The 2025 London theatre guide: The plays, musicals and productions not to miss this year
From big-name West End debuts to revivals of smash-hit shows, these are the hottest tickets in town
If you think the West End is purely for tourists and day-trippers who haven’t seen The Lion King yet, think again. London is home to more than 240 theatres which, at any given moment, are offering productions as diverse as suspenseful dramas, romantic ballets, rousing musicals and thought-provoking plays – and 2025 looks set to be a stellar year on the London stage. From the chance to see Hollywood stars in action IRL to original productions from big-name writers and directors, and comebacks from some of the hottest shows of the past few years, here are the best new plays, musicals and stage shows in London in 2025.
Elektra at Duke of York’s Theatre
An ancient play with a brand-new face, Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson will make her West End debut in this fresh production of Sophokles’ Elektra. Directed by the Olivier-winning Daniel Fish to a new translation by award-winning poet Anne Carson, this classic tale of a girl consumed by grief and a need for vengeance following her father’s assassination promises to be given new relevance in the hands of this acclaimed team. Produced by Empire Street Productions, the team behind the sell-out Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer, this will undoubtedly be one of the theatre highlights of the year.
When: 24 January – 12 April 2025
Tickets: From £25
Book: elektraplay.com
Second Best at Riverside Studios
Based on David Foenkinos’ best-selling novel about a boy who came in second to play Harry Potter, this one-man play will see Sex Education’s Asa Butterfield make his stage debut. Written by Barney Norris and directed by Michael Longhurst, this poignant comedy meets Martin Hill as he is about to become a father – a journey which drags him back to that pivotal moment of missing out and forces him to grapple with the life that could have been. Colour us intrigued.
When: 24 January – 22 February 2025
Tickets: From £40
Book: secondbestplay.com
Cirque du Soleil: Corteo at The Royal Albert Hall
Image: Andrew Paradise/Cirque du Soleil
Image: Andrew Paradise/Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil returns to London this January with Corteo, a show that’s equal parts dreamlike and daring. Set somewhere between heaven and earth, it tells the story of Mauro, a clown imagining his own funeral as a joyous carnival, watched over by angels. Featuring jaw-dropping stunts like aerialists swinging on chandeliers and performers floating above the audience, this mesmerising blend of acrobatics and storytelling promises an unforgettable evening at the Royal Albert Hall.
When: 15 January – 9 March 2025
Tickets: From £50
Book: royalalberthall.com
Richard II at Bridge Theatre
Image: Jason Bell
Image: Jason Bell
Bridgerton and Wicked star Jonathan Bailey will tread the boards as the lead in this new production of the Shakespeare classic Richard II this spring. Joined by a cast of stage and screen veterans including Royce Pierreson (The Witcher, Line of Duty), Olivia Popica (Fantastic Beasts) and Clive Wood (London’s Burning, The Tempest), the play follows Bailey’s charismatic but utterly incompetent king as he goes head-to-head with the pragmatic and politically astute Henry Bullingbrook. Directed by Nicholas Hytner, this new take on one of the bard’s most subtle and powerful plays is a must-see for Shakespeare fans.
When: 10 February – 10 May 2025
Tickets: From £15
Book: bridgetheatre.co.uk
Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Another one for Shakespeare lovers, Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell will take to the stage as Benedick and Beatrice in the Jamie Lloyd Company’s new production of Much Ado About Nothing. Following hot on the heels of the Company’s production of The Tempest (in which you can catch Sigourney Weaver until 1 February 2025), this revival of one of Shakespeare’s most famous and best-loved plays promises to be a true crowd-pleaser and a rare opportunity to see actors of this calibre in the flesh.
When: 10 February – 5 April 2025
Tickets: From £35
Book: lwtheatres.co.uk
Ghosts at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Henrik Ibsen's seminal play Ghosts will be given a modern reimagining by Gary Owens this spring, following in the footsteps of recent contemproary retellings of A Doll's House and Accidental Death of an Anarchist at Lyric Hammersmith. Starring Victoria Smurfit (Rivals) as Helena, a woman on a mission to reclaim her husband's legacy following his death, alongside Patricia Allison (Sex Education) and Callum Scott Howells (Cabaret), when Helena's son Oz returns home for the unveiling of a new hospital wing, he threatens to bring with him some deeply buried secrets Helena would much rather stayed hidden.
When: 10 April – 10 May 2025
Tickets: From £10
Book: lyric.co.uk
The Great Gatsby at The London Coliseum
Fresh from a record-breaking debut in the US, the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby will debut in the UK this spring. Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic Jazz Age novel, this flamboyant, extravagant production features music and lyrics by Jason Howland (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Little Women) and Nathan Tysen (Paradise Square), choreography by Dominique Kelley (So You Think You Can Dance) and direction by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical). While casting for the UK production has yet to be announced, we can guarantee this will be a show you won’t forget in a hurry.
When: 11 April – 7 September 2025
Tickets: From £20
Book: londongatsby.com
Here We Are at the National Theatre
Image: Faye Thomas
Image: Patrick Shaw
Transferring after a sell-out debut run in New York, Stephen Sondheim’s final musical will be performed in the UK for the first time this year. Here We Are, which debuted posthumously in 2023 following Sondheim’s death in 2021, is based on two of Spanish-Mexican director Luis Buñuel’s films, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel, and follows a well-heeled group of friends as they attempt to partake in the perfect weekend brunch. Starring Rory Kinnear, Jane Krakowski and Richard Fleeshman, alongside Tracie Bennett and Denis O’Hare, who reprise their roles from the original New York run, this scathing comedic satire is a West End musical – but not as you know it.
When: 23 April – 28 June 2025
Tickets: From £25
Book: nationaltheatre.org.uk
Evita at the London Palladium
Image: Sam Pickart
Image: Sarah Krick
West End heavyweights Jamie Lloyd and Michael Harrison are set to reprise Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's classic musical Evita with an all-star cast headlined by Rachel Zegler and Diego Andres Rodriguez this summer. Taking over the iconic London Palladium for 12 weeks, Zegler will lead the rags-to-riches story of Eva Perón (famously played by Madonna in the 1996 film adaptation) with Rodriguez taking on the role of narrator Che. Come for the West End debuts, stay for the Oscar-winning soundtrack.
When: 14 June - 6 September 2025
Tickets: From £25
Book: evitathemusical.com
The Midnight Bell at Sadler’s Well
As part of its extensive UK tour, Matthew Bourne’s award-winning original ballet, The Midnight Bell, will land at Sadler’s Wells for a strictly limited run this summer. Inspired by the work of English novelist Patrick Hamilton, The Midnight Bell is set in the run-down boarding houses, rowdy pubs and smoggy streets of 1930s Soho and in particular, The Midnight Bell: a tavern where a lonely-hearts club gathers in the hopes of finding love. Winner of Best Modern Choreography at the 2022 National Dance Awards, if you’re looking for something a little different to your annual outing to The Nutcracker, this may just be the ticket.
When: 20-21 June 2025
Tickets: From £15
Book: new-adventures.net
Noughts & Crosses at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Image: Mollie Rose Skeffington
The stage adaptaion of Malorie Blackman's literary phenomenon Noughts & Crosses will be coming to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre this summer as the latest in the venue's roster of critically acclaimed plays and musicals (its 2024 staging of Fiddler on the Roof was the most-nominated production at this year's Olivier Awards). Starring Heartstopper's Corinna Brown as Sephy and Noah Valentine as Callum, this enduring tale of star-crossed lovers, segregation and opression promises to be one you won't forget in a hurry.
When: 28 June - 26 July 2025
Tickets: From £15
Book: openairtheatre.com
Burlesque at Savoy Theatre
Based on Steven Antin's much-loved film starring Christina Aquilera and Cher, Burlesque the Musical will finally arrive on the West End this summer featuring the movie's original Aguilera and Sia-penned soundtrack, alongside new music by Todrick Hall and Jess Folley. Hall, who has worked with the likes of Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and RuPaul, as well as appearing in numerous Broadway shows, will also choreograph the musical, bringing his fun, poppy flair to this glamorous and undeniably OTT musical.
When: 10 July – 6 September 2025
Tickets: From £25
Book: burlesqueonstage.com
101 Dalmatians at Eventim Apollo
Looking for something to take the kids to this summer? Following a hugely successful UK tour, 101 Dalmatians The Musical will return to London at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith from 18 July 2025. Based on Dodie Smith’s timeless novel, this musical adaptation was originally performed at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre in 2022 and has enjoyed sell-out shows ever since. If you’ve yet to catch this joyful retelling of the tale of Pongo, Perdi and their puppies, now’s your chance.
When: 18 July – 30 August 2025
Tickets: From £24.50
Book: 101dalmatians.co.uk
Born With Teeth at Wyndham's Theatre
Offering up slightly different from its usual fare, the Royal Shakespeare Comapny has teamed up with Playful Productions and Elizabeth Williams to produce Born With Teeth – playwright Liz Duffy Adams's imagining of the relationship between William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Reuniting Sex Education co-stars Ncuti Gatwa (Marlowe) and Edward Bluemel (Shakespeare), with direction by RSC co-artistic director Daniel Evans, this dark, sexy and highly tense play sees the erstwhile colleagues and rivals forced to hide themselves away to work collaboratively at a time of consipracy, paranoia – and possible betrayal.
When: 13 August – 1 November 2025
Tickets: From £25
Book: delfontmackintosh.co.uk
The Weir at Harold Pinter Theatre
Veteran actor Brendan Gleeson is set to make his West End debut this autumn in The Weir – Conor McPherson's ode to the power of storytelling. On a stormy night in rural Ireland, four men gather in their local pub for just another night of beer and banter – until they're interrupted by the arrival of Valerie. As the men vie to impress her with increasingly gripping and haunting stories, Valerie offers up a tale of her own so unsettling and profound, none of them will ever be the same again.
When: 12 September – 6 December 2025
Tickets: From £25
Book: theweirplay.com
All My Sons at Wyndham's Theatre
With an all-star cast featuring Bryan Cranston, Paapa Essiedu and Marianna Jean-Baptiste, lauded director Ivo Van Hove will be bringing Arthur Miller's All My Sons to the West End this winter. Marking the third Miller play from Van Hove, following 2014's A View From the Bridge starring Mark Strong and 2016's Broadway production of The Crucible with Ben Whishaw and Saoirse Ronan, this will also be the director's second time working with acclaimed actor Cranston, following 2017's Network, which won the actor both the Olivier and Tony for Best Actor.
Miller's debut play, All My Sons follows self-made businessman Joe (Cranston), whose shady wartime profiteering comes home to roost once peace is restored, forcing him to confront his actions and decide how far he is really willing to go in pursuit of the American Dream.
When: 14 November 2025 – 7 February 2026
Tickets: From £25
Book: delfontmackintosh.co.uk
