It’s a tale as old as time. You spot a social media post announcing that Jodie Comer/Paul Mescal/Andrew Scott/Bryan Cranston is set to tread the boards in the West End – only to click the link and find that tickets sold out weeks ago. Well, not this year folks. We’ve done the research to have you primed and prepped for the best theatre in London in 2026.

So, what shows will everyone be talking about this year? Well if you were one of the many unlucky ones who missed Jodie Comer’s one-woman tour de force in Prima Facie, the good news is she’ll be taking to the stage in London once again this January before heading out on a UK and Ireland tour. Elsewhere, Cynthia Erivo will be trying her hand at a solo stage production of Dracula, Hugh Bonneville will appear in Shadowlands, and Rachel Zegler will follow up her much talked-about turn as Eva Peron in Evita by joining Ben Platt at the London Palladium for a 25^th anniversary production of Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years.

And that is, frankly, just scratching the surface. With 2026 set to be a stellar year for the London stage, here are the best plays and musicals to book now.

Prima Facie, Richmond Theatre

Suzie Miller’s one-woman play about a young barrister whose bright future is upended when a traumatic event forces her to decide between a hugely promising career and taking on a patriarchal system in a fight for justice was one of the most talked-about productions of 2022. Winning a slew of awards, including an Olivier for its star Jodie Comer, it returns this year for two nights at the Richmond Theatre before embarking on a tour spanning Edinburgh, Dublin, Bath, Canterbury and more. Don’t miss your chance to see this unique and powerful production.

When: 23-24 January 2026, followed by a UK and Ireland tour
Tickets: From £37
Book: primafacieplay.com

Dracula, Noel Coward Theatre

Fresh from taking on the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked, Cynthia Erivo will tackle one of culture’s other great bad guys in an innovative production of Dracula at the Noel Coward Theatre from February. This fresh adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel has been written and directed by acclaimed Australian director Kip Williams and will see the Tony, Grammy and Emmy award-winning actress play all 23 characters featured in the original novel. Ambitious doesn’t even begin to cover it.

When: From 4 February 2026
Tickets: From £85
Book: draculawestend.com

Shadowlands, Aldwych Theatre

National treasure Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington) will join Maggie Siff (Billions) in this reprisal of Chichester Festival Theatre’s Shadowlands. Telling the story of beloved children’s author C.S. Lewis, and his relationship with American poet Joy Davidman, this stage adaptation of William Nicholson’s BAFTA-winning movie of the same name scooped a Tony for its original Broadway run. Expect a funny, touching and life affirming look at one of literature’s most revered figures.

When: 5 February – 9 May 2026
Tickets: From £30
Book: shadowlandsplay.com

Teeth ‘n’ Smiles, Duke of York's Theatre

Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem, will star in this 50^th anniversary revival of David Hare’s Teeth ‘n’ Smiles. Set at Jesus College, Cambridge, in the summer of 1969, the play follows Maggie Frisby, the lead singer of a once famously anarchic counterculture band whose dreams of stardom have imploded among infighting and bitterness. As the band takes the stage at the college’s May Ball, Frisby goes on a true rock ’n’ roll tear fuelled by booze, anger and a desire to burn it all down.

When: 13 March - 6 June 2026
Tickets: From £25
Book: teethnsmilesplay.com

Rosie, Adelphi Theatre

Amid endless failsafe reboots and reprisals, it isn’t too often theatre companies take a punt on a brand new musical – but that’s exactly what London is about to get in the form of Rosie. Having spent more than a decade in development, the debut production will star Lucy Thomas as Miss Rosie Boote: a real life Irish convent girl who dreamt of stardom on the Edwardian London West End stage.

When: From 17 March 2026
Tickets: From £27
Book: rosiethemusical.com

Inter Alia, Wyndham’s Theatre

Another legal thriller from Suzie Miller, this time starring acclaimed actress Rosmaund Pike, Inter Alia takes its cues from the legal concept of the same name, meaning ‘among other things’. Following Jessica Parks, a maverick judge who balances a fight to change an unjust legal system with motherhood, friendship and the realities of day-to-day life, can she keep it all together when a shocking event threatens to turn everything upside down?

When: 19 March - 20 June 2026
Tickets: From £25
Book: interaliaplay.com

The Last Five Years, The London Palladium

Running for just six nights, don’t sit on your chance to see this reprisal of Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years. Starring Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, Evita) and Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen, Pitch Perfect) as struggling actress Cathy and up-and-coming novelist Jamie, the musical follows the first five years of their relationship told in both chronological and reverse order, with the pair only ever meeting on stage as their stories intersect on their wedding day. A classic for a reason, and with this production seeing Brown take to the stage to conduct, it promises to be a treat for any musical lover.

When: 24-29 March 2026
Tickets: From £25
Book: lwtheatres.co.uk

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Old Vic

Based on Ken Kesey’s famed novel and adapted by Dale Wasserman, director Clint Dyer breathes new life into the tale of Randle P. McMurphy, a provocateur hell bent on upturning life at a strict and soulless psychiatric facility. Starring Aaron Pierre and Giles Terera, this promises to be the classic story like you’ve never seen it before.

When: 1 April - 23 May 2026
Tickets: From £13
Book: oldvictheatre.com

Grace Pervades, Theatre Royal Haymarket

A new work by playwright David Hare, Grace Pervades stars Ralph Fiennes as Sir Henry Irving, the greatest of all Victorian stage actors and the first actor ever to be knighted. Also starring Spooks’ Miranda Raison as Ellen Terry, the highest paid actress in England, Terry is recruited to join Irving’s company and the pair embark on a relationship that will change British theatre forever.

When: 24 April - 11 July 2026
Tickets: From £30
Book: gracepervadestheplay.com

Beetlejuice, Prince Edward Theatre

Transferring from a critically-acclaimed run on Broadway, Beetlejuice brings Tim Burton’s beloved movie to the stage in an all-singing, all-dancing spooky spectacular. Following the highs and lows of the life of Lydia Deetz, a teenager sharing her home with two newly-deads and a demonic ghost named Beetlejuice, catchy tunes, wickedly funny one-liners and a raucously good time are guaranteed.

When: 20 May 2026 - 17 April 2027
Tickets: From £20
Book: beetlejuicemusical.co.uk

Jesus Christ Superstar, The London Palladium

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hit rock musical about the life of Jesus Christ, as told through the eyes of Judas, will return to the West End for a limited run this summer. Reprising the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s award-winning production, Eurovision finalist Sam Ryder will star as Jesus, taking on a score that includes classics such as I Don’t How To Love Him and Gethsemane.

When: 20 June - 5 September 2026
Tickets: From £27.50
Book: london.jesuschristsuperstar.com

Ivanov, Bridge Theatre

Star Trek’s Chris Pine is preparing to flex some serious acting muscles as he makes his West End debut in this new staging of Anton Chekhov’s comic drama Ivanov. Written and directed by Simon Stone, this contemporary take on Chekhov’s Russian classic interrogates the inner turmoil of Nikolai: a man approaching mid-life with a gnawing inability to find happiness despite his successful career, beautiful wife and seemingly settled life. When an invite to a party at the neighbouring Lebedev house drops through the door, it proves to be kill or cure.

When: 4 July - 19 September 2026
Tickets: From £29.50
Book: bridgetheatre.co.uk

Cats, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Cats needs no introduction. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical reimagining of T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats has spawned enough earworm songs, theatreland memes and disastrous movie adaptations that even those who’ve never set foot inside a theatre know about it. What’s important about this new production, however, is its location. Over the past decade or so, the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has built up quite the reputation for unmissable award-winning shows that have been reprised everywhere from the Barbican to the London Palladium. Promising one of the most unique theatrical experiences in the capital, if anywhere can do Cats justice, it’s Regent’s Park.

When: 25 July - 12 September 2026
Tickets: From £15
Book: openairtheatre.com

Man to Man, Royal Court

Tilda Swinton makes her long-awaited return to the stage to reprise her role in Manfred Karge’s landmark play Man to Man. Set in 1930s Germany, Ella Gericke faces the challenges of a fast-changing world shaped by dictatorship and threatening war by assuming the identity of her dead husband, Max. Marking more than three decades since Swinton first took on the role in the Royal Court’s 1988 production of Man to Man, this is a must for anyone looking to experience the skill of one of the UK’s leading actors first hand.

When: 2 September - 24 October 2026
Tickets: From £15
Book: royalcourttheatre.com

Read more: The London exhibitions not to miss in 2026