Theatre
Preview
What to see on the West End in 2025
Here’s your round-up of unmissable shows to book for the new year
The face of the West End is set to change once again in 2025, with a crop of exciting new shows arriving throughout the new year. A couple of your favourite Disney films are getting West End makeovers, there’s a new nostalgic musical comedy in town, and some highly celebrated pieces of theatre are returning for those who might have missed them the first time around. Here’s everything to look out for on the West End in 2025.
Inside No. 9 – Stage/Fright
Opens 17 Jan at Wyndham’s Theatre
The BAFTA award-winning black comedy lifts the curtain in this unique theatrical experience. Inside No. 9 – Stage/Fright blends comedy, horror and the element of surprise, combining familiar characters and plot lines from the BBC show with brand new material from creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, who also star.
The Years
Opens 24 Jan at the Harold Pinter Theatre
This highly acclaimed adaptation of the novel by Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux is already tapped to be an unmissable theatrical event. Exploring photography, identity and womanhood, five actors create a portrait of a woman on a mission to capture the world around her. Tickets for this limited 12-week run are likely to go fast – you have been warned.
Second Best
Opens 24 Jan at Riverside Studios
Sex Education’s Asa Butterfield makes his stage debut as Martin Hill, the boy who almost got cast as Harry Potter, now a man and about to be a father. Funny and playful, but also a poignant look at near misses and branching paths, Second Best promises a wholly original emotional journey.
Unicorn
Opens 4 Feb at the Garrick Theatre
Mike Barlett’s provocative new play promises humour, sex and sparkle, as Polly and Nick – successful married couple and parents to two children – uncover the missing piece in their relationship. Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan and Erin Doherty all take to the stage at the Garrick for this frank and original look at love and relationships.
Clueless The Musical
Opens 15 Feb at the Trafalgar Theatre
If you enjoyed Heathers or Mean Girls, they’ve got a sister. Cher Horowitz gets a London makeover this February as the much-anticipated Clueless The Musical rolls into the West End. With a book by writer-director of the original film Amy Heckerling and an original score by singer-songwriter KT Tunstall and Grammy winner Glenn Slater, this screen to stage adaptation has all the ingredients of a hit.
The Score
Opens 20 Feb at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Brian Cox arrives on the West End in Oliver Cotton’s new play this February, starring as Johann Sebastian Bach during his 1747 visit to the court of Frederick II. Each is intrigued by the contrary character of the other, so much so that Frederick has prepared a musical conundrum that he hopes will baffle the composer. What follows are a few extraordinary days that neither man could ever have predicted. The Score plays a limited run until the end of April, so be sure not to miss out.
My Neighbour Totoro
Opens 8 Mar at the Gillian Lynne Theatre
If you still haven’t seen the highly acclaimed Studio Ghibli adaptation, here’s another chance. Breathe a sigh of relief for it. Winner of six Olivier Awards, the magical story of Satsuki, Mei and their secret world returns for another unmissable run on the West End, this time at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. My Neighbour Totoro has already had two sell-out runs at the Barbican and the hype is truly deserved – secure your tickets early.
The Great Gatsby
Opens 11 Apr at the London Coliseum
After something lavish? We know just the party for you. This musical spin on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age classic arrives in London this April fresh from a celebrated Broadway run, ready to win hearts – and break them. It promises to be “wildly entertaining” (Theatrely) which is exactly what you’d hope a Great Gatsby musical to be.
The Deep Blue Sea
Opens 7 May at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
The 1950s classic by Terence Rattigan comes to London following a highly successful run in Bath, with Olivier winner Tasmin Greig starring. This powerful drama explores the darker side of love, and the consequences of an imbalance of feeling that both parties are powerless to correct… Lindsey Posner (Noises Off, A View From The Bridge) directs.
Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical
Opens 16 May at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Just For One Day made quite a splash when it debuted at the Old Vic in 2024, and it makes a triumphant return in the new year, this time at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Whether you have your own memories of Live Aid or you’re young enough to think that The Who is genuinely a question, this uplifting new musical has plenty worth saying about the story behind the music.
Disney’s Hercules
Opens 6 Jun at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
One of Disney’s most popular animated classics is heading to the West End stage this summer, with music from Alan Menken and David Zippel and a brand new book by Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah. In a world of gods and mortals, Hercules is somewhere in-between, but he’s going to have to unlock his inner hero fast if he wants to face off against Hades…
101 Dalmatians
Opens 18 Jul at the Eventim Apollo
Not a dog person? Maybe 101 Dalmatians can convince you otherwise. Based on the animated film, the hit musical follows Pongo, Perdi and their extensive litter as they attempt to evade the clutches of the menacing Cruella de Vil. It’ll play a limited run of just six weeks in London this summer, so mark your calendar.
