Here are 30 picks in London theatre for your delight and anticipation!
Yasmina Reza’s play God of Carnage comes to Lyric Hammersmith – running from 1-30 Sep is “an unmissable, darkly funny rollercoaster you won’t want to miss”. Details here.
Transfer of Death Note the Musical to the Lyric – after its successful run at the Palladium in August, this staged concert will open in its new home between 7-10 Sep. Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, this boasts music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Jack Murphy. Details here.
Boris III heads from Edinburgh to the Arcola – a hit for Out of the Forest Theatre at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, you can catch “The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria” at Arcola Theatre from 26 Sep-21 Oct. Details here.
Woodhill heads from Edinburgh to Shoreditch Town Hall – another hit at Edinburgh Fringe, LUNG Theatre and The North Wall bring “Woodhill” into London from 20 Sep-7 Oct. The show pushes the form of documentary and physical theatre. Details here.
The first full musical production, The Little Big Things, opens at sohoplace – running from 2 Sep-25 Nov, this new British musical by Nick Butcher and Tom Ling is based on Henry Fraser’s autobiographical account of living as a tetraplegic following a diving accident. Details here.
The Reboot Festival runs at Barons Court Theatre – from 5-23 Sep, with a different line-up of emerging writing each week, the 3rd Reboot Festival truly has something for everyone in these funny and heartbreaking gems of new writing. Details here.
Mess Maker opens at Bridge House Theatre – Jenette Meehan’s new show about neurodiversity, identity and being Canadian in London is borh hilarious and painful, and can be seen 17-18 Sep. Details here
Compositor E is at the Omnibus Theatre’s 10th birthday season – presented in line with the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio, “Compositor E” questions who storytellers really are, as an apprentice printer weaves his own narrative into “Macbeth”. Details here.
The Herd by Rory Kinnear launches the Questors 50th anniversary season – opening a new season, which also includes “Neville’s Island” by Tim Firth, you can catch “The Herd”, a witty, emotionally-charged glimpse of one family living a life nobody planned for, from 22-30 Sep. Details here.
You Heard Me opens Battersea Arts Centre’s autumn season – Luca Rutherford’s impassioned performance piece, a theatrical experience about refusing to be silenced, comes to BAC to open its autumn season from 27 Sep-14 Oct. Details here.
Two new shows run at the Park Theatre – Riva Theatre’s “Sorry We Didn’t Die At Sea”, a darkly comic, absurdist and political piece about European migration, is at Park90 from 13-30 Sep, while “It’s Headed Straight Towards Us”, a new comedy by Adrian Edmondson and Nigel Planer, runs in Park200 from 13 Sep-20 Oct. Details here.
Beautiful Thing comes to Theatre Royal Stratford East – the 30th anniversary revival of Jonathan Harvey’s iconic, coming out and coming of age story runs 7 Sep-8 Oct before heading to Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester. It is co-produced by all three venues. Details here.
Schwarz at 75 concert at Lyric Theatre – you have two chances on 17 Sep to catch this birthday concert celebration for the composer of “Godspell”, “Wicked”, “Pippin” and more. Details here.
Rebecca the Musical, with new concert pit, at Charing Cross Theatre – the English language version of Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay’s musical (translated by Christopher Hampton) comes to London from 4 Sep-18 Nov, based on the Gothic novel by Daphne du Maurier. Details here.
Immersive – Rumble in the Jungle rematch – opening 4 Sep for a limited run at Dock-X in Canada Water, you can be part of the sights, sounds and flavours in Zaire in 1974 as you experience a reconstruction of all the build-up and the fight itself, brought to life through precision performance and breath-taking physical theatre. Details here.
Pygmalion comes to the Old Vic – Patsy Ferran and Bertie Carvel are Eliza Doolittle and Professor Higgins in this revival of George Bernard Shaw’s satire on society and class. It runs 6 Sep-28 Oct with details here.
Private Lives brings class and spousal quibbling to the Ambassadors – perhaps Noel Coward’s best-known play, 1930’s “Private Lives” teams Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge and runs 31 Aug-25 Nov. Details here.
The RSC’s Hamnet heads to the Garrick – following rave notices in Stratford-upon-Avon, Lolita Chakrabarti’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel focuses on the Shakespeare family following the loss of the 11 year old son. 30 Sep-6 Jan with details here.
Dopamine Land at Old Brompton Road – an interactive sensory museum designed to explore and trigger the happiness hormone dopamine. Available in 15 min slots for up to eight people. From 2-24 Sep with details here.
Full production of Battersea Bardot at New Wimbledon Studio – following a 2019 concert workshop performance, Ewen Moore’ musical about the life of actress Carol White comes to Wimbledon from 14-23 Sep with details here.
Infamous opens at Jermyn Street with Caroline Quentin and her daughter Rose appearing in this story of Emma Hamilton, mistress of Lord Nelson, but here to set the record straight. On from 7 Sep-7 Oct – details here.
Octopolis opens at Hampstead Downstairs – Ewan Miller and Jemma Redgrave appear in Marek Horn’s exploration of biological experimentation in a house of grief. From 15 Sep-28 Oct with details here.
Operation Epsilon is the first big-scale play at Southwark Playhouse Elephant with a once-classified true story from the nuclear age, celebrating the 10th anniversary of its production in the USA. An 11-man cast appears from 15 Sep-21 Oct with details here.
Totally Thames – an annual season of unique, diverse, and accessible arts and culture on and along the banks of the River Thames runs through September with programme details here.
A taste of opera at the Tête a Tête Festival running throughout September, with live performances at The Cockpit and a digital component, Britain’s largest festival of new opera returns with details here.
A tongue in cheek queer musical at the Other Palace Studio – written by Henry Biggs, “Trompe L’Oeil” takes inspiration from a wide range of musical genres and famous pueces of surrealist art. Updated after a London fringe run last year, this is on 28 Sep-15 Oct. Details here.
10th cast at Witness for the Prosecution – as this courtroom thriller continues to wow audiences at County Hall, you can now book until 29 Sep 2024 to see a new cast including Benjamin Westerby as the accused, Stephen Hogan and John Mackay as defence and prosecuting QCs, and Katie Buchholz as the accused’s wife. Details here.
Sunset Boulevard returns to the West End – Nicole Scherzinger (and Rachel Tucker on Mon eves) plays Norma Desmond, fading star of the silent screen, in this revival at the Savoy for a 16 week run from 21 Sep-6 Jan. Details here.
Bartholomew Fair revived in City of London – from 31 Aug-16 Sep the historic Fair is reinagined with three weeks of free stunning performances including circus, theatre and dance. Details here.
Greenwich + Docklands International Festival continues with a programme of groundbreaking outdoor theatre, performance art, dance, and circus in iconic public spaces – to 10 Sep with details here.