Best West End shows, musicals and plays you need to see in London

Plus, you can count on the RadioTimes.com team to select the top theatre shows to see. Our Going Out section is packed full of exciting things to do in London, from escape rooms and immersive experiences, to walking tours and experience gifts. So, if there's something new going on in the Big Smoke, we'll share it with you.

We even have recommendations for more timely activities, too. Whether you're in the capital for a family weekend with the kids, you're looking for a fun day out with friends or hoping to expand your cultural horizons, we've got you covered. We've got guides on everything from the new Star Wars fan exhibition which is in London for summer, to Bleak Expectations tickets for the West End performances.

The RadioTimes.com team also like to experience the plays we recommend, and you can read what we thought of various theatre productions in our Operation Mincemeat review (the musical comedy that's taking London by storm) and our 2:22 A Ghost Story review. Looking for a show off the beaten track? The award winning My Neighbour Totoro is back at the Barbican at the end of this year, with tickets on sale now.

Without further ado, here are the best West End shows to see in London this year.

Jump to:

• Best West End shows to see in 2023
• What time do West End shows start and finish
• What are the best seats in a theatre

Want to try something out of the ordinary? Here’s our pick of the best immersive experiences you should try in London this year, with events including the BBC Earth Experience and Frameless taking place all throughout summer.

Like everything at the moment, the price of seeing a show is going up. However, the RadioTimes.com team specialises in helping you do the things you love for less, so we've written a guide for how to get cheap theatre tickets to make sure you're get the best tickets for your money.

Best West End shows and musicals in London at a glance:

• The Pillowman, from £10
• The Tiger Who Came to Tea, from £12
• Dr Semmelweis, from £15
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, from £15.75
• We Will Rock You, from £19.50
• Back to the Future: The Musical, from £19.55
• The Crown Jewels, from £20
• Six the Musical, from £21
• The Book of Mormon, from £22
• TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, from £22
• Les Misérables, from £23
• Hamilton, from £24
• Matilda the Musical, from £24
• A Strange Loop, from £24
• The Crucible, from £24
• 2:22 A Ghost Story, from £24
• Oklahoma!, from £25
• Phantom of the Opera, from £27
• Wicked, from £27.50
• Frozen: The West End Musical, from £29.50
• Groundhog Day, from £30
• Heathers the Musical, from £30
• Hamnet, from £30
• Cabaret, from £30
• The Lion King, from £33

Best West End shows and London musicals to see in 2023

The Crucible

Following a run at the National Theatre, The Crucible is now running in London's West End. The Gielgud Theatre is hosting the play based on 17th-century witch trials in New England. Playwright Arthur Miller interpreted the witch trials through the lens of 1950s McCarthyism in the United States, which saw a government persecution of those accused of being communists.

The play has a limited run starting on Wednesday 7th June and concluding on Saturday 2nd September.

Buy tickets for The Crucible from £24 at Ticketmaster

The Pillowman

It's been two decades in the making, but Martin McDonagh’s Olivier award-winning play is finally in a West End theatre, and it has an all-star cast, too, with Lily Allen and Steve Pemberton. The Pillowman plot is a spooky one: it's about a writer who's questioned about a string of bizarre murders as the murders share similarities to the writer's stories... Age guidance is 14+ for this play, unsurprisingly.

Buy The Pillowman tickets from £10 at ATG Tickets

Hamnet

Based on the bestselling book by Maggie O'Farrell, Hamnet is coming to the West End for a limited 14-week run this autumn. The production by the Royal Shakespeare Company has been in Stratford-upon-Avon, and transfers to the Garrick Theatre from Saturday 30th September 2023 until Saturday 6th January 2024.

The play follows the story of playwright William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes Hathaway as they experience emotional turmoil in the aftermath of the death of their only son.

Buy tickets for Hamnet from £30 at London Theatre Direct

Cabaret

Cabaret is currently showing at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse in London's West End. A night at Cabaret promises to be an experience as well as a night out — guests are invited to immerse themselves in the club experience and can even drink and dine before diving into the world of inhibition-free Berlin.

The musical, which stars Aimee Lou Wood as Sally Bowles and John McCrea as Emcee, has won seven Olivier Awards and is currently until December 2023.

Buy Cabaret tickets from £30 at ATG Tickets

The Crown Jewels

Al Murray stars as King Charles II in this new period comedy. The West End show is based on the true story of an attempted heist of England's Crown Jewels and it has an all star cast, with the Great British Bake Off's Mel Giedroyc, Men Behaving Badly's Neil Morrissey, and Joe Thomas of The Inbetweeners fame.

Buy The Crown Jewels tickets from £20 at London Theatre Direct

If you're a comedy fan — or maybe you just need a bit of a pick-me-up — be sure to take a look at the best London comedy shows.

A Strange Loop

We'll level with you — we know The Barbican doesn't technically qualify as the West End but we think this show is too good not to include. This summer, A Strange Loop is in London for a limited 12-week run after huge success on Broadway, winning a host of awards including a Pulitzer Prize. It will be at The Barbican from Friday 17th June until Saturday 9th September.

The story follows Usher, a young black artist as he tries to break free from his own self-perception, as well as his conflicting desires and feelings around his own identity.

Buy A Strange Loop tickets from £24 at Ticketmaster

The Barbican features in our best London art exhibitions piece — be sure to check it out for the latest day out inspiration.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

The Tiger Who Came to Tea is coming to the West End’s Theatre Royal Haymarket this summer. This family-friendly play follows the story of a tea-guzzling tiger who joins Sophie and her mum for an impromptu cuppa, and is based on Judith Kerr's children's book of the same name, which has been delighting kids (including us!) since 1968.

Buy The Tiger Who Came to Tea tickets from £12 at London Theatre Direct

We Will Rock You

It's back! For a limited 12-week run, We Will Rock You will grace the London Coliseum in the West End. It's been 21 years since the musical, which features the band Queen's greatest hits, has been in London - and we can't wait.

Queen’s drummer Roger Taylor said: "[We Will Rock You will be] bigger, better, faster, funnier! Here we go again… yeaaaaaaaah!" And if that doesn't put you in the rockin' spirit, we're not sure what will.

Buy We Will Rock You tickets from £19.50 at Ticketmaster

For more day out inspiration in London and beyond, take a look at the best pottery experiences and best steam train experiences.

Six the Musical

If you watched the Platinum Jubilee concert, you would have caught a glimpse of this bizarre retelling of the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives. In the musical, each wife takes it in turns to share their story of how they were wronged by the Tudor King, and why that means they should be the lead singer of the wives’ pop group.

Buy Six the Musical West End tickets from £21 at London Theatre Direct

Originally debuting at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, Six is now touring the UK, with performances in Manchester, Oxford, Glasgow and more.

Buy Six the Musical UK tour tickets from £13 at ATG Tickets

Hamilton

As the winner of the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album, the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Hamilton is a brilliant choice if you’re in London this winter and want to treat yourself to a West End show.

A blend of hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway is the musical backdrop to this show, which tells the true(ish) story of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s founding fathers and George Washington’s right-hand man.

Buy Hamilton tickets from £24 at London Theatre Direct

Want to experience the music from your favourite shows in a different light? Check out our guide to the best candlelight concerts around the UK.

Matilda the Musical

Adapted from Roald Dahl’s much-loved book of the same name, Matilda is taking bookings up to December for the Cambridge Theatre in London. You know exactly what you’re getting with this musical: wholesome, family-friendly fun.

Buy Matilda the Musical tickets from £24 at Ticketmaster

Groundhog Day

In this musical, American actor Andy Karl reprises his Olivier Award-winning role as Phil Connors. The theatre production is based on the 1993 film of the same name, and it follows weatherman Connors as he travels to Punxsutawney to cover Groundhog Day festivities (where a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil predicts the weather). But, much to Connors' horror, he soon discovers he's stuck in a time loop, and is forced to live the same day over and over and over again. Will Connors break free from this nightmare? There's only one way to find out.

Buy Groundhog Day tickets from £30 at London Theatre Direct

Dr Semmelweis

Following a sold-out run at the Bristol Old Vic, Dr Semmelweis is coming to the Harold Pinter Theatre for a limited time only (Thursday 29th June to Saturday 7th October) this summer and autumn. The compelling drama follows the true story of Hungarian doctor, Semmelweis, as he tries to save the thousands of women who are dying in childbirth each year in Vienna. However, although he thinks he's found the answer, he must go up against doctors who are questioning his sanity and his profession.

Buy Dr Semmelweis tickets from £15 at ATG Tickets

Heathers the Musical

Heathers the Musical is back at The Other Palace with tickets available until February. It’s based on the 1989 cult movie, Heathers, which follows student Veronica as she’s accepted into her high school's popular clique (three girls all named Heather), then gets wrapped up with the rebellious Jason 'J.D' Dean - a teenager who plans to murder everybody at their high school. This is definitely one for a more mature audience.

Buy Heathers the Musical tickets from £30 at London Theatre Direct

The Lion King

A story we all know and love. Based on the 1994 Walt Disney movie of the same name, The Lion King musical play features music from Elton John, actors in decadent animal costumes and giant hollow puppets. The show opened in the Lyceum Theatre over 20 years ago in 1999, and is still going strong after more than 7,500 performances.

It’s the top-earning title in box-office history, surpassing The Phantom of the Opera, and even the Royal Family have seen a performance of this much-loved story.

Buy The Lion King tickets from £33 at ATG Tickets

If you're a film fan (Disney or otherwise), here's how to get cheap cinema tickets and the best London luxury cinema experiences. Plus, check out the top Disney Plus offers for this month.

Wicked

Wicked knows a thing or two about being ‘Popular’! This musical is the prequel to The Wizard of Oz, and it tells the story of Elphaba (the future Wicked Witch of the West) and her friendship with Glinda (the Good Witch of the South). It was nominated for six Tony awards, including Best Actress, and, honestly, we went to see the musical with our families, and it’s deserving of every single nomination.

Buy Wicked tickets from £27.50 at Ticketmaster

A Wicked UK tour is coming to a city near you! Read out article for everything you need to know, including how to bag tickets.

Plus, have you heard there's a new The Wizard of Oz musical starring Jason Manford and Ashley Banjo?

Frozen: The West End Musical

Back in January 2019, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane embarked on an ambitious project to restore its historic theatre to its former 1812 glory. Last year it reopened its doors with showings of Disney’s Frozen. The jaw-dropping sets and special effects really make this musical magical as it brings to life the scenery from the film.

Buy Frozen the Musical tickets from £29.50 at LW Theatres

Back to the Future: The Musical

If the hugely enthusiastic description on From The Box Office is anything to go by, Back to the Future: The Musical will be the most electrifying experience of your entire life — possibly more important than, say, childbirth. The musical follows the plot of the blockbuster film: teenager Marty McFly is blasted back in time to the year 1955 by eccentric scientist Doc Brown and unwittingly changes the course of history.

If you watched Britain's Got Talent last year, you might have caught a sneak peek of Back to the Future: The Musical on Britain's Got Talent. Since its special appearance, the musical has decided to extend its West End run so there's even more opportunity to go and see it.

Buy Back to the Future: The Musical tickets from £19.55 at Ticketmaster

The Book of Mormon

From the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, comes this comedy musical about two Latter-Day missionaries who are posted to a remote Ugandan village to preach the faith of the Church, and to convert its inhabitants to Mormonism. The locals are uninterested, however, as they face more pressing issues such as famine, HIV/AIDS, FGM, and oppression from their warlord.

Buy Book of Mormon tickets from £22 at Ticketmaster

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a two-part play written by Jack Thorne and based on J.K. Rowling’s original story. It follows Harry, Ron and Hermione 19 years after they saved the wizarding world, and they’re joined by a new generation of wizards and witches to stop mysterious evil forces for another time.

Buy Harry Potter and the Cursed Child tickets from £15.75 at The Ticket Factory

If you're a fan of Harry Potter, we've included two walking tours in our top London walking tours piece, and take a look at The Cauldron in London and the best UK Harry Potter experiences.

Les Misérables

What makes West End’s longest-running musical so magical is how immersive it is; with the backdrops of paintings by Victor Hugo, Les Misérables’ author, and the powerful performances from every single member of the cast, you feel like you’re at the heart of the action.

Buy Les Misérables tickets from £23 at The Ticket Factory

TINA: The Tina Turner Musical

Aldwych Theatre welcomes you to TINA. The musical includes all of the late great Tina Turner's much-loved songs, and follows her journey to stardom, from her humble beginnings in Tennessee to the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll — with her live performances selling more tickets than any other solo artist across the globe. It showcases all the ups and downs along Tina's way, and you'll leave the theatre feeling very motivated.

Buy TINA: The Tina Turner Musical tickets from £22 at Ticketmaster

Oklahoma!

Broadway's Oklahoma! comes to London's Wyndham's Theatre for a limited-time-only run, and we think it'd be a brilliant show to treat a friend or family member (or yourself!) to banish the winter blues.

Oklahoma! is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs, and it tells the story of a farm girl and her courtship by two rival suitors: cowboy Curly McLain and farmhand Jud Fry.

Buy Oklahoma! tickets from £25 at London Theatre Direct

2:22 A Ghost Story

Following Cheryl's departure from 2:22 A Ghost Story, who will take on the role of Jenny next? A character previously played by the likes of Lily Allen and Giovanna Fletcher. It's Jaime Winstone's turn to step into the role, and joining her on stage will be Sophia Bush, Clifford Samuel and Ricky Champ. 2:22 A Ghost Story will be performed for 18 weeks season starting from 14th May this year.

This spooky tale follows a couple, Jenny and Sam, as they move into a new home. Every morning at 2:22am, Jenny hears the sound of someone moving around the house, and is convinced it's haunted.

Buy 2:22 A Ghost Story tickets from £24 at London Theatre Direct

Looking for something else a bit spooky? Here are the best Edinburgh ghost tours and the best UK zombie experiences.

Phantom of the Opera

It's one of the most popular theatre shows and one of the West End's most enduring love stories. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera has been performing for over 30 years now, and shows no sign of slowing down.

If you aren't already familiar with the compelling plot, the show tells the story of the Phantom, who seeks to control the Paris Opera House. He finds a new student, a chorus girl called Christine, and trains her to sing the music of the night.

Buy Phantom of the Opera tickets from £27 at London Theatre Direct

What time do West End shows start and finish?

Like with the price, this depends entirely on the show, and whether you've got a matinee or evening performance. Most shows run for two hours to two and a half hours, with a 15-minute interval. A matinee performance usually starts at 2:30pm, whereas the evening performances will begin around 7:30pm.

West End show weekend breaks and hotel stays

If you're travelling to London for a West End show, it makes sense to spend a few days in the city; especially if you're planning on seeing an evening performance which will have you leaving the theatre at around 10pm (that's our bedtime!).

There are a number of websites, like Holiday Extras, where you can book your theatre tickets and hotel in one go. You can choose which theatre show you'd love to see, then select how many nights you'll stay around your chosen date, and it'll suggest hotels just a stone's throw away from the theatre.

Plus, as it's a package deal — a theatre show and hotel combo — you'll save a couple of quid, too.

Book a West End show and hotel stay at Holiday Extras

What is the easiest way to get to the West End?

Travelling to the West End when you live outside of London can seem like a mean feat. But we're here to reassure you that it can be done with minimal faff and on a budget, too.

Train timetables are usually released 12 weeks in advance, and train operators put cheap train tickets on sale shortly afterwards. The nearer your travel date, the more expensive the train tickets will be, so be sure to snap-up tickets as soon as possible.

Railcards are also a great way to save a couple of quid on your travel — 1/3 of the total ticket fare to be precise. Find the right Railcard for you at Trainline.

If you live too far away from London to comfortably travel there and back in one day, and let's face it, a lot of us do, you may want to consider an overnight stay. Airbnb offers private rooms and entire homes all across London, so you're bound to find somewhere that fits your budget.

For more information on travel, here's how to get cheap train tickets. Plus, we've compiled a list of top West End tips and advice.

What are the best seats in a theatre?

If money is no object, you might as well spend a bit more to get closer to the action at a West End show. However, with all the different parts of the auditorium, it can be tricky to know where to select seats which guarantee the best viewing experience; so we've done the difficult work for you.

Here's the breakdown of all the seats in a theatre, and where to sit for maximum viewing enhancement.

The Stalls are considered the best seats in the house as they're on the ground floor and closest to the stage. In a lot of West End theatres, there will be rows and rows of ground-floor seats, so you can choose to be on the front row, somewhere in the middle, or right at the back; the closer you are to the stage, the pricier your seats will be.

The Dress Circle, sometimes referred to as the Royal Circle, is the next level up from the ground floor. The Dress Circle gives audience members an advantage as they can see what's happening across the whole stage — something that people in the stalls might not be able to do, particularly for props or characters at the back of the stage.

Next up is the Upper Circle, also called the Grand Circle. This is another level up again, and will be one of the cheaper theatre tickets available (unless the theatre has a Balcony which not many of them do). You'll be able to see everything on the stage, however, you may miss finer details, such as an actor's facial expression.

The cheapest seats in the house are Restricted View. All theatres will sell tickets for what they deem a 'restricted view'. However, as we mentioned earlier, one of our RadioTimes.com team went to see Wicked with their mum, and the supposedly 'restricted' view was anything but. We can't guarantee this will be the case in all theatres, though, and you may find your view obstructed by a safety rail or a pillar.

Sitting in a box is an excellent way to make your trip to the theatre even more memorable. Typically located on the same level as the Dress Circle, a box can be hired out for just you and your party, which means you get perks like strangers not squeezing past you to go to the loo during a dramatic moment.

Head to our Going Out section for the latest releases. For more adventurous activities, check out our best London escape rooms, best UK driving experiences and best London VR experiences.