The Best London Theatre Right Now

The Best London Theatre | Amazing Shows to Book and See in October 2024

There are 241 theatres in London.

That’s enough to pretty much guarantee that there’s something on that you’ll absolutely love, and too many to wade through alone (unless you absolutely love decision paralysis).

So just to deftly slash this Gordian knot, here’s your trusty Nudge Theatre Guide, which collates reviews from all the top critics, tells you the best spots for dinner before the show, has a good place for some drinks afterwards, and includes literally dozens of fantastic shows…

Jump Straight To: MUSICALS | DRAMA | COMEDY | IMMERSIVE

A Face in the Crowd | Young Vic

A Face In The Crowd is a 1957 cult film about the dangers of political celebrity & idolisation which, by remarkable coincidence, is actually sort of relevant to events taking place across the world right now. Crazy, we know. But what’s even crazier is that the score has been adapted by by none other than Elvis Costello, who was 3 years old when the movie came out, and who gives it a glorious US-soaked musical twang.

Dinner before: See faces in the crowds below at Seabird
Drinks after: Restore hope at the Anchor & Hope
London Theatre Critics say: 4* Telegraph, 3* Independent, 3* Standard
Details: A Face in the Crowd is playing at the Young Vic until 9th November 2024. You can find out more and get tickets at the Young Vic website.
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Why Am I So Single | The Garrick

Depending on your relationship status, googling this show is either going to helpfully, or unhelpfully, skew your algorithm for a while. So, to save you the bother, here’s the skinny: it’s from the pair of theatre writers behind SIX (Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss) and it’s about two theatre writers who are struggling to compose songs for a musical, while musing on their sh*tty love lives. We won’t read much into it. Early word is verrry positive, but not quite as ecstatic as that for SIX, so let’s hope it’s another fun little number.

Dinner before:See a bunch of couples on dates at Bancone
Drinks after: Refuse to let your drink be single at Petersham Nurseries
London Theatre Critics say: 4* Times, 4* Observer, 4* Standard
Details: Why Am I So Single is playing at The Garrick theatre until 13th February 2025. You can find out more and get tickets at their official website.
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Hello Dolly! | The Barbican

Hellllllooooo Hello Dolly! They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and this old school, big-hearted, hilarious and touching musical ain’t broke, so the director (Dominic Cooke) decided not to fix it. Spectacular decision. And the lynchpin at the centre of it all is the wonderful Imelda Staunton. She absolutely nails her leading role as Dolly, the widowed matchmaker who intends to matchmake herself for once. Sometimes you get a simple flat background painted like a building. Sometimes you get entire steam trains that cruise across the stage. But always, you get a boat-load of charisma & energy from the performers.

Dinner before: Get some good ol’ American BBQ from Temper Soho
Drinks after: Keep the music coming at Nightjar Carnaby
London Theatre Critics say: Guardian 5*, Telegraph 4*, Independent 4*
Details: Hello Dolly! Is playing at The Palladium until the 14th September 2024. You can find out more and get a ticket at the show’s official website.
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Hadestown | Lyric Theatre

They say the devil has all the best tunes – well now he’s also got a Tony and Grammy-winning megahit Broadway musical, making its long-awaited transfer to the West End.

Multi-talented singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell has written the lyrics, book and the brassy, brilliant soundtrack to this epic underworld tale steeped in Greek mythology, which tracks the intertwining love stories of Orpheus and Eurydice, and Persephone and her husband King Hades. Rolling into town on the back of rapturous critical notices, and with an enormous buzz ahead of its opening night, commit whatever unforgivable sins are necessary to secure a ticket – it really is a hell of a show.

Dinner before:First rate dumplings at Leong’s Legend, one of the best restaurants in Chinatown
Drinks after: Head to the underground candlelit bar, Below Stone’s Nest
London Theatre Critics say: Guardian 4*, FT 4*
Details: Hadestown is playing at the Lyric Theatre (closest tube station Piccadilly Circus) until 22nd December 2024. Tickets cost from £20-125, and can be purchased HERE.
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SIX | Vaudeville Theatre London

Divorced, beheaded, live in concert: it’s the story of Henry VIIIth’s six wives, performed by the queens themselves in the form of a punk girl-band. To say it’s a phenomenon would be to undersell it: it started out as an Edinburgh Fringe show, and has now scored runs in the West End, on Broadway and down in Oz. Expect neon ruffs; Greensleeves-techno mash ups and unexpectedly poignant moments interspersed with its high-energy score.

Dinner before: Cult dumplings at Din Tai Fung
Drinks after: Subterranean cocktails at Eve
London Theatre Critics say: Evening Standard 5*; The Telegraph 5*; The Times 4*
Details: Six is booking at the Vaudeville Theatre (closest tube station Charing Cross) until 4th May 2025. Tickets cost from £34.50-74.50, and can be purchased HERE.
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Moulin Rouge! | Piccadilly Theatre

Why should you go see this live musical production of Moulin Rouge? Because you can can can! This dazzling show has transferred from Broadway to London, with an impressive 14 Tony nominations under its belt, a crack team of award-winning producers and creatives (including Baz himself), and an incredible soundtrack of 71 songs…

Dinner before: Soho’s stellar new opening The Devonshire, conveniently across the road
Drinks after: Subterranean cocktails at SOMA
London Theatre Critics say: The Independent 4*; The Telegraph 4*
Details: Moulin Rouge! runs at the Piccadilly Theatre (closest tube station Piccadilly Circus) until 5th October 2024. Tickets cost £29 – £229, and can be booked HERE.
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Matilda The Musical | Cambridge Theatre

A show in which a genius-level child with telekinetic powers somehow starts off as an underdog, this long-running musical take on the classic Roald Dahl tale – produced by theatre nobility the RSC – has had critics positively raving. And with good reason too – with lyrics by the inimitable Tim Minchin, ridiculously catchy tunes and a genuinely exceptional cast of kids, there’s not a single hole in this colourful patchwork of song and dance.

Dinner before: Grab a quick bite at KERB Seven Dials
Drinks after: Slip into La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels
London Theatre Critics say: The Telegraph 5*; The Guardian 5*; The Evening Standard 5*; The Independent 5*
Details: Matilda The Musical is booking at the Cambridge Theatre (closest tube station Covent Garden) until 25th May 2025, with tickets running between £20 and £150. You can book them HERE.
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Guys & Dolls | Bridge Theatre

Image: Manuel Harlan

Down at the Bridge Theatre, Nicholas Hytner’s going all-in on giving you a quality night at the theatre. It’s Guys & Dolls, baby, and it’s here to banish your late-winter blues. The set and costumes come from multi award-winning Bunny Christie (The Curious Incident Of the Dog in the Night Time), and they look as lush, glossy and indulgent as you’d hope. The always-compelling Danny Mays leads the cast, playing good old reliable Nathan (Nathan, Nathan, Nathan) Detroit. And the songs? Why, it’s hit after toe-atapping hit, courtesy of composer and lyricist Frank Loesser – we’re talking Luck Be a Lady, we’re talking Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat, and we’re certainly talking the titular Guys & Dolls. It’s a fast-talkin’, crap-shootin’ helluva night out. With Anything Goes no longer playing at the Barbican, the position of ‘London’s go-to feel good musical’ is vacant, but not for long if Hytner and co have anything to do with it.

Dinner before: Meat, fish, fire at The Coal Shed
Drinks after: Grab a pint on the Bermondsey Beer Mile
London Theatre Critics say: Evening Standard 5*, The Independent 4*, The Guardian 4*
Details: Guys & Dolls is booking at the Bridge Theatre (closest tube stations London Bridge and Tower Hill) until 4th January 2025. Tickets cost from £39.50 – £150 and you can book HERE.
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Operation Mincemeat | Fortune Theatre

After multiple sell-out runs at London’s fringe theatres, Operation Mincemeat, the debut musical by creative quartet SpitLip, has come to the West End – and been extended eight times. What is it? It’s the story of the (genuine) Second World War plan to confound the Nazis by planting false intel on a corpse, and allowing the Germans to discover it. How is it told? In a riotous, rapid-fire barrage of role-swapping physicality.

Now with two Olivier awards under its belt, ‘Operation take the West End by storm’ has been a resounding success. Go see it, that’s an order.

Dinner before: Get mincemeat made into one of London’s best burgers at Joe Allen
Drinks after: A thoroughly old fashioned drinking den, Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration
London Theatre Critics say: They’ve picked up 65 5* reviews so far…
Details: Operation Mincemeat! is booking at the Fortune Theatre (closest tube stations Covent Garden and Temple) until 25th January 2025. Tickets cost from £39.50 – £89.50 and you can book HERE, or enter the £25 ticket lottery HERE.
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Les Misérables | Sondheim Theatre

Do you hear the people sing? Well, you will if you head to Les Mis, an iconic musical based on Victor Hugo’s gloomy revolutionary novel that’s now in its 4th decade. It closed for the first time in 34 years while the theatre got some upgrades (and, er, other global events interfered) – but now it’s back, flying the flag once more with a critically acclaimed new production.

Dinner before: Enjoy classic brasserie fare at Dean Street Townhouse
Drinks after: A drink at The French House seems strangely appropriate
London Theatre Critics say: The Guardian 5*; The Telegraph 5*; Evening Standard 4*
Details: Les Misérables plays at the Sondheim Theatre (closest tube station Piccadilly Circus), with tickets from £47.50-£175. You can book up until 29th March 2025 right HERE.
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Hamilton | Victoria Palace Theatre, London

Hamilton might have won 11 Tony Awards for its Broadway run, but the London cast have proved they were ready to Rise Up to the challenge.

Following the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton, it’s a pioneering musical that raps its way through history, and within months of playing here, earned a record-breaking 13 Olivier nominations for its troubles…

Dinner before: Glitzy brasserie fare at The Ivy Victoria
Drinks after: Cocktails – and then inevitably a round of darts – at Flight Club
London Theatre Critics say: The Guardian 5*; The Telegraph 5*; The Independent 5*; The Stage 5*; The Evening Standard 5*
Details: Tickets are on sale for Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre (closest tube station Victoria) until 29th March 2025. They cost from £20-200, and can be purchased HERE.
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Cabaret | The Kit Kat Club (Playhouse Theatre)

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome to this phenomenal new production of cabaret, directed by the sensationally talented Rebecca Frecknall. For this revival of the classic musical & film, the Playhouse Theatre has been transformed into a giant version of the Kit Kat Club, where (the lucky few, at least) can sip cocktails and dine at intimate cabaret tables while the show unfolds. Cara Delevingne and Luke Treadaway have now stepped into the shoes of Emcee and Sally Bowles. Plus, you’ll see some of the most beautiful costume design that’s hit London stages in the past few years…

Dinner before: Go fancy at Kerridge’s Bar & Grill
Drinks after: Superlative cocktails at Velvet Bar
London Theatre Critics say: Evening Standard 5*; The Independent 5*; The Telegraph 5*
Details: Cabaret is booking at the Playhouse Theatre (closest tube station Embankment) until 1st February 2025. Tickets cost £30 – £375, and you can book HERE.
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Back To The Future: The Musical | Adelphi Theatre

Image: Sean Ebsworth-Barnes

Future you visited us, and said it was imperative we tell you about this new musical. And to be fair, if you like cult movies and 80s hits, you’re probably going to enjoy it.

Dinner before: Steak at 1985 prices at Flat Iron Covent Garden
Drinks after: Hand-picked wines at Lady of the Grapes
London Theatre Critics say: The Metro 5*; The Telegraph 5*;  Michael J. Fox: “A truly great show.”
Details: Back To The Future: The Musical is booking at the Adelphi Theatre (closest tube station Charing Cross) until 22nd December 2024. Tickets cost £19.55 (of course) – £168.50, and can be booked HERE.
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Choir of Man | Arts Theatre

Grab a (free!) pint and strap in for an evening of resolutely non-toxic masculinity down at the Arts Theatre – the beardy, burly blokes of the Choir of Man are here to sing their hearts out in their onstage pub, whilst touching on themes of friendship, gentrification and mental health. Plot? What plot! You’re here for the vocal performances (uniformly superb) and the musical arrangements (likewise, courtesy of Musical Supervisor Jack Blume). The production, which has toured to Edinburgh and back, is as slick as can be, and the covers – including Somebody to Love, and Sia’s Chandelier, are absolute bangers. If music be the food of love, have another pint and enjoy 90 minutes of foot-stomping fun.

Dinner before: Truly legendary dumplings at Leong’s Legend
Drinks after: World’s 100 Best Bars entry, Side Hustle at NoMad
Details: Tickets are on sale for Choir of Man at the Arts Theatre (closest tube station Leicester Square) until 31st December 2024. They cost from £18-73, and can be purchased HERE.

THE BEST DRAMA ON NOW

Waiting For Godot | Theatre Royal Haymarket

Waiting for Godot is a famously quote-unquote difficult play thanks to its allergy to anything resembling theatrical convention. So it can be a tough sell unless the talent behind it is absolutely first class, and thankfully the talent behind this production is absolutely first class. Leading the fray are Ben Whishaw & Lucian Msamati, and they absolutely own the stage. The chemistry between the two is wonderful, and the staging even manages to push the absurdist envelope a little. By all accounts, this has been worth the wait.

Dinner before: Sustain yourself on the sustainable goods at Fallow
Drinks after: Wait forever for a drink at The Devonshire
London Theatre Critics say: 5* FT, 4* Times, 4* Standard
Details: Waiting For Godot is playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until 14th December 2024. You can find out more and get tickets at the Theatre’s website.
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Giant | Royal Court Theatre

“It’s the blessing of your work and the curse of your life.” Mark Rosenblatt’s remarkable play (his debut, astonishingly, after a storied career as a director) gets to the heart of the darkness of Roald Dahl; both his genius as a storyteller, and his unashamed, shocking antisemitism. Rosenblatt’s script is matched by a towering central performance from John Lithgow – who has been hiding in plain sight as a Dahl lookalike all these years – and backed up by a superb ensemble. Direction comes from Nicholas Hytner himself. It’s a giant hit.

Dinner before: Dahl would approve of a restaurant called ‘Rabbit‘
Drinks after: There’ll be a lot to discuss at Vardo
London Theatre Critics say: 5* Times, 5* Standard, 4* Guardian
Details: Giant is playing at the Royal Court Theatre until 16th November 2024. You can find out more and get tickets at The Royal Court Theatre website.
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Pins & Needles | Kiln Theatre

This play will not give you autism. It will however give you a pretty fascinating and even-handed look at the air of uncertainty & scepticism that surrounds vaccines (and science in general) and which has existed since Edward Jenner created them. In fact, he’s one of our main characters. And he’s joined by a cast yanked from different eras, and different parts of the conspiracy spectrum. And in this play, as in real life, what’s true isn’t necessarily what matters.

Dinner before: Get something internet-viral at Carmel
Drinks after: Do shots at Heads + Tails
London Theatre Critics say: 4* Telegraph, 3* Guardian
Details: Pins & Needles is playing at the Kiln Theatre until 26th October 2024. You can find out more and get tickets at the Kiln Theatre website.
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Never Let Me Go | Rose Theatre

Kazuo Ishiguro won the Nobel prize in literature, in part, for writing the sci-fi classic Never Let Me Go. If you don’t know the basic plot, then do yourself a favour and go to see this expert adaptation cold. You’ll thank yourself after. And for anyone who already knows the story, you’ll find yourself strangely immersed as the familiar dread creeps in…

Dinner before: Ishiguro would approve of Sticks ‘n’ Sushi
Drinks after: Drink to your health at Steins
London Theatre Critics say: 4* Guardian, 4* iNews
Details: Never Let Me Go is playing at the Rose Theatre until 12th October 2024. You can find out more and get tickets at the Rose Theatre website.
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Shifters | Duke Of York’s Theatre

Shifters meets its main characters at 16 years old, and then plays out the span of their next sixteen years together, apart, and somewhere in-between. It’s not exactly high concept, but it is high drama, with subtly crafted moments, endearing characters, and some memorable scenes. It takes a minute to get going, but you’ll be glad you committed.

Dinner before: Barrafina Adelaide Street is tough to beat
Drinks after: Petersham Nurseries will definitely bring the romance
London Theatre Critics say: Guardian 4*, Independent 4*
Details: Shifters is playing at the Duke Of York’s Theatre until 12th October. You can find out more and get tickets at their official website.
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The Real Thing | The Old Vic

The Real Thing is a modern classic by Tom Stoppard, first performed in 1982. The plot concerns a playwright who has an affair with his leading actress. Tom Stoppard is a playwright. And The Real Thing first starred Felicity Kendall. You can possibly see where this is going. The weird thing is, in real life, the affair they had only started after the play opened, so Tom wrote it almost as a kind of self-fulfilling premonition. But that’s not even the weirdest bit. That would be the fact that the play already contains a play-within-a-play about the same exact thing happening, thus making real life itself into a play-without-a-play in a weird, romantic, philosophical brain-melting knot. Anyway, it’s really, really good too, and this version stars James McArdle and (the happily married) Bel Powley.

Dinner before: Get some real Malaysian curry from Roti King
Drinks after: Discuss what is real & what isn’t at The Lost Property Office
London Theatre Critics Say: 4* Guardian, 4* FT, 4* Standard
Details: The Real Thing is playing at The Old Vic until 26th October 2024. You can find out more and get a ticket at the Old Vic’s website.
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Stranger Things: The First Shadow | Phoenix Theatre

Manuel Harlan

There are TV shows, there are hit TV shows, and then there’s whatever Stranger Things is – at this point, a cultural psyche-shaping global mega-phenomenon. So to all those Stranger Things fans out there – and statistically, that’s very likely to be you – rejoice, for the show’s extended universe now expands, with a brand new play featuring a story by the Duffer Brothers (creators of Stranger Things) and written by Kate Trefry (a writer on the show) and Jack Thorne (writer of basically everything, and, in light of Cursed Child’s runaway success, the go-to playwright for all big-ticket-IP-stage-adaptations). The starry creative team is a hint at who’s backing the production – Netflix itself, making its first foray into theatre – and the title is a hint at the plot – the show is a prequel to the weirdness that eventually goes down in Hawkins, Indiana. A streamer-backed TV adaptation play that’s genuinely good? Stranger things have happened…

Dinner before: Turkish street food dishes at Yeni
Drinks after: Tequila time at La Bodega Negra
London Theatre Critics say: Sunday Times 5*, The Guardian 5*, Evening Standard 5*
Details: ‘Stranger Things’ is playing at the Phoenix Theatre (nearest tube station Tottenham Court Road) until 6^th April 2025. Tickets are from £32.50 and are available HERE.
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THE BEST COMEDY ON NOW | LONDON THEATRE

The Cabinet Minister | Menier Chocolate Factory

A cabinet minister spends far too much money on a lavish lifestyle, and finds himself in something of a moral & financial quandary. The Cabinet Minister was written in 1890, but let’s face it, it will likely still be relevant in 2090. Adapted by Nancy Carroll, it’s a ton of fun, and – appropriately for the location – quite sweet in parts.

Dinner before: Something with chocolate for dessert at Camille
Drinks after: Raid the drinks cabinet at The Green Room
London Theatre Critics say: 5* Telegraph, 4* Guardian, 4* Times
Details: The Cabinet Minister is playing at the Menier Chocolate Factory until 16th November 2024. You can find out more and get tickets at the Menier Chocolate Factory website.
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Fawlty Towers | Apollo Theatre

John Cleese himself has adapted three of the best episodes of Fawlty Towers (which, for those keeping score, is a quarter of them) for the stage, and woven them into one play. You can expect classic scenes from The Hotel Inspector, Communication Problems, and – yes – The Germans. Early word is good, but the show will really come into its own after the cast have had a couple of weeks to gel together. Basically, if you like Fawlty Towers, you’ll like Fawlty Towers.

Dinner before: Something Manuel would approve of from Barrafina 
Drinks after: Get a basil-based cocktail at Swift Soho 
Details: Fawlty Towers is playing at the Apollo Theatre until 28th September. Tickets start at £20 and you can get them right here.
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The Play That Goes Wrong | Duchess Theatre

Honestly, they could be messing this up horribly every night, and no one would notice. In fact, they’d probably clap.

Dinner before: Bombastic Italian at Ave Mario
Drinks after: Highly-rated cocktails at Side Hustle
London Theatre Critics say: The Independent 4*; Financial Times 4*; The Stage 4*
Details: The Play That Goes Wrong is booking at the Duchess Theatre (closest tube station Covent Garden) until 4th May 2025. Tickets cost £22-67.50, and can be booked HERE.

Looking for more comedy? Check out our guide to the best comedy gigs in London this month

THE BEST IMMERSIVE SHOWS IN LONDON

Viola’s Room | The Carriageworks

Viola’s Room is an adaptation of a turn-of-the-century gothic mystery called The Moon-Slave. It’s actually not the first time that Punchdrunk have turned to the text for inspiration – they developed a version of the short story 24 years ago, but back then they could only afford to stage a four-night run. Well, now they have Helena Bonham Carter narrating it, and a huge fancy new set of their own. But with a show like this, the less you know, the better. Half the fun is having the rug pulled from under your feet (through, to be clear you won’t literally have a rug pulled from under your feet). The only issues with the show so far seem to be technical ones, so as long as they’re ironed out, you should be in for a good time.

Dinner before: Immerse yourself in Kailash Momos 
Drinks after: Avoid getting drunk on punch at The Guard House
Details: Viola’s Room is playing at The Carriageworks until 17th November. You can get ticket right here.
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The Gunpowder Plot | Tower Vaults

Step into the past, and a purpose-built venue in the Vaults opposite the Tower of London, as you experience – and participate in! – the historic gunpowder plot, via the medium of ‘Layered Reality’. What does that mean? Think VR headsets combined with live theatre, plus ‘real physical sensations’ (that’s right). Written by Danny Robins (he of 2:22 A Ghost Story), the piece stars Slytherin’s very own Tom Felton as Guy Fawkes, who leads a ‘digital cast’ that includes Gary Beadle and Michelle Asante. A unique – and explosive – night out.

Dinner before: Riverside dining at Coppa Club
Drinks after: Moonshine Saloon if you can’t get enough of all things immersive
Details: The Gunpowder Plot is currently playing at the Tower Vaults, 8-12 Tower Hill Vaults London EC3N 4EE until 31st January 2025. Tickets available HERE.

Want to see great theatre for less? Find out how to get cheap theatre tickets in London…