Hello! I'm Andrzej, the theatre editor of Time Out London, and me and my freelancers review a heck of a lot of theatre. This page is an attempt to distil the shows that are on right now into something like a best of the best based upon our actual reviews, as opposed to my predictions, which determine our longer range what to book for list.
It isn’t a scientific process, and you’ll definitely see shows that got four stars above ones that got five – this is generally because the five star show is probably going to be on for years to come (hello, Hamilton) and I'm trying to draw your attention to one that’s only running for a couple more weeks. Or sometimes, we just like to shake things up a bit. It’s also deliberately light on the longer-running West End hits simply because I don’t think you need to know what I think about Les Mis before you book it (it’s fine!).
So please enjoy the best shows in London, as recommended by us, having actually seen them.
What is it? Oh come on you know what Hamilton is.
Where is it? Victoria Palace Theatre.
Why go? Well if you don’t know what Hamilton is, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s virtuosic hip-hop inflected account of the life and times of relatively obscure US Founding Father Alexander Hamilton is pretty much the biggest musical of our times. And it remains sensational an exhilarating celebration of multiculturalism that’s also a witty but broadlyt accurate romp through US history.
What is it? National treasure Paddington finally hits the stage in a lavish new musical with songs by Tom Fletcher and script by Jessica Swale.
Where is it? Savoy Theatre.
How much is it? £30-£160.
Why go? It’s a thoroughly delightful family musical packed with memorable characters, great jokes and delirious setpieces, but it’s the brilliantly realised title character that makes it – you’ll believe Paddington is in the room.
What is it? The RSC’s lavish stage adaptation of the Studio Ghibli classic is back for its third London run, and first time out in the West End.
Where is it? Gillian Lynne Theatre.
Why go? It’s a lovely – albeit very faithful – retelling of the beloved film, but it’s the spectacular puppet incarnations of furry forest spirit Totoro and whatever the hell the Catbus is that will really blow your mind.
What is it? The great Robert Icke directs Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe in a typically idiosyncratic take on Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy.
Where is it? Harold Pinter Theatre.
Why go? Auteur Icke’s Sliding Doors-alike decision to show potential happier futures to the story will be divisive, but Sink and Jupe’s chemistry is off the scale.
What it? Anya Reiss’ new adaptation of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is a panic attack in textual form, that smartly amplifies the debt-related anxieties that underpin the 1879 original into something extremely modern and extremely nerve-wracking.
Where is it? Almeida Theatre.
How much is it? £15-£70.
Why go? Reiss’ modernisation is a clever update of a classic but it’s Romola Garai’s nervy turn as a anxiety-ridden Nora that defines the production.
What is it? Reuniting US playwright Dave Harris with UK director Matthew Xia, Tender is a dark comedy about a group of male strippers having an existential crisis that follows up the duo’s excellent Tambo & Bones.
Where is it? Soho Theatre.
How much is it? £10-£30.
Why go? Nobody writes about contemparary masculinity with such deranged verse as Harris, and nobody else can enable his wild ideas like Xia – a dream team indeed.
What is it? After 430 or so years it’s fairly apparent that we as a species are not going to get tired of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. And even though Emily Lim’s new take comes less than three months after the Globe’s last production of the same play ended, it still feels like a breath of fresh air.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
How much is it? £5-£85.
Why go? Bucking a recent trend for darker, more cerebral Dreams, it’s just enormously fun, defined by its joyously silly audience interaction.
What is it? The longest-running musical of all time needs no introduction whatsoever (but if you really need to know it’s an all-singing adaptation of Victor Hugo’s seminal novel about the Paris Uprising of 1832).
Where is it? Sondheim Theatre.
Why go? Although the current West End iteration is a ‘new’ version that was ushered in in 2019 – and indeed there have been judicous updates throughout its long life – Les Mis is popular for the reason it’s always been popular: soaring songs, stirring story, memorable characters and a commitment to keeping it stocked with world class singing talent.
What is it? Andrew Lloyd Webber’s magnum opus is still going strong in the West End after almost 40 years.
Where is it? His Majesty’s Theatre.
Why go? To this day it looks utterly ravishing, with jaw dropping sets and impressive special effects. The plot – about a brooding psychopath who stalks a Parisian opera house – is wildly problematic, but it’s just extremely impressive theatre, with some deliciously bombastic songs, and as with Les Mis, the dedication to keeping first rate performers has kept it fresh decades after other shows have gone off the boil.
What is it? A big hit off-Broadway, this extremely goofy musical parody of James Cameron’s Titanic retells events from the perspective of the film’s real star: Celine Dion.
Where is it? Criterion Theatre.
Why go? Lauren Drew’s dotty, overbearing, perma-smiling Celine Dion is a truly wonderful creation, who lights up teh stage every second she’s on it. Things are a bit thinner in her absence, but it’s still a terriffic laugh.
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