The Shows Must Go On - Your Next Theatre Fix
- JoshuaShort
- Feb 16
- 8 min read
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What happened?
London's theatre scene isn't just restricted to the usual favourites such as Hamilton or Les Misérables; the City continues to offer a range of new plays and musicals, whether it's an interpretation of an old classic from Shakespeare or T.S. Eliot, or something completely new. Here are some upcoming theatrical experiences to get engrossed by, some with more limited runs than others:
New Musicals
I’m Every Woman - The Chaka Khan Musical
Where:
Peacock Theatre, London
When:
5th March 2026 - 28th March 2026
Synopsis:
With 22 albums, 25 chart-topping hits, 70 million records sold and a career spanning five decades, Chaka Khan has shaped the sound of generations. Now, her story explodes onto the stage in a dazzling world premiere musical starring Alexandra Burke (Sister Act, The Bodyguard, Chicago, X Factor) for 4 weeks only.
Featuring a book that includes an array of Chaka’s famous friends from Joni Mitchell and Prince to Stevie Wonder and Steve Winwood. In addition to the songs that made her a global icon, including I Feel for You, Tell Me Something Good, Ain’t Nobody, Sweet Thing, Through The Fire and many more. This groundbreaking production delves into the woman behind the music-her rise to fame, her battles behind the spotlight, and her powerful journey of resilience.
Bookings:
sadlerswells.com/whats-on/im-every-woman-the-chaka-khan-musical/#book
Cost:
£65.00 - £135.00
A Mirrored Monet
Where:
Charing Cross Theatre, London
When:
14th March 2026 - 9th May 2026
Synopsis:
Paris, 1916. The painter, Claude Monet, struggles to complete the commission that will define his legacy: The Water Lilies — a project on which his survival depends, with food and essential supplies at stake as the First World War encroaches. Plagued by creative block, he retreats into memory, revisiting his early artist days with contemporaries Renoir and Manet, and his muse, Camille Doncieux.
Bookings:
charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/a-mirrored-monet
Cost:
£24.50 - £64.50
High Society
Where:
Barbican Theatre, London
When:
19th May 2026 - 11th July 2026
Synopsis:
Helen George (known for Call the Midwife, The King and I) stars as glamorous socialite Tracy Lord and is joined by Felicity Kendal (known for Rosemary and Thyme, Anything Goes), alongside a full size orchestra, delivering a score overflowing with the best of Cole Porter’s songbook including Just One Of Those Things, Let’s Misbehave, I Love Paris, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? and many more.
Join the 28-strong cast for this lavish new production as plans for the society wedding of the year descend into chaos, with old flames and new flames vying for attention as a sharp-eyed tabloid reporter hunts for scandal at the waterfront estate.
Bookings:
barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/cole-porter-high-society
Cost:
£18.00 - £150.00
Beetlejuice The Musical
Where:
Prince Edward Theatre, London
When:
20th May 2026 - 17th April 2027
Synopsis:
Based on Tim Burton's beloved movie classic, this funny - and weirdly life-affirming – musical tells the tale of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager sharing her home with a pair of newly-deads and the demonic ghost, BEETLEJUICE. He's dead trouble, but if you really want to feel alive, just say his name three times…
With a gleefully irreverent book, head-spinning set design and a score that's out of this Netherworld, BEETLEJUICE is a 'feast for the eyes and soul' (Entertainment Weekly). Outrageous, but with a big (cold) heart, this is 'screamingly good fun!' (Variety) That'll make you want to live -and make the most of every Day-O!
Bookings:
beetlejuicemusical.co.uk
Cost:
£27.50 - £153.50
CATS
Where:
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London
When:
25th July 2026 - 12th September 2026 (only in London for 7 weeks)
Synopsis:
A brand-new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s global sensation CATS leaps into the magical outdoor setting of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. From Euston station to Victoria Grove, the strays and rebels of London gather under the Jellicle moon in the hope they’ll be the chosen one. And each of them asks, because each of them dares, who will it be?
Based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, and with a legendary score featuring Old Deuteronomy, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, Jellicle Ball and the chart-topping hit Memory, this production of CATS, directed and choreographed by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Artistic Director Drew McOnie (famous for Jesus Christ Superstar, Brigadoon), is sure to be one of the theatrical events of 2026.
Bookings:
openairtheatre.com/production/cats
Cost:
£15.00 - £91.50
New Plays
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Where:
Shakespeare's Globe, London
When:
23rd April 2026 - 29th August 2026
Synopsis:
Enter a world where the veil between the everyday and the extraordinary grows joyfully thin. As night deepens on the eve of a royal wedding, a company of amateur performers prepares a play for the big day and invites you to step into their story.
Follow a group of giddy lovers chasing desire and connection through a moonlit forest as they collide with playful spirits in a fairy realm where anything is possible. Hearts open, spells go awry, and surprising transformations unfold in a shared night of mischief that fills the Globe with chaos and wonder. By dawn, everyone has changed. Come and be part of the magic.
Bookings:
shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/a-midsummer-nights-dream
Cost:
£5.00 - £85.00
1536
Where:
Ambassadors Theatre, London
When:
2nd May 2026 - 1st August 2026
Synopsis:
Tudor England. A field in Essex.
Three women hurry to their childhood meeting place, thirsty for gossip from London.
Word spreads of a clash between King Henry VIII and his Queen, Anne Boleyn. And closer to home, another rumour begins to catch fire.
As these women begin to see echoes of the royal drama in their own rural lives and a rise in violence spreads throughout the land, the actions of a queen imprisoned in a tower threaten to cost them everything.
Bookings:
atgtickets.com/shows/1536
Cost:
£25.00 - £150.00
An Ideal Husband
Where:
Lyric Hammersmith, London
When:
8th May 2026 - 6th June 2026
Synopsis:
‘I love London Society! It is entirely composed now of beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics.’
Sir Robert Chiltern is riding high on all the very best that modern life has to offer a man of his impeccable taste and immaculate reputation. The house, the clothes, the wife.
All seems well until the arrival of the devious Mrs Cheveley, who has a taste for drama and secrets to spill. Her revelations threaten scandal, betrayal, public disgrace: so how far will this perfect gentleman go to protect his good name?
Bookings:
lyric.co.uk/shows/an-ideal-husband
Cost:
£10.00 - £55.00
Care
Where:
Young Vic Theatre, London
When:
11 May 2026 - 11 July 2026
Synopsis:
I never saw any of that before. All that the birds do… I see it now. Will they be gone too?
A single mum, two feuding pre-teens, and their gran. When Grandmother takes a fall, she is hastily moved to a care home she doesn’t want to be in, surrounded by other elderly people longing for comfort and missing home. But as time passes, she comes to see what really matters in life and between loss and loneliness, we glimpse the unexpected joy in life’s everyday moments.
Bookings:
youngvic.org/whats-on/care
Cost:
£12.00 - £57.00
Cyrano de Bergerac
Where:
Noel Coward Theatre, London
When:
13th June 2026 - 5th September 2026
Synopsis:
Fiercely funny and intensely romantic, Cyrano lives by his words and his sword. Haunted by doubts about his own appearance, he watched from the shadows as Roxane fell for another man. Handsome but hopeless with words, Christian turns to the one person who can help.
Following a sold-out, critically acclaimed run with the Royal Shakespeare Company, this ‘hilariously funny and ultimately heartbreaking’ (Mail on Sunday) production transfers to the West End for a strictly limited season.
Olivier Award-winner Adrian Lester (known for Riviera, Hustle) is ‘perfect’ (The Times) 1 as protagonist Cyrano, with Susannah Fielding (known for Wolf Hall) as the ‘instantly charming’ (The Stage) Roxane.
Bookings:
noelcowardtheatre.co.uk/whats-on/cyrano-de-bergerac
Cost:
£15.00 - £185.00
Archduke
Where:
Royal Court Theatre, London
When:
20th June 2026 - 25th July 2026
Synopsis:
'Maybe the world don’t have to end at all. We can just get off the train… go get a sandwich.'
Belgrade, 1914. Three hungry young men are offered something to eat (and the chance to change the course of history). Their mission: kill Archduke Franz Ferdinand and set the century alight.
A wild, heartfelt and occasionally accurate tale of history’s most reluctant radicals, from Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph (Guards at the Taj, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo). Lyndsey Turner (The Crucible, 1536) directs this European premiere, designed by Es Devlin (The Lehman Trilogy).
Bookings:
royalcourttheatre.com/events/archduke
Cost:
£15.00 - £74.50
Money-Savers
Theatre tickets don't always come cheap, but don't let this put you off. There are, of course, a range of sites and apps you can use to find great deals:
LOVEtheatre - lovetheatre.com
Theatre Bookings - theatrebookings.com
Wowcher - wowcher.co.uk/buy/theatre-tickets
CompareTheatreTickets.com - comparetheatretickets.com
TodayTix (London) - todaytix.com/london/category/theatre-tickets-special-offers
TodayTix - todaytix.com
Final Thoughts
Did any of the above shows get you ready for your next theatre trip?
Let us know if so, and enjoy the show...
Glossary
Cast [Culture] [General]
... the group of actors, actresses, and performers who portray characters in a film, television show, or theatrical production.
Director [Culture] [General]
... the creative leader responsible for the overall artistic and dramatic vision of a production (film, television, theatre), performing roles such as translating a screenplay into a visual medium by leading actors and technicians throughout the production process.
Musical [Culture] [Theatre]
... a dramatic, music-filled written work intended for live performance by actors on a stage, which can also be translated to a motion picture.
... consisting of song/ dance, dialogue and action that tell a story, usually designed to be watched by an audience in a theatre.
Olivier Award [Culture] [Theatre]
... the most prestigious honors in British theatre, recognising excellence in professional London productions, including West End plays, musicals, dance, and opera.
... established in 1976 and renamed in 1984 for actor Laurence Olivier, they are considered the UK equivalent of Broadway's Tony Awards.
Performer/ Performance [General]
... how someone fulfills their job responsibilities, achieves set-out goals and has the required level of job knowledge, attitude and behaviour in their role.
Play [Culture] [Theatre]
... a dramatic, written work intended for live performance by actors on a stage, which can also be translated to a motion picture.
... consisting of dialogue and action that tell a story, usually designed to be watched by an audience in a theatre.
Production [Culture] [General]
… the process of combining physical and virtual resources to create a work to be viewed or considered by a specific or broad audience (Film, Television, Games, Theatre).
Protagonist [Culture] [General]
... the leading character or one of the major characters in a play, film, novel, etc.
Stage [Culture] [Theatre]
... a designated space designed for performances where actors/ performers present productions to an audience.
... serving as the focal point for artistic expression, with various fixtures for entertainment and spectacle.
Star [Culture] [General]
... a famous, successful, or talented individual in the entertainment performance space.
... they are the main attraction, earning exceptional celebrity, and are highlighted in the production.
Tale [Culture] [General]
... a story, especially one based on fiction or is difficult to believe.
Theatre [Culture] [Theatre]
... a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers/ actors on a stage, to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a location for such productions.
Sources
1 - thetimes.com/culture/theatre-dance/article
uktheatre.org
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