London theatre: the best musicals and plays to book now

London has a world-leading theatre scene, offering everything from plays, musicals and comedy to immersive and family-friendly entertainment. In the West End, and beyond, you’ll find both beloved long-running shows and cutting-edge new work, featuring A-list actors alongside rising stars. 

If you’re trying to decide which are the best theatre shows in London to start with in 2024, our expert Telegraph critics can help you choose with their incisive reviews. All the latest articles are at Telegraph Theatre. Plus we’ve rounded up the best family shows and the best shows for half term.

You can also find discounted tickets on Telegraph Tickets for all of the capital’s best plays and musicals, such as Hamilton, Les Miserables, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and The Book of Mormon.

Check out our top picks of London theatre shows below and get booking.

The best London shows, at a glance

• Best supernatural thrills – Stranger Things: The First Shadow
• Best treat for the whole family – Starlight Express
• Best high-flying special effects – Back to the Future
• Best excitingly outrageous comedy – The Book of Mormon
• Best joyful immersive musical – Guys & Dolls

A Raisin in the Sun, Lyric Hammersmith

In a nutshell: Tinuke Craig revives Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking work (the first play by a black woman on Broadway) about an African-American family battling inequality, and sometimes each other, in South Chicago.

Booking until: Nov 2

White Rabbit Red Rabbit, @sohoplace ★★★★

In a nutshell: “Nick Mohammed sets the bar high in this all-star, white-knuckle theatre experiment, in which a new performer each show cold-reads the script and follows its mind-bending instructions in real time.” Read the full review

Booking until: Nov 9

The Cabinet Minister, Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “This delightfully pacy, elegant and stylish new adaptation by Nancy Carroll positively brims with vitality, full of salacious double entendres and unmistakable contemporary political allusions.” Read the full review

Booking until: Nov 16

The Buddha of Suburbia, Barbican ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “Emma Rice has nailed it with this feelgood take on Kureishi’s droll chronicle of a British-Asian youth’s boho progress through 1970s London... Leaves you on a rare high.” Read the full review

Booking until: Nov 16

Giant, Royal Court ★★★

In a nutshell: “Mark Rosenblatt’s debut play confronts us with the full shocking force of Roald Dahl’s anti-Semitism... John Lithgow plays Dahl initially as a charming old rogue, but his unrepentant, raptor-like glee grows exponentially.” Read the full review

Booking until: Nov 16

Juno and the Paycock, Gielgud Theatre

In a nutshell: Mark Rylance is back, starring opposite J. Smith-Cameron (aka Gerri Kellman from Succession) in Matthew Warchus’s revival of Seán O’Casey’s powerful play set during the Irish Civil War.

Booking until: Nov 23

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, Marylebone Theatre ★★★

In a nutshell: “Playwright Nathan Englander and director Patrick Marber put modern Judaism under the microscope... It is bracing to hear all the arguments aired so robustly.” Read the full review

Booking until: Nov 23

The Forsyte Saga, Park Theatre

In a nutshell: John Galsworthy’s epic comes to the stage in this new two-part adaptation by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan. Going from the Victorian era to the Roaring Twenties, it’s a towering drama of love, sex, power and family secrets. 

Booking until: Dec 7

The Duchess, Trafalgar Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “Doctor Who alumna Jodie Whittaker enthralls in this grisly, modernised Jacobean tragedy... Zinnie Harris pulls off a pacy, intense production.” Read the full review

Booking until: Dec 20

Dr Strangelove, Noel Coward Theatre 

In a nutshell: Steve Coogan leads this new theatrical adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s jet-black comic masterpiece about a rogue general triggering a nuclear crisis, brought to the stage by Armando Iannucci and Sean Foley.

Booking until: Dec 21

Waiting for Godot, Theatre Royal Haymarket ★★★★

In a nutshell: “Ben Whishaw’s tremendous Vladimir is part man-child, part strident philosopher, part Pollyanna, his long pianist hands forever madly gesticulating in hope.” Read the full review

Booking until: Dec 21

Oedipus, Wyndham’s Theatre ★★★

In a nutshell: “In Robert Icke’s free adaptation, a digital clock ticks down the seconds to zero... Mark Strong and Lesley Manville are desperately moving in the extraordinary final scenes, which play out as the most unbearable of love stories.” Read the full review

Booking until: Jan 4 2025

The Book of Mormon, Prince of Wales Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “This wild, thrilling, go-for-broke, genuinely hilarious musical comedy remains one of the funniest shows in the West End... I’m a believer!” Read the full review

Booking until: Jan 4 2025

Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre ★★★★★ 

In a nutshell: “Nicholas Hytner’s box of tricks, the Bridge, unleashes the show all around you if you’re one of the 380 punters standing in the thick of it... It’s an extravaganza that explodes every which way.” Read the full review

Booking until: Jan 4 2025

The Lehman Trilogy, Gillian Lynne Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “I urge you to see this extraordinary theatrical experience – at once epic and intimate – which works simultaneously as a primer on the history of capitalism, a reflection on the American dream and a deeply moving portrait of a family.” Read the full review

Booking until: Jan 5 2025

Barcelona, Duke of York’s Theatre

In a nutshell: Lily Collins (of Emily in Paris fame) stars in this new seductive thriller about an American tourist who gets caught up in a dangerous political game when she goes home with a handsome Spaniard.

Booking until: Jan 11 2025

Why Am I So Single?, Garrick Theatre ★★★

In a nutshell: “Can the creators of Six replicate their success? The question mark in the title indicates its defiant, interrogative spirit, and there’s an abundance of youthful energy.” Read the full review

Booking until: Jan 19 2025

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, The Other Palace

In a nutshell: Rick Riordan’s best-selling novel about a New York teenager who discovers he’s the son of Greek god Poseidon becomes an electrifying rock musical as Percy learns what it means to be a hero.

Booking: Nov 23-Feb 2 2025

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ambassadors Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “F Scott Fitzgerald’s mind-blowing conceit gets a marvellous makeover... The ensemble of five ply a variety of instruments, dart between characters, synchronise movements and wield puppets fashioned from washed-up flotsam.” Read the full review

Booking until: Feb 15 2025

The Lonely Londoners, Kiln Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “Roy Williams’s staging is a sensational adaptation of Sam Selvon’s 1956 novel – a devastatingly poignant tribute to the Windrush generation.” Read the full review

Booking until: Jan 10-Feb 15 2025

Fawlty Towers – The Play, Apollo Theatre ★★★

In a nutshell: “John Cleese has welded together three vintage episodes (Hotel Inspectors, Communication Problems, The Germans) to form one indisputably funny evening... Wall-to-wall nostalgia and copper-bottomed mirth.” Read the full review

Booking until: Mar 1 2025

Titanique, Criterion Theatre

In a nutshell: This fabulously camp musical spoof (a cult hit in the States) sees Céline Dion hijacks a Titanic Museum tour and tell us her version of the blockbuster movie, complete with show-stopping numbers.

Booking until: Dec 9-Mar 2 2025

Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “The tireless company romps through Sonya Tayeh’s adrenaline and libido-fuelled choreography... This is beguilingly transporting, all-enveloping theatre.” Read the full review

Booking until: Mar 8 2025

Oedipus, Old Vic

In a nutshell: Rami Malek, an Oscar winner for Bohemian Rhapsody, and Olivier winner Indira Varma team up for Ella Hickson’s intimate version of Sophocles’ mighty tragedy, co-directed by Matthew Warchus and Hofesh Shechter.

Booking: Jan 27-Mar 29 2025

The Lion King, Lyceum Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “It’s no surprise that each new generation keeps snapping up tickets to share this enchantment with their own cubs. This family-wowing musical remains the pride of the West End.” Read the full review

Booking until: Mar 30 2025

Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “Netflix gives the West End its event of the year... The jaw-dropping coups range from the infernal, supernatural engulfing of a hulking US battle-ship to acts of levitation.” Read the full review

Booking until: Apr 6 2025

Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “ Just as there was a winning comic zest to the film (scripted by Tina Fey), so this musical spin-off has a rare combination of warmth, goofiness, snarky wit and perceptiveness... A welcome splash of summer fizz.” Read the full review

Booking until: Apr 6 2025

Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “A plucky British success story... This Olivier Award-winning musical about the wartime operation is the perfect mix of ingenious, silly and moving.” Read the full review

Booking until: Apr 19 2025

MJ The Musical, Prince Edward Theatre ★★★

In a nutshell: “Goodness can Myles Frost dance, capturing precisely Michael Jackson’s sublime, peculiarly agitated grace, his limbs seemingly made from tensile liquid as he thrusts and coils, shimmers and spins.” Read the full review

Booking until: Apr 26 2025

Mrs Doubtfire, Shaftesbury Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “Fear not, dearies – this exuberant show is still one of the biggest treats in the West End... Gabriel Vick is on fire in his utterly astonishing tour-de-force performance.” Read the full review

Booking until: Apr 26 2025

The Score, Theatre Royal Haymarket ★★★★

In a nutshell: “Successor star Brian Cox is magnificent as he returns to the stage in Oliver Cotton’s drama about JS Bach’s relationship with the Prussian king.” Read the full review

Booking: Feb 20-Apr 26 2025

Kyoto, @sohoplace ★★★

In a nutshell: “Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson prioritise clarity and levity – James Graham style – as they brief us, stylishly abetted by director Stephen Daldry, on a crucial topic.” Read the full review

Booking: Jan 9-May 3 2025

Six, Vaudeville Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “This infectiously fun production is packed with witty touches... A heart-warming, air-punching finale has everyone up on their feet. I expect these queens to rule the West End for years to come.” Read the full review

Booking until: May 4 2025

ABBA Voyage, ABBA Arena ★★★★

In a nutshell: “A wide-ranging audience of all ages is unified in giving a heartfelt thank you for the music. Surrender to this pop-tastic retrofuturism and you’ll have the time of your life.” Read the full review

Booking until: May 11 2025

Matilda The Musical, Cambridge Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “Matthew Warchus’s thrilling, warm-hearted production, exuberantly designed by Rob Howell and with pin-sharp choreography by Peter Darling, constantly combines comedy with a sense of wonder.” Read the full review

Age recommendation: 6+

Booking until: May 25 2025

Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “An absolute knockout... With its combination of all-encompassing decadent beauty and thunderous moral force, there’s simply nothing else in town quite like it.” Read the full review

Booking until: May 31 2025

The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre 

In a nutshell: The fabulously fashionable fable, a thinly veiled takedown of Vogue editor Anna Wintour, has become a stage musical with songs by Elton John. Vanessa Williams stars.

Booking until: May 31 2025

Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “Joe Mantello’s production has satisfyingly old-school bombast: instead of screens, its impact comes from the detailed, fabulously over-the-top steampunk design. The orchestra is the biggest in the West End – and it shows.” Read the full review

Booking until: June 1 2025

Clueless: A New Musical, Trafalgar Theatre

In a nutshell: Amy Heckerling’s ultra-quotable, genuinely brilliant Jane Austen update was a big-screen hit in the 90s, and now comes to the stage with an original score by singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, directed by Rachel Kavanagh.

Booking: Feb 15-Jun 14 2025

The Brightening Air, Old Vic

In a nutshell: This much-anticipated world premiere from the Olivier-winning writer/director Conor McPherson, set in 1980s Ireland, is a gripping tale of family, inheritance, fate and unseen forces.

Booking: Apr 10-Jun 14 2025

The Deep Blue Sea, Theatre Royal Haymarket ★★★★

In a nutshell: “Lindsay Posner’s smartly attentive production of Terence Rattigan’s finest play has a terrific asset: Tamsin Greig, applying her gifts for impassivity and interiority to modern tragedy.” Read the full review

Booking: May 7-Jun 21 2025

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Palace Theatre ★★★★★ 

In a nutshell: “British theatre hasn’t known anything like it for decades and I haven’t seen anything directly comparable in all my reviewing days... It raises the benchmark for family entertainment.” Read the full review

Booking until: Jun 29 2025

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Aldwych Theatre ★★★★★ 

In a nutshell: “An Anglo-American triumph. It combines the aesthetic finesse of British director Phyllida Lloyd with the political instincts of Memphis-born, Olivier-nominated playwright Katori Hall.” Read the full review

Booking until: Jul 27 2025

Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “Thanks to video and illusionist wizardry, the steam-spouting DeLorean skids into view from nowhere and takes off over the stalls, achieving a kind of 3D Hollywood magic... A feelgood triumph.” Read the full review

Booking until: Jul 27 2025

Magic Mike Live, Hippodrome Casino

In a nutshell: “‘I wanted to create a space where men really listened to women,’ says creator Channing Tatum. What emerges is undoubtedly entertaining and one of the best fun nights London has to offer.” Read the full article

Booking until: Aug 31 2025

Les Miserables, Sondheim Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “In its density and epic ambition, its mixture of high-powered ideas and gut-wrenching emotions, it’s a show that feels lastingly revolutionary.” Read the full review

Booking until: Sept 6 2025

The Mousetrap, St Martin’s Theatre

In a nutshell: The longest-running play in the world, Agatha Christie’s fiendish murder mystery has been bamboozling audiences since 1952. Can you match wits with the Queen of Crime and figure out whodunit?

Booking until: Sept 27 2025

Mamma Mia!, Novello Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “Phyllida Lloyd’s slick production is still a tremendous crowd-pleaser... Buoyed by Abba’s enduring brilliance, it’s a welcome shot of pure sunshine.” Read the full review

Booking until: Sept 27 2025

Hadestown, Lyric Theatre ★★★

In a nutshell: “The show is imbued with a passionate sense that here is a tale worth hearing and that something happens in the act of shared story-telling that’s akin to Orpheus’ fabled way with a lyre: everyone in earshot gets spellbound.” Read the full review

Booking until: Sept 28 2025

Oliver!, Gielgud Theatre 

In a nutshell: Lionel Bart’s beloved musical adaptation of the Dickens classic returns to the West End in a reconceived form by producer Cameron Mackintosh and director/choreographer Matthew Bourne. Simon Lipkin stars as Fagin.

Booking: Dec 14-Sept 28 2025

The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty’s Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “It’s the slew of coups de théâtre, the no-nonsense pacing and the gorgeous spectacles that make this tale of a disfigured man of musical genius lurking beneath the Paris Opera House so effective.” Read the full review

Booking until: Sept 27 2025

Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “Lin-Manuel Miranda’s construction is just a marvel – one of the artistic wonders of the world... History is made to feel risky, uncertain and fresh: young people fumbling their way towards freedom.” Read the full review

Booking until: Sept 27 2025

Witness for the Prosecution, London County Hall ★★★★

In a nutshell: “Not just a whodunit, but a wheredunit... Agatha Christie’s bravura twisty plotting is still second to none. Combined with the inspired use of an historic location, it’s criminally entertaining.” Read the full review

Booking until: Sept 28 2025

Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre ★★★★★

In a nutshell: “Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster musical makes a spellbinding return... Skating around a state-of-the-art theatrical environment, the energy and bravura of it all are frankly out of this world.” Read the full review

Booking until: Oct 26 2025

Just For One Day, Shaftesbury Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “This hit-filled Live Aid musical will fill you with nostalgia... Be prepared for a smile on your lips, a tear in your eyes and a lingering itch to do good.” Read the full review

Booking: May 15 2025-Jan 10 2026

The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre ★★★★

In a nutshell: “Seldom has disaster delivered so many belly laughs... This spoof am-dram staging of an Agatha Christie whodunit is the perfect recipe for absurd slapstick.” Read the full review

Booking until: Feb 1 2026

Frequently asked questions

How do I find what’s on in the West End?

London has a fantastic mix of long-running shows, like Wicked, Matilda and The Play That Goes Wrong, and new productions. We will be constantly updating this page with top picks for the best London musicals and plays from our critics, so keep checking back to see all of the latest reviews and recommendations of upcoming theatre shows. 

You can also find a range of reviews, interviews and preview features at Telegraph Theatre.

How much is the average West End ticket?

West End ticket prices vary depending on the seating and the venue. You can usually find some cheap ticket for London shows from around £20, up to £60 for seats closer to the stage, and then some premium pricing of £100 or more for the very best seats in the house. However, there are also great West End discounts to be found – check out Telegraph Tickets for all the current London ticket deals.

What are the newest West End shows?

Some of the latest additions to London’s West End include the acclaimed stage adaptation of A Little Life, starring James Norton; British wartime musical Operation Mincemeat; and the glorious toe-tapping musical Crazy For You. Book tickets for all the best new shows now. 

Can I change the date/time of my theatre show ticket?

Many theatres have a policy whereby once you’ve booked a ticket, you cannot cancel it or change it to another date. However, it does vary: some venues are able to be more flexible about this, especially if it’s a sold-out show. Check the terms and conditions on the website where you booked, or call the box office.

What is the best way to travel to the theatre?

If you’re seeing a show in the West End, the easiest way to get to the theatre is usually by public transport. Traffic tends to get very busy in the centre of London, especially around rush hour. There are numerous Tube stations close to West End theatres, such as Charing Cross, Leicester Square, Piccadilly and Tottenham Court Road, servicing Tube lines like the Central, Piccadilly, Northern and Jubilee. Visit the TfL website to plan your route. You can also try buses (although they’re slower moving at rush hour), or if the weather is pleasant, walking or cycling.

Can I bring my child to a theatre performance not specifically for children?

Many shows have specific age recommendations and won’t admit younger children – you can find that information in our family theatre guide or on booking websites for productions, like Telegraph Tickets. Those recommendations are made based on the content and any potentially scary, disturbing or mature elements. However, each child is different, so it’s also up to parents to decide whether their child can cope with a particular show. Think about the story, the production elements (like loud noises), and the length – even adults may struggle with longer shows!

Do theatre performances have age ratings?

Yes, they do. Just like films, theatre shows have recommended age ratings – normally suggesting a minimal age for audience members, like 6+, and asking that any children by accompanied by adults. We’ve got age recommendations for all family-friendly shows in our family theatre guide and on the Telegraph Tickets booking site, and you can also find that information on individual theatre websites or by calling the box office.

How do I book theatre tickets for a large group of people?

Lots of theatre websites will offer help and advice for group bookings – some even have dedicated box office phone lines. In fact, it can be a great way to get a good deal on tickets or to book cheap tickets for big shows. Plus it’s fun to do a group outing with lots of friends or family members. Check out all the latest shows that would suit group bookings on Telegraph Tickets.

What items can’t I bring to the theatre?

Nearly all theatres, particularly in the West End, operate bag checks on entry. Security officials will be checking for any dangerous items – so potential weapons or other sharp objects, fireworks or pyrotechnics, or hazardous substances. Most also prohibit you from bringing in drugs or alcohol, and some prefer you not to bring in outside food or drink (other than sealed bottles of water), since they provide both in the theatre. Some venues also ask you not to bring large bags. You can find the latest information on theatre websites.

Can I still watch the performance if I am late?

Generally yes – ushers will tend to wait until an appropriate time in the production, like a scene change, to show you to your seats. If you’re really late, some theatres might ask you to watch the remainder of that first half on a screen just outside the auditorium, and then you can enter after the interval. If you are on time but your companion is running late, you should be able to leave their ticket with the box office.

What is the difference between stalls, grand circle and dress circle seats?

Stalls tickets mean you are seated on the ground level of the theatre, with seats beginning right next to the stage and extending to the back. These tend to be the more expensive tickets, since you’re closest to the action. The dress circle is one level up. Seats here are usually a bit cheaper, but you can still get a great view from the dress circle: it tends to extend over the back half of the stalls, and it’s particularly good for something like a musical with big song-and-dance numbers since you have an aerial view of the whole stage. 

The grand circle is another level up, so this is usually where you find the cheap tickets. However, grand circle seats can be a great deal – you might not have the best sightlines, but you still feel like part of the show, and for less. So, if you want the best guaranteed seats, central stalls or near the front of the dress circle is best. But if you’re looking for cheap tickets, grand circle is a good pick.