Hello – I'm Time Out’s theatre editor and also a parent, something that has considerable overlap in London, a city with three dedicated kids theatres and where pretty much every other theatre might play host to a child-friendly show.
Listing everything would be a slightly psychotic undertaking and probably not that illuminating, as many kids’ shows are only on for a day or two. So instead this round up forcusses on the flagship shows at London’s kids theatres – that’s the Little Angel, the Unicorn and Polka – plus other major shows aimed at or suitable for youngsters.
On the whole, pre-school and primary children are the age groups best served specifically, because secondary school aged teenagers can generally see adult theatre perfectly well (and will indeed often be made to do so!). So while the odd teen focussed show will make it in here, if you’re looking for something to do with teens why not consult our reviews page or what to book list.
Our London kids’ theatre page normally contains information for all the main children’s shows running in London theatres this month and next month, and is broken down into three categories.
Theatre for all the family is suitable for any age, including adults without children.
Theatre for older children is specifically aimed at school-age children and teenagers.
Theatre for babies, pre-schoolers and younger children does what the title suggests, and also includes shows suitable for younger school-age children.
See also:
50 things to do in London with kids.
The best child-friendly restaurants in London.
The top 9 museums in London for kids.
What is it? Adapted direct from Dodie Smith’s 1956 kids’ book – ie, absolute not a Disney production – 101 Dalmatians it’s the first ever original musical from the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and this summer it transfers to London with Sydnie Christmas as scenery chewing villain Cruella de Vil.
Where is it? Hammersmith Apollo.
What is it? Returning to the OAT after a run last summer, The Enormous Crocodile is Suhayla El-Bushra and Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab’s jaunty mid-budget kids’ musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s picture book, which concerns a gang of timid jungle creatures who join forces to see off a crocodile who has decided that it absolutely must eat a human child.
Where is it? Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
What is it? Hercules is a fascinating choice of Disney film for the megacorp to adapt as its new stage musical: the original 1997 source movie is one of the most obscure of its blockbuster ’90s. Still, the Disney name plus that of the Greek demigod himself is doubtless brand recognition enough to draw a crowd, and moreover word from the German debut of Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah’s adaptation – with songs by Alan Menken and David Zippel – is that it’s very good.
Where is it? Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
What is it? Disney’s big new West End musical is an enjoyable, undemanding adpatation of its beloved 1997 Greek mythology-rooted cartoon film.
Where is it? Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
What is it? The stage versions of Terry’s Deary’s enormously successful ‘Horrible Histories’ franchise take to the high seas (well, river) with ‘Terrible Thames’. It’s an enjoyable hour-long clipper tour that forgoes humdrum observations about London’s great waterway and instead focussed on the darker stuff.
Where it? Sailings start and finish at Tower Bridge Quay.
What is it? Nothing prepares you for the sheer impact of The Lion King's opening sequence: the absurdly successful Disney musical may have been around for decades, but there’s a good reason why the film adapation has become the most successful musical of all time.
Where is it? Lyceum Theatre.
What is it? This redirected touring revival of Sally Cookson’s ecstatic, paganistic adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic is back for 2025, calling in for a few weeks at Sadler’s Wells.
Where is it? Sadler’s Wells.
What is it? Matthew Warchus's RSC production of Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin’s Roald Dahl adaptation remains a treat – the best new British West End musical of the twenty-first century.
Where is it? Cambridge Theatre.
What is it? While super-producer Cameron Mackistosh still has breath in his body we’ll never be too far from the next revival of Lionel Bart’s all-singing Dickens adaptation Oliver!. Fifteen years after the last, it’s back in new guise in a Matthew Bourne directed production that premiered at Chichester Festival Theatre back in the summer to reviews that praised it as comfortingly nostalgic rather than doing anything particularly bold.
Where is it? Gielgud Theatre.
What is it? This short musical romp through the (after)lives of Henry VIII’s six wives is perfect for adults and secondary school kids alike.
Where is it? Vaudeville Theatre.
What is it? Totally different to the stage production of Alice in Wonderland that played in Kew in the 2023 summer season, this one comes from the Australian Theatre Company and is a family friendly take on Lewis Carroll’s tale of outlandish adventures down the rabbit hole. Song, dance and interactive games are all promised.
Where is it? Kew Gardens.
What is it? Curiouser and curiouser: there are two family-friendly Australian productions of Alice in Wonderland in London this summer; one over at Kew Gardens, and this one by Penny Farrow, which has been seen around the world since debuting Down Under in 2016 and now finally arrives in London. It is, by all accounts, a vivid but traditional take on Lewis Caroll’s immortal slice of Victorian whimsy.
Where is it? Marlebone Theatre.
What is it? The Little Angel celebrates the third year of its excellent Children’s Puppet Festival, which eschews a single show in each theatre in favour of an August-long mix of interesting short run shows and fun hands on workshops. There are eight plays, numberous ‘playcation’ workshops for kids, plus a handful of more serious workshops for adults. here’s too much to list here: head over to the Little Angel website for full listings.
Where is it? Little Angel Theatre and Little Angel Studios.
What is it? Summer is always a relatively quiet time for London’s children’s theatres, but Polka does have one big flagship show this summer: The Boy with Wings, an adaptation of Sir Lenny Henry’s kids’ novel about Tunde, a boy who sprouts wings and shortly therafter discovers that his dad is a ferocious alien warrior. Adapted by writer Arvind Ethan David and directed by heavyweight rising star Daniel Bailey in a co-production with Birmingham Rep, it’s substantial – and fun! – looking show for kids aged seven to 12.
Where is it? Polka Theatre.
What is it? Birmingham Stage Company’s theatrical versions of Terry Deary’s lurid history books have now been kicking around for 20 years now, and as a celebration they’ve cobbled together a new Barmy Britain show that’s a compliation of the best bits of all the many, many other Barmy Britain shows. Expect a barrage of lurid facts on everyone from Boudica to Burke and Hare.
Where is it? Apollo Theatre.
What is it? This project from the team behind the Globe’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ spin-off ‘Midsummer Mechanicals’ is another play for kids loosely based on a work of Shakespeare, in this case ‘Macbeth’, catching up with the weird sisters some time after the events of the gory tragedy.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
What is it? Debuting at the London Transport Museum’s Cubic Theatre and scheduled to run over 2025 school holidays, Transport Explorers is a new family theatre show written by Rachel Barnett-Jones and directed by Nicola Shepherd that sees two trainee engineers tackle transport challenges from London’s past, present and future. We’re promised science demos and audience interaction in the 60-minute show.
Where is it? London Transport Museum.
What is it? The seemingly inexhaustible supply of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler picture books is further mined with a new one from Freckle Productions. The Baddies is one of the duo’s most recent books, dating back to just 2022, and concerns a trio of terrifying beings – a witch, a ghost and a troll – who find themselves stumped by a little girl who isn’t even slightly afraid of them.
Where is it? Cadogan Hall.
What is it? Describing CoComelon to a non parent is a bit like trying to describe infinity to a dog, but let’s have a go. CoComelon is a weird American show accessible via Netflix that combines very saccharine, very American versions of nursery rhymes with garishly rudimentary CGI graphics. The individial episodes are freakishly long and by the end you tend to feel like you’re hallucinating, although preschoolers generally seem to enjoy it. This is a live show based on it.
Where is it? St Martin’s Theatre.
What is it? This musical and sensory adventure for the very young – aged 0-36 months – follows a pair of cocky sheep who reckon they know everything about sleep. Only tonight, they can’t actually get to sleep themselves. A half hour show plus 15 minute play session about the frustrations of bedtime from The Herd.
Where is it? Polka Theatre.
What is it? Dougie Poynter and Tom Fletcher’s The Dinosaur That Pooped series concerns the adventures of young boy Danny and his best pal Dino, a T-rex who eats everything in sight and expels it from his behind in a way that tends to improbably saves the day. This new live show sees the duo go and see their favourite rock band, only to discover their villainous manager is making things difficult. The solution will inevitably involve pooing on things.
Where is it? Alexandra Palace and Rose Theatre Kingston.
What is it? This cute outdoor spin off from A Midsummer Night’s Dream for young kids is part of the Australian Theatre Company’s summer season at beautiful Kew Gardens. In it, four of Oberon and Titania's fairy posse encounter Peter Pan’s pal Tinkerbell. Little audiences are invited to dress up as fairies, pirates or whatever they want; it's performed picnic style, so by all means bring a picnic. For ages three to eight.
Where is it? Kew Gardens.
What is it? Utterly delightful cardboard puppet adaptatioon of Jon Klassen’s wonderous trilogy of darkly comic picture books that kicked off in 2011 with the seminal I Want My Hat Back, in which a dopey bear wanders the forest looking for his missing red party hat, eventually clocking that it has been nicked by a rabbit, which it’s then very strongly implied that the bear goes on to kill and eat.
Where is it? Polka Theatre.
October is arguably the peak month of the London theatre calendar, with all the big shows that’ll be running until Christmas getting underway…
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