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? Ava Pickett’s phenomenal debut play about three young Essex women living through the imprisonment and execution of Anne Boleyn is better than ever as it bags a well-deserved West End transfer,
Where is it? Ambassadors Theatre.
Why go? It’s a sweary, hilarious, bleak and powerful show about the power men have over women’s lives, with a superb cast, from a writer who is clearly going to be a major talent in the years to come.
What is it? You know what War Horse is: the National Theatre’s puppet-powered First World War epic is back for a fresh run at the theeare that birthed it.
Where is it? National Theatre, Olivier.
Why go? Twenty years on, there’s still nothing quite like War Horse: the puppetry is astonishing and feels like it will never be surpassed, Michael Morpurgo’s story about the horrors of WWI is clear and compassionate.
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 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.
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