Children's theatre in London - the best shows for kids of all ages

Three theatres, three casts, one major disaster and seven Olivier Awards on, the National Theatre’s adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel about Christopher Boone, the teenage ‘mathematician with some behavioural difficulties’ remains a thing of unbridled wonder…

Watch out, tired revivals: there’s a new kid in town. Inspired by a 2011 BBC documentary about a teenager who wanted to be a drag queen, the show follows 16-year-old Jamie on his journey to be himself. And it's cool and energetic enough to thrill both secondary school kids and their parents.

The posters have been plastered around the London Underground for years – long enough for this show to become the most successful musical of all time – but nothing prepares you for the sheer impact of 'The Lion King's opening sequence…

'My mummy says I'm a miracle,' lisps a pampered mini-me at a purgatorial kiddies' birthday party at the outset of this delicious, treacly-dark family show…

The banterfication of Beatrix Potter’s beloved children’s characters via the James Corden film and the noisy CBeebies show is probably not extended to this puppet driven kids’s musical…

The penultimate production in Nadia Fall’s first season at TRSE is Sabrina Mahfouz’s adapation of this beloved young adult novel by Malorie Blackman. For ages 12-plus.

This playful show from Dutch company Theater Artemis has been making primary school kids giggle for over 12 years. 'The Show in Which Hopefully Nothing Happens' aims to be the most boring show ever - but soon ends up entertaining children with an absurdist brand of humour. Ages six-to-10.

Time-travelling magicians Morgan & West have sleeves full of tricks that will astound kids, and bamboozle adults. Close-up magic, jokes, and plenty of audience involvement make this a ridiculously entertaining hour of Victorian-themed trickery. Ages five-plus.

The banterfication of Beatrix Potter’s beloved children’s characters via the James Corden film and the noisy CBeebies show is probably not extended to this puppet driven kids’s musical, which looks altogether more charming. ‘Where Is Peter Rabbit?’ rocks up in the West End for the Easter hols with Gruff Rhys Jones and Miriam Margolyes providing pre-recorded voices. The lyrics are written by theatre legend Alan Ayckbourn. 

Children aged seven-to-11 are invited to a rare open day for the Little Angel Space Agency (LASA) in this interactive show in which audiences will witness Astrid and her friends Mercury and Hub answer a distress call from a planet in the far reaches of our universe.

This endearingly daffy show for toddlers follows two polar bears who set off on an adventure. But are they actually getting anywhere at all? 'The Polar Bears Go, Go, Go!' is the latest in a series of ursine shows by Ivor MacAskill & Fiona Manson, and mixes clowning with bags of quirky wit. Ages two-to-five. 

The ice caps are melting, so Polar Bear sets off to find a new home. This puppet show from Little Angel Theatre company has Polar Bear find some friends along his journey. Based on the book from Frann Preston Gannon. Ages 5-11. 

This new show from the creators of 'Aliens Love Underpants' promises more otherworldly fun and mayhem. Featuring an original score, magic, and plenty of opportunities for the little monsters to get involved. 

This boisterous kids' show is the little sister of improv hit musical 'Showstoppers'. The performers use suggestions from the audience to power a completely improvised, song-filled hour of very silly musical fun. 

Bestselling kids' author David Walliams' elephant story is getting the Little Angel treatment this summer - the theatre's seasoned crew of puppeteers will bring this quirky animal tale to life. 'The Slightly Annoying Elephant' follows a boy who adopts a zoo animal, but quickly discovers that cohabiting with a pachyderm is harder than he thought. This production is directed at Samantha Lane, and aimed at kids aged three-to-eight. 

A Unicorn Theatre long-runner, Sarah Argent and Kevin Lewis's ‘Baby Show’ is one of London's rare regular theatre experiences for the very young. A light and sound-based sensory experience for ages six-to-18-months, it tends to be very popular and advance booking is advised.

This endearingly daffy show for toddlers follows two polar bears who set off on an adventure. But are they actually getting anywhere at all? Ages two-to-five. 

The English National Ballet and English National Ballet School team up to offer small children their very first ballet experience. Aimed at children as young as three, this shortened version of the classic 'Sleeping Beauty' clocks in at just under an hour. Small childrens' still smaller attention spans are also catered to by a narrator, to help keep the story moving along as fast as the dancers' feet.

Where would kids theatre be without Julia Donaldson? Stage versions of works like 'Tabby McTat' and 'The Gruffalo' are already school holiday staples, so it's no surprise that her dragon story 'Zog' is the latest of her picture books to get the big stage treatment. Its hero Zog is a big, clumsy beast who's doing his best to ace dragon school when Princess Pearl scoops him up for a new adventure. This stage show has an impressive team behind it, including Kneehigh's artistic directors Mike Shepherd at the helm, and songs by Johnny Flynn. It stops in at Cadogan Hall for August 2019, following a national tour.