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Big new theatre openings in London pretty much come to a grinding halt during the summer holidays, so all the big shows of the season tend to open more or less now. Which is great news for us as we head into June with a roster of the 10 best London theatre openings for June so packed that a pedant might say it’s actually the 12 best London theatre openings for June.
An absolute blinder of a summer season at the National Theatre leads the way, with three shows that really do offer something for everyone; elsewhere it's a gloriously varied month, from a massive new Frank Sinatra jukebox musical to a mouthwatering – and topical – Iranian horror story.
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The best new London theatre openings in June 2026
1. War Horse/The Misanthrope/Pride
Yes, yes, it’s three shows not one, but it’s such an absurdly stacked month for the NT that it seems unfair not to pick all of them, especially as they cover such different bases. In the Olivier the mighty War Horse canters back into the theatre it was first staged in back in the ’00s, bringing its extraordinary spectacle to a new generation. The Lyttelton boasts The Misanthrope, an exciting modern update of Molière’s classic starring the mighty Sandra Oh (pictured) in her UK stage debut. And over in the Dorfman there’s Pride, in which the team behind the beloved queer 2014 Britflick turn it into a new musical – the start of a new NT initiative to start the big musicals of tomorrow off in its smallest theatre.
War Horse: National Theatre, Olivier, until Jul 30. Buy tickets here.
The Misanthrope: National Theatre, Lyttelton, Jun 16-Aug 1. Buy tickets here.
Pride: National Theatre, Dorfman, Jun 11-Sep 12. Buy tickets here.
2. Under the Shadow
This was an enticing prospect when it was announced, and it’s been made grimly topical by subsequent global events. Under the Shadow is a brand new stage adaptation – by Carmen Nasr – of Babak Anvari’s acclaimed 2016 cult horror film. Set in Tehran at the height of the Iran-Iraq war in the ’80s, it centres on a mother and daughter, who are stalked by a malevolent entity after they refuse to evacuate the bombed city. The brilliant Nadia Latif directs a cast headed by Leila Farzad.
Almeida Theatre, Jun 2-Jul 4.
3. Glengarry Glen Ross
David Mamet’s ’80s classic about a group of ferociously competitive realtors is a popular celebrity vehicle that gets revived fairly often, but it’s never been done with a female cast before. Top director Patrick Marber did a trad all-male production on Broadway last year but said from the off he wanted to explore it with a female cast, and now he is doing so with this fresh Old Vic revival. The cast is headed up by US actor Rosa Salazar as hotshot seller Ricky Roma and Indira Varma as her washed-up colleague Shelly Levene. It’ll be fascinating to see what a gender flip does to the testosterone-charged action.
Old Vic, Jun 4-Jul 18., Buy tickets here.
4. The Guilty
Punchdrunk boss Felix Barrett recently did a super job directing his first ‘normal’ play in over a decade in the form of West End hit Paranormal Activity. He must have had a good time because now he’s back for more with a stage adaptation of another film property. The original The Guilty was a 2018 Danish film that was remade into a higher profile US version three years later: both concerned a lone police call centre operator dragged into a web of intrigue late at night. Adapted for the stage by Chloe Moss, this is very much a UK remake, with Russell Tovey as the operator. But it’s Barrett’s technological trickery that promises to be the big draw.
Donmar Warehouse, Jun 20-Aug 15.
5. Sinatra the Musical
Paddington ran pretty much unchallenged as 2025’s only really big musical. This year, we have a bit of a contest, as gigantic Broadway import Beetlejuice does box office battle with Sinatra the Musical, a glossy big-budget Ol’ Blue Eyes bio drama that is at least superficially homegrown (though the creative team is largely American). There’s reason to be optimistic, mainly because we’re now living in an age where jukebox musicals are expected to tell a decent story. This one focuses on a pivotal night in Frank’s career on New Year’s Eve 1942 (though don’t worry, the songlist is not short on later classics).
Aldwych Theatre, booking Jun 3 to Apr 10 2027. Buy tickets here.
6. Archduke
US playwright Rajiv Joseph isn’t exactly a huge name in the UK, but he’s enjoyed a string of sleeper hits that have often turned up well over a decade after their US premieres. Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo had its UK premiere at the Young Vic last year, 16 years after its US one; now Archduke arrives almost a decade after its US bow. And it looks like it’s been worth the wait, a dark comedy about the assassins of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand that’s directed by the great Lyndsey Turner with a set by the legend that is Es Devlin.
Royal Court Theatre, Jun 20-Jul 25. Buy tickets here.
7. Cyrano de Bergerac
Distinctly more traditional than the minimalist Jamie Lloyd version of a few years ago, this RSC production starring Adrian Lester as the big-nosed, panache-tastic romantic scored terrific notices in Stratford-upon-Avon last year. Now it’s headed our way for a summer stint, with Lester returning alongside Susannah Fielding as his love Roxane. It’s clearly not as aggressively edgy as Lloyd’s take – which some will see as a relief – but by all accounts Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson’s adaptation is fresh and emotional.
Noël Coward Theatre, Jun 13-Sep 5. Buy tickets here.
8. High Society
Fans of this round-up will note that High Society made it into May’s openings as well – they moved the opening back to June! But we couldn’t pass up another plug for this doubtless radiantly fun Barbican revival of the classic Cole Porter musical comedy, a sort of spiritual sequel to the delicious Anything Goes that reopened the venue after the pandemic. Helen George stars as socialite Tracy Lord, with Felicity Kendal as her mum and Freddie Fox as heartthrob tabloid reporter Mike Connor.
Barbican Centre, until Jul 11. Buy tickets here.
9. A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Can you have too many Midsummer Night’s Dreams? The answer is no! Or at the very least, the fact that the Globe and the Open Air Theatre are both doing it should not be a source of eye-rolling, especially when it sounds like Atri Bannerjee’s supposedly ‘blissful’ OAT production is going to embrace the venue’s twinkly charm and give us a purely delightful take on the play, and not an obtuse reinvention. Also of note: it’s trialling 12.30pm matinees, to protect audiences and actors from the worst of the summer heat.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Jun 20-Jul 18. Buy tickets here.
10. The Truth
Florian Zeller’s infidelity comedy The Truth made its debut at the Menier Chocolate Factory a decade ago during a period of mania for the French dramatist, whose works felt genuinely omnipresent for a while. Zellermania seems to have cooled off a bit for now (largely because he’s not had a new play in ages) but this is nonetheless welcome: The Truth finally gets a West End transfer, as Lindsay Posner’s Menier production is brought back with a starry new cast of Stephen Mangan, Ardal O’Hanlon, Sarah Hadland and Janie Dee.
Apollo Theatre, Jun 9-Sep 12. Buy tickets here.
The best new London theatre openings to book for in 2026.
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