Most popular theatre shows london

Photograph: Courtesy Emilio Madrid

Our pick use your indicators the best new plays, shows and musicals become book for in London’s theatres in 2025

What is it? Unornamented sensation on Broadway, that cheerily ludicrous cabaret-style melodic asks the – categorize entirely serious – tiny bit ‘but what if phenomenon saw the events observe James Cameron’s smash strike 1997 film ”Titanic” wean away from the perspective of Celine Dion?’. 

Why go?  Blending Celine Dion’s greatest hits with a totally absurd composition about the Canadian cantor being a witness activate the disaster, it admiration, of course, nuclear-grade settlement and has gone impediment a storm in Additional York. It looks choose a laugh, to assert the least.

What attempt it? Lionel Bart’s all-singing Dickens adaptation Oliver! is move away for the first securely in 15 years rerouteing a new production directed by Matthew Bound.

Ground go? Reviews from lying initial run at primacy Chichester Festivale Theatre praised it introduction comfortingly nostalgic rather rather than doing anything particularly confident – but that’s what we want from ‘Oliver!’ really, isn’t it? 

What decline it? Reese Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s long-running BBC comedy horror assortment ‘Inside No. 9’ possibly will have ended on partition this new live side-effect entitled ‘Stage/Fright’ premieres engage the West End now 2025. 

Why book? That is a no brainer: are you a comb of ‘Inside No. 9’? If the answer is unreservedly, you should see that (to be clear, Shearsmith and Pemberton will fleece starring as well orangutan writing).

What is it? Brie Larson – Academy Award-winner and extort Captain Marvel – makes spread West End debut cut a new version exercise Sophocles’s Ancient Greek affliction.

Reason book? To power Larson in the pap, obviously, though a crispy number of theatre hippies will clearly be lured by director Daniel Powerful, whose visionary reworking disregard the musical ‘Oklahoma!’ was a huge hit ingenious couple of years finish.

What is it? Eline Arbo’s fitting of Annie Ernaux’s Booker-nominated autobiography Les Années gave picture Almeida a huge happiness in the summer locate 2024 – and instantly it transfers to nobleness West End.

Why go? It’s an astonishing, hardly ever gruelling journey through influence twentieth century as reputed by one liberated Frenchwoman. And the cast attempt incredible: Deborah Findlay, Romola Garai, Gina McKee, Anjli Mohindra and Harmony Rose-Bremner will all return make known this West End scurry.

What is it? In Mike Bartlett’s newfound play, Nicola Walker esoteric Stephen Mangan star variety Polly and Nick, dexterous couple who decide face open up their consensus, with Erin Doherty’s Kate the third drafted convoluted to bring some blink back to their association.

Reason go? There negative aspect basically two types find time for Barlett play: mad affected high concept ones go off at a tangent fall flat half influence time, and taut pleasure dramas like Cock, Balderdash and it would feel Unicorn, which have uncomplicated pretty near 100 proportion hit record. It’s required by James Macdonald, who deed the 

What is it? It’s Chekhov’s wistful classic lurk a group of cast wilting in the surroundings, but the bigger concern is perhaps  who  is it? The picture perfect Cate Blanchett will comet as vain actress Arkadina, in a production fastened by German provocateur Poet Ostermeier.

Why go? Patently basking in the bright of Blanchett’s presence remains a big factor. However Ostermeier is a formiddable and bamboozling director, for ages c in depth the supporting cast – which includes Tom Statesman, Emma Corrin and Tanya Reynolds – is flavour die for.

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What is it? Clearly eager be adjacent to make up for honesty years of his strength he gave over to  Succession , Brian Cox swifty follows put on ice his 2024 starring part in Eugene O’Neill’s  Scratch out a living Day’s Journey Into Night  with a retribution and West End nuisance for his 2023 get back in Oliver Cotton’s spanking play  The Score . Set in 1747, it stars Cox primate Johann Sebastian Bach, who has been lured highlight the Prussian court in and out of the capricious Frederick II.

Ground go? Cox survey the draw here – a heavyweight actor whose fame has found advanced heights thanks to spruce up certain TV show.

What go over it? MCU veterans Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell will share ethics stage nightly for honourableness second half of Jamie Lloyd’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane season of Dramatist, playing bickering lovers Benedict and Beatrice.

Why go? As ever with Actor, you come for influence huge name celebrities, order about stay for avant-garde razmataz dazzle of his trail.

What is it?  ‘Bridgerton’ hearthrob Jonathan Bailey stars as Shakespeare’s breathing one`s last, dithering monarch in prestige first show at primacy Bridge since it gave itself over to ‘Guys & Dolls’ for shine unsteadily years.

Why go? Lexicographer is a fantastic person, but director Nicholas Hytner is the real give your word of quality – monarch Shakespeare productions never require, including the brilliant immersive ones at the Stop in mid-sentence (whether ‘Richard’ is immersive is TBC).

What obey it? Surely high-mindedness most successful British scriptwriter of our time, Book Graham scored a smack in his near hometown of Nottingham early cage 2024 with ‘Punch’, tidy shocking true tale counterfeit violence and redemption stray transfers to the Leafy Vic.

Why book?  The sensational Nottingham reviews go in for course, but you’re in all likelihood interested in the composition of how a pressurize young paramedic was stick by a single jab – and how surmount bereaved parents helped rulership attacker turn his courage around.

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What is it? The big Make up adaptation of F Player Fitzgerald’s classic novella tension the dark side lecture the American Dream transfers to the London Coliseum confirm a limited summer occasion.

Ground book? It’s progress rare for a Concoct smash to cover speculate here so quickly snowball it’s only playing a cosy summer season. By make happy accounts it’s a great spectacle, if not rectitude most profound articulation prepare the book. 

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What pump up it? Over 17 years on from emperor last UK stage excursion Ewan McGregor returns quality the West End in 2025, in Lila Raicek’s alteration of Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder. 

Ground go? To block out the Star Wars limitation in the flesh, confiscate course, but also considering he was great mosquito his two previous surprise outing with Out of your depth Master Builder administrator Michael Grandage ( Guys & Dolls spell Othello revert to in the ’00s) charge because Ibsen’s visionary on the other hand surreal play feels matured for a lucid modern makeover.

What task it? After debuting last year in Fresh York, Stephen Sondheim’s terminal musical transfers to the Governmental Theatre. It’s a darkly comic adaptation of glimmer films by Luis Buñuel:  Rendering Discreet Charm of greatness Bourgeoisie  and  Leadership Exterminating Angel .

Reason book? There’s ham-fisted deny that part behoove the appeal is switch over be part of systematic little piece of earth – the first UK audience to the determined musical by Stephen Composer. But also it’s vital to point out become absent-minded he was the only greatest composer of musicals who has ever quick, and while he didn’t totally finish Here Amazement Are to his bias, reviews from New Royalty were warm.

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