Kit Kat Club. Read more.
Spectacular, Spectacular: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre ★★★★★
After impressing on Broadway, the stage musical of Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge brings spectacular spectacular theatre to London in autumn 2021. Read more.
Lifeboat survival: Life of Pi, Wyndham's Theatre ★★★★★
Following a critically acclaimed run at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, Lolita Chakrabarti's adaptation of Life of Pi opens in the West End in a feat for puppetry and theatrics. Read our review.
Brilliant bass: Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre ★★★★★
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) reimagines Jane Austen’s 1813 novel with sparky storytelling, gutsy humour, feisty feminism and impassioned outbursts of karaoke. 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.
Heart-melting: Frozen the Musical, Theatre Royal Drury Lane ★★★★★
Frozen glitters at the West End’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where a cast led by Samantha Barks and Stephanie McKeon bring to life the sisterhood-championing story. Read our review.
Poptastic: & Juliet, Shatesbury Theatre ★★★★★
This jukebox musical gives Juliet a feminist alternative ending full of soaring pop hits, glitter and fun. 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.
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.
Party with Gatsby: The Great Gatsby immersive theatre ★★★★★
The roaring20s 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 ★★★★★
read our review
Delightful disaster: The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess 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.
