If the weather forecast has anything to say about it, the summer has been and gone. And though we hate to say it, it might be right. The summer holidays are well and truly over and being inside is suddenllly far more appealing. And, lucky for you, we have 14 incredible reasons to stay indoors.
As the new school year begins, the West End has some new kids coming to town and we can’t wait! From emotional family dramas to one-of-a-kind musicals, there’s a bit of everything in London theatres this latter part of the year. See our selection of top-notch entertainment coming soon and get your autumn and winter social calendar sorted.
Foxfinder
To kick things off, Dawn King’s Foxfinder has burrowed its way into the Ambassadors Theatre. It stars Game Of Thrones villain and Olivier Award winner Iwan Rheon, along with Poldark actress Heida Reed.
England is in crisis. Due to flooding, food production is slow and the fear of foxes grips the nation. Two farm owners have failed to meet their harvest target and the government wants to know why. Foxfinder William Bloor visits to investigate a possible fox infestation. But as the investigation goes on, William finds more questions than answers…
Now playing at Ambassadors Theatre.
Pinter At The Pinter
In this unique theatrical series, you’ll find all 20 short plays written by arguably the greatest British playwright of the 20th Century. Each will have a star cast featuring the likes of David Suchet, Tamsin Greig, Danny Dyer, and Martin Freeman – to name but a few. They have never been performed together in a season of this kind. And it’s all been masterminded by the season’s Artistic Director extraordinaire, Jamie Lloyd.
The season opens with One For The Road/The New World Order/Mountain Language/Ashes To Ashes, followed by The Lover/The Collection, Landscape/A Kind of Alaska/Monologue, Moonlight/Night School, The Room/Victoria Station/Family Voices, Party Time/Celebration, and finally A Slight Ache/The Dumb Waiter.
Now playing at Harold Pinter Theatre.
Misty
Following a sold-out run at the Bush Theatre, Arinzé Kene’s Misty is gripping audiences at the Trafalgar Studios for a strictly limited time.
With an original musical score performed live during the show, Misty reimagines the city that we live in. It blends theatre, gig and performance poetry while exploring creative freedom in modern London. Telling us of a pulsating vision of the city around us, Arinzé delivers a heartfelt, playful and epic performance.
Now playing at Trafalgar Studios.
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
For all those theatre-lovers who love a surprise and want a one-of-a-kind experience, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical should be at the top of your watch list this autumn. This unscripted show takes suggestions from the audience to create a unique and hilarious show made up on the spot by its cast of skilled improvisers. From genre to characters, plot twists to titles, you’re in complete control… kind of.
The Olivier Award-winning show will have one show each month starting from 24 September.
Company
This brand new production of Company has a stellar new cast and the gender-bending twist we’ve been waiting for. During her 35th birthday party, Bobbie’s friends are wondering why she’s not settled down, gotten married and started a family.
The classic Stephen Sondheim and George Furth musical is having its first West End revival since 1995. With Rosalie Craig taking the lead as Bobbie, alongside Patti LuPone, Mel Giedroyc, Jonathan Bailey, Richard Fleeshman, Alex Gaumond, and George Blagden, Company is going to be the talk of the town when it opens later in September.
Opens on: 26 September.
The Height Of The Storm
From the writer of the internationally acclaimed Florian Zeller comes this new drama starring multi-award-winning actors, Jonathan Pryce and Eileen Atkins. The pair star as André and Madeleine who have been in love for over 50 years. When their daughters visit for one weekend, something feels unusual. A bunch of flowers arrives, but who sent them? A woman from the past turns up, but who is she? And why does André feel like he isn’t there at all?
Florian’s past productions have included the beautiful and devastating The Father and poignant The Mother.
Opening on: 2 October.
Wise Children
Theatre extraordinaire Emma Rice is launching her brand new company, Wise Children, later this year. As part of the launch, she’s bringing an adaptation of the novel of the same name to The Old Vic.
Set in Brixton, Wise Children follows Nora and Dora Chance – twin chorus girls who are celebrating their 70th birthday. Over the river in Chelsea, their father Melchior Hazard – the greatest actor of his generation – turns 100. And so does his twin brother Peregrine – if he’s alive, that is. In fact, is Melchior their real father after all?
Opening on: 8 October.
Don Quixote
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s critically-acclaimed production of Don Quixote is making its long-awaited transfer to the West End. Starring Shameless’ David Threlfall and TV and stage comedian and actor Rufus Hound, this adaptation by award-winning poet, journalist and literary critic James Fenton is set to be a rib-tickling show and an absolute must-see.
After a lifetime of reading books on chivalry, Don Quixote decides to embark on a quest of his own. Taking up a lance and sword, he sets out to become a wandering knight, defending the helpless and vanquishing the wicked. Hopelessly unprepared and increasingly losing his grip on reality, he travels across Spain accompanied by his faithful and equally ill-suited squire.
Opening on: 27 October.
Summer And Smoke
This Tennessee Williams’ classic is rarely staged in the UK, but when it is, it’s spell-binding. Following a lauded run at the Almeida Theatre earlier this year, it’s transferring to the Duke of York’s Theatre due to popular demand.
In small-town Mississippi, Alma, seemingly under the wings of an angel, meets John resulting in their worlds being turned upside down. Evoking the simmering passions of a sweltering summer, the duo soon finds themselves trapped between fear, obligation, and their own sheer desire.
Opening on: 10 November.
Caroline, Or Change
Receiving sold-out engagements at the Chichester Festival Theatre and Hampstead Theatre, this magical revival of Tony Kushner’s magnificent musical Caroline, Or Change could not come to the West End quick enough. The acclaimed production by Michael Longhurst stars the Olivier Award-winning superstar Sharon D Clarke who is reprising her role as Caroline.
The semi-autobiographical story is set in 1963 Louisiana. The revolution means change is on the brink. But it’s worlds away from the life of the poorly paid maid, Caroline, who barely scrapes a living working in the sweltering basement of the Gellman household. But when 8-year-old Noah Gellman sneaks downstairs, he and Caroline become fast friends. And when they’re together, the basement becomes a fantastical place of singing radios, washing machines and dryers. But as Noah continually leaves money in his pockets, Caroline is faced with a dilemma which tests how far the winds of change can ever really reach.
Opening on: 20 November.
True West
Returning to the stage for the first time in two years is Kit Harington who will star alongside Johnny Flynn in Sam Shepard’s True West. It’s the first time one of Sam’s incredible works has been staged since his death in 2017.
True West tells the story of a family tearing itself apart. Austin is working on a script that he’s sold to producer Saul Kimmer. But when his brother Lee stumbles back into his life, tensions soon boil over. Lee, not content to watch from the sidelines, pitches his own idea to Saul – an idea which has far-reaching consequences and triggers a conflict that pits the brothers against each other.
Opening on: 23 November.
A Christmas Carol
From the multi-award-winning writer, Jack Thorne (of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child fame), comes A Christmas Carol. The eagerly anticipated return of the Charles Dickens classic, directed by The Old Vic Artistic Director Matthew Warchus, spread Christmas cheer during its run last year. It received the gift of five-star reviews and audience praise and we suspect that this year will be no different.
Be transported to a wintry Christmas Eve where four ghosts visit the hard-hearted miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. The ghosts take Scrooge on a journey to worlds past, present and future. But will he be able to change his fate?
Opening on: 27 November.
Operation Ouch! Live On Stage
The BAFTA-winning TV show is coming to the London stage for the first time ever! The whacky medical show starring identical twin brothers Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken will be packed with incredible stunts, crazy experiments and amazing facts.
The action-packed show had two sold-out runs in Australia tours where they explored things such as what the inside of a head looks like, how germs can be good for you, what you can do with a month’s worth of farts, and much more.
Opening on: 6 December.
Snow White
What’s the fairest festive family event of them all? A trip to the panto, of course! And this year’s mega panto at the London Palladium is going to be a knockout. For the third year in a row, West End’s panto will have a star-studded cast including Dawn French, Julian Clary and more. Telling the classic fairytale Snow White with a brand new twist, it’s a Christmas must.
Opening on: 8 December.
First published 22 August 2018; Updated 11 September 2018