The Top Theatre Shows in London Right Now
The best theatre shows on in London, from West End to Crouch End, from musicals to hit plays and pantomimes
By Melanie Ley | Updated Dec 17 2024
The month of December is a busy one for the theatre-goer, with almost too much to choose from in a seemingly-infinite list of musicals, plays, pantos, comedies that all try to stand out as the ‘ultimate choice’ this Christmas.
Avoid the noise, here are the best theatre shows on during the festive period, and some more to look forward to:
Mr Charles Dickens presents A Christmas Carol
Greenwich Theatre 16 Dec 2024 to 23 Dec 2024
For their sixth festive outing, the European Arts Company once again make tracks to Greenwich where John O'Connor takes the reigns in the one-man retelling of the Dickens classic.
We all know the story, though fewer know that A Christmas Carol was the first public reading of any text that Charles Dickens wrote. He enacted it himself over 150 times to tremendous success long before it was picked up as a play.
This retelling of A Christmas Carol remains faithful to its original performance, and this Christmas you can experience what it would've been like as an original audience member when Dickens was first performing his season-defining text.
Goldie Frocks and the Bear Mitzvah
JW3 8 Dec 2024 to 5 Jan 2025
A pantomime like you've never experienced, this over-the-top retelling of the classic fairytale brought to you buy the North London's Jewish Community Centre invites the young ones to a bear-dominated barrel of laughs.
Aimed at a Jewish audience, yet inclusive to all, Goldie Frocks and the Bear Mitzvah is replete with puns and gags related to Jewish culture (renaming ‘Mama Bear’ to ‘Mama Behr’, the ‘Cirque De Oy Vey’, for example), that will likely leave the adults in stitches as much as the adults.
BARCELONA
Duke of York's Theatre 21 Oct 2024 to 11 Jan 2025
Lily Collins and Álvaro Morte star in a thrilling drama that incorporates comedy, suspense, and political commentary in what is Collins' stage debut.
Collins plays her part as an adorable yet annoying and naive American blundering her way through a European city, with Morte her romantic foil as a dark, handsome European gentleman.
A play detailing the idiosyncracies and inconsistencies in love, connection, and affection, with some room for political revelation, Barcelona thrills, excites and intrigues with two strong screen actors going head to head.
Twelfth Night at National Youth Theatre
National Youth Theatre’s Workshop Theatre 29 Nov 2024 to 18 Dec 2024
A retelling of a Shakespeare classic but present by a star-studded team of industry pro's.
Thelfth Night at the lyric is adapted for the NYT REP Company by former Artistic director of the Gate Theatre Ellen McDougall, whose recent credits include As You Like It for the Globe Theatre and Watch on the Rhine for the Donmar Warehouse. Meghan Doyle, the 2018 Bryan Forbes Young Director Bursary Recipient returns to the NYT REP company fold to direct, following her celebrated production of To Kill a Mockingbird at the Lyric Hammersmith and Up All Night at the Duke of York’s Theatre.
You may have seen it before, but not like this.
BILL
Omnibus Theatre 3 Dec 2024 to 22 Dec 2024
A raucous, irreverant biographical comedy of the “man who made America suck first”. The real story of Milton Bill Cooper, who through the 80s and 90s invented and shared an array of conspiracy theories, from contaminated vaccines, aliens, illuminati, on his wide-reaching radio show, influencing the history of American politics which has led up to this very election.
With original live country-western and disco music BILL explores the tumultuous life of a serial conspirator and the dangerous influence one man can have in the future of a nation.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (ISH)
@sohoplace 16 Nov 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
A much more lively reimagining of the aforementioned classic, A Christmas Carol (ish) at Soho Place sees TV star Nick Mohammed reunite with his former alter ego, Mr. Swallow, and leads us through the all-singing, all-dancing reinvention of the largely austere Dickens work.
Mr. Swallow is one of the country’s most popular / irritating comedy creations from Nick Mohammed – one of the UK’s most celebrated comedians, actors and writers. Nick has received feverish critical acclaim for his live character comedy work and has skilfully transferred this success to the small screen including an appearance at this year’s BAFTA Film Awards to an enthralled Ryan Gosling.
An easy fast-track into the Christmas spirit, audiences of all ages can get behind a unique, inventive take on a worn Christmas classic.
The Little Foxes
Young Vic 2 Dec 2024 to 8 Feb 2025
Award-winning actress Anne Marie-Duff takes centre stage at the Young Vic's new hit play, a story of greed, ambition and a family on the edge by American author and dramatist Lillian Hellman.
Anne-Marie has said: “The Little Foxes is a formidable play by a formidable writer - I couldn’t put it down. It’s a searing drama about corruption, betrayal, and the relentless pursuit of power. At the heart of it is Regina, a charismatic yet ruthless character who, when the reins are unleashed, goes full force to take matters into her own hands. It’s a joy to return to the Young Vic stage and bring Lillian Hellman’s classic play to life with the brilliant Lyndsey Turner.”
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
The Other Palace 22 Nov 2024 to 2 Feb 2025
Based on the best-selling book series, then adapted into a Hollywood film, The Lightning Thief now gets to shine as a musical, the first of its kind, at The Other Palace.
A New York teen discovers he's the half-blood son of Poseidon and embarks on a perilous hero's journey, encountering and defeating the big dog's of Greek mythology as he goes.
With Stranger Things's Max Harwood starring as Percy Jackson, and with a litany of acclaimed cast-members on his side, The Lightning Thief may be one of the biggest musicals on the London calendar.
Coming Soon...
Copla: A Spanish Cabaret
The Other Palace 14 Jan 2025 to 26 Jan 2025
Captivating and clever, musical Copla: A Spanish Cabaret comes to The Other Palace in January 2025.
Looking For Giants
King’s Head Theatre 14 Jan 2025 to 26 Jan 2025
Sexuality, subjectivity and the female gaze: Looking For Giants comes to London.
AN INTERROGATION
Hampstead Theatre 16 Jan 2025 to 22 Feb 2025
Following a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023, the award-winning An Interrogation comes to Hampstead Theatre.
Canned Goods
Southwark Playhouse Borough 16 Jan 2025 to 8 Feb 2025
An edge-of-your seat thriller exploring ‘fake news’ and how those in power bend the truth for their own agenda.
Unicorn
Garrick Theatre 4 Feb 2025 to 26 Apr 2025
Mike Bartlett's explicit, funny and provocative new play starring Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan and Erin Doherty.
