One of the great joys of living in London is the abundance of incredible theatre that exists on your doorstep – if you’re not taking advantage, why are you paying the London tax? Here’s a list of the London theatre 2026 we’re most looking forward to, from the biggest blockbuster musicals to the most hotly anticipated pieces from London’s hippest theatres.
Cirque du Soleil: OVO, Royal Albert Hall
9 January – 1 February
If watching people balance on tall things and bend themselves into mad shapes if your thing, you’re in luck! Cirque du Soleil’s OVO returns to the Royal Albert Hall with this show about insect life. Blending acrobatics, clowning and dance with Cirque du Soleil’s distinctive visual storytelling, you can expect technically astonishing aerial work as well as some good old fashioned slapstick humour. Don’t miss one of Cirque du Soleil’s most accessible and crowd-pleasing shows.
• cirquedusoleil.com
American Psycho, Almeida Theatre
22 January – 14 March
American Psycho is, for our money, among the best new musicals of the 21st century. It returns to the Almeida stage more than a decade since its debut there in 2013, when it was Rupert Goold’s first production as artistic director. Arty Froushan takes the lead role of Patrick Bateman, once brilliantly inhabited by Matt Smith. The production veers closer to Mary Harron’s film version (2000) than the Bret Easton Ellis novel, steering clear of the more gruesome passages, while the soundtrack is a brilliant melding of late 80s anthems and original, synth-pop inspired tunes. Brilliant stuff.
• almeida.co.uk
The best of London theatre 2026: I’m Sorry Prime Minister
I’m Sorry, Prime Minister, Apollo Theatre
30 January – 9 May
Griff Rhys Jones and Clive Francis star in Jonathan Lynn’s political comedy that aims to capture the spirit of classic 1980s comedy Yes Minister. It follows a beleaguered Prime Minister navigating various crises, dubious advisers and public scrutiny with increasing desperation. More relevant than ever given the current political omnishambles, at least this take-down of the media, political bureaucracy and theatre itself allows one to laugh instead of cry.
• imsorryprimeminister.com
Broken Glass, Young Vic
21 February – 18 April
Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass is given a rare outing in this Young Vic revival. Set in 1938 in Brooklyn during the rise of antisemitism, it follows Sylvia Gellburg, whose mysterious paralysis exposes fractures within both her marriage and the wider community. You could be forgiven for being unaware of Broken Glass, one of Miller’s lesser-performed works, but in the hands of Jordan Fein, it’s a tempting prospect indeed.
• youngvic.org
Romeo and Juliet, Harold Pinter Theatre
16 March – 6 June
One of the most innovative theatre directors of his generation Robert Icke tackles Shakespeare’s tragic love story in what we imagine will be unlike anything you’ve seen before. Starring Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe, Icke’s production will transport the star-crossed lovers into an age of social media, surveillance and instant messaging. A master at breathing new life into works, from Ibsen’s The Wild Duck to Arthur Schnitzler’s The Doctor, this is rightly one of the most hotly-anticipated shows of 2026.
• haroldpintertheatre.co.uk
Kinky Boots, London Coliseum
From 17 March – 4 July
Kinky Boots returns to the West End in a major new revival at the London Coliseum. Based on a true story and the hit film, it follows Charlie Price as he attempts to save his struggling Northampton shoe factory by producing boots for drag performers. Featuring songs by Cyndi Lauper, this is a classic modern musical that will tug on the heartstrings while bringing a smile to your big, silly face.
• kinkybootslondon.com
The best of London theatre 2026: Inter Alia
Inter Alia, Wyndham’s Theatre
19 March – 20 June
It seems 2026 may be remembered as a year of massive transfers, and few will be more massive than Inter Alia arriving at Wyndham’s after its run at the National Theatre. Inter Alia is the follow-up to one-woman-show Prima Facie, which bagged Jodie Comer an Olivier award in 2023. This time Rosamund Pike leads a small tight in a legal thriller about justice, family and the limits of principles. Expect a hugely energetic performance and a story that’s uncomfortably relevant to the troubled times in which we live.
• wyndhamstheatre.co.uk
Avenue Q, Shaftesbury Theatre
20 March – 29 August
Irreverent puppet musical Avenue Q returns to the West End with its inimitable brand of sharp satire and raunchy adult humour. Set on a shabby New York street, it tells the tale of Princeton, a recent graduate navigating early adulthood alongside a cast of puppets (and a few fellow humans). This new run at the Shaftesbury Theatre promises to refresh the staging while keeping the anarchic charm that made the original a cult favourite.
• avenueqmusical.co.uk
A Doll’s House, Almeida Theatre
31 March – 16 May
Rarely does a year pass without someone thoroughly reimagining A Doll’s House. This time Anya Reiss reshapes Ibsen’s classic play about desperate, under-appreciated women struggling against an oppressive patriarchy. While details are scant, expect this to be a thoroughly modernised take on the text – the promotional material mentions unpaid Amex bills and road traffic accidents – and with Romola Garai (Giant) taking the role of Nora, we should be in good hands.
• almeida.co.uk
Between the River and the Sea, Royal Court Theatre
15 April – 9 May
Singer Bobby Vylan chanting, among other things, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” during his Glastonbury set became one of the cultural moments of the summer, pouring petrol over the already fraught debate surrounding Israel’s war on Gaza. This play of the same name follows Yousef, who was “raised as a Christian-Arab-Palestinian-Israeli kid” in Haifa, and is now bringing up two Jewish-Arab-Austrian kids in Berlin. It’s a lyrical exploration of borders and identity, touching upon some of the most important and heartbreaking issues of our time.
• royalcourttheatre.com
The best of London theatre 2026: 1536
1536, Ambassadors Theatre
2 May – 1 August
The British public cannot get enough of the Tudors. Set as Henry VIII is busy ordering the execution of Anne Boleyn, 1536 transfers to the West End in May following a successful run at the Almeida. What parallels to modern society people might see in an increasingly deranged demagogue taking increasingly bonkers liberties with his position of power remain to be seen; what’s for sure is this is a sharp, cannily-written play that will benefit from the extra breathing room of a West End stage.
• almeida.co.uk
Krapp’s Last Tape / Godot’s To-Do List, Royal Court Theatre
8 May – 30 May
When Samuel Beckett’s work is performed, one does not hesitate to buy tickets. The aging Krapp, reliving his younger days via a pile of tape recordings, is having something of a moment. Last year this short play was taken on by two acting legends in Gary Oldman (York Royal Theatre) and Stephen Rea (Barbican) and now Oldman is bringing his version to London’s Royal Court. This experimental double bill pairs Krapp’s Last Tape with a contemporary companion piece written by Leo Simpe-Asante, Godot’s To-Do List, which places Beckett’s most famous character in a kind of room-escape gameshow. A must see.
• royalcourttheatre.com
CARE, Young Vic
From 11 May – 11 June
And now for something completely different… If big-stage musicals and glitzy revivals aren’t your thing, how about a rumination on the emotional labour demanded by support roles within the modern welfare system? Set within a community under strain, CARE sees lauded playwright Alexander Zeldin grapple with themes of responsibility, exhaustion and connection, asking how public services shape private lives and asking who is left to carry the burden when systems falter.
• youngvic.org
High Society, Barbican Theatre
19 May – 11 June
When Cole Porter’s High Society premiered in September 1997, Men in Black by Will Smith was number one in the UK charts. It returns this spring to the vast Barbican stage as a grand dame of musical theatre. Set among the privileged class of 1930s America, it sees socialite Tracy Lord’s wedding plans unravel during a weekend of romantic complications. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, with a score includingWho Wants to Be a Millionaire and True Love. Book early to make sure you bag your tickets.
• barbican.org.uk
The best of London theatre 2026: Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice, Prince Edward Theatre
26 May – 27 April
Beetlejuice has seen quite the renaissance in recent years, with 2024’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doing so well a third movie is now in the works. So it was perhaps inevitable that the 2018 Broadway musical would eventually transfer to the West End. This gleefully macabre production is filled with puppetry, fourth-wall-breaking comedy and audience participation. The reception in the US was mixed but a new cast could breathe fresh life into a story that seemed destined for the stage.
• beetlejuicemusical.co.uk
Jesus Christ Superstar, London Palladium
20 June – September
There are few productions guaranteed to shift tickets like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera, returning bigger and camper than ever before. Sam Ryder takes the role of Jesus, with the play recounting the final week of his life from the perspective of his best mate Judas. The guitar-driven score provides a rock-concert energy and the sheer scale of the Palladium all but guarantees this will be a visual spectacle.
• london.jesuschristsuperstar.com
Cleansed, Almeida Theatre
21 July – 29 August
Sarah Kane rose to infamy with Blasted, but it was with Cleansed that she really reached the zenith of her troubled art. Following the 25th anniversary revival of her final play 4.48 Psychosis last summer, interest in Kane’s fraught, psychological work has once again peaked. For those unversed, Cleansed is the most most gut-wrenching and stomach-turning of all of Kane’s plays – none of which are a walk in the park – stacked so high with physical and psychological torture that it threatens to collapse in a big messy pile of severed members and broken dreams. It’s an endurance test in the face of relentless violent imagery, yet it ranks among the most important works of the late 20th century. Watch it – but be prepared.
• almeida.co.uk
The best of London theatre 2026: Cats
Cats, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
25 July – 12 September
Will we ever be able to exorcise the image of James Corden and the horrific cast of naked humanoid felines in the 2019 live action adaptation of Cats? No, probably not. But if anywhere can tempt our minds away from those scarring memories, it’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, the most lovely and bucolic of all of London’s theatrical venues. Familiar songs remain but Cats will see a significant reinvention in Drew McOnie’s production, which features dance, physical theatre and typically inventive staging. We’re tentatively interested.
• openairtheatre.com