Spring is one of the loveliest times to be in London. The days are getting longer, the city is shaking off the winter, and Theatreland is as busy as ever, with established hits running alongside a fresh crop of openings. Whether you are planning a special night out, a weekend treat or your very first trip to the West End, here is our pick of the best shows to book this spring.
The long-running giants
Some shows have earned their place at the heart of the West End, and they are every bit as thrilling as the day they opened. The Lion King at the Lyceum remains the great family spectacular, its “Circle of Life” opening and extraordinary puppetry casting a spell over audiences of every age. At the Sondheim, Les Miserables continues its record-breaking run, a soaring epic of revolution and redemption that is still the gold standard for the sung-through musical. And at the Apollo Victoria, Wicked tells the untold story of the witches of Oz and builds to one of the most thrilling moments in all of musical theatre, the show-stopping “Defying Gravity”. These are the shows that define the West End, and spring is a perfect time to catch them.
Modern musical hits
For something a little more recent, the West End is spoiled for choice. Hamilton at the Victoria Palace brings Lin-Manuel Miranda’s genre-defying story of America’s founding to pulsing, hip-hop-fuelled life. The homegrown smash Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune turns an unlikely wartime true story into one of the sharpest, funniest musicals in town, while Six the Musical at the Vaudeville reinvents the wives of Henry VIII as a dazzling pop concert. All three prove that the musical is in rude health and still finding bold new ways to tell a story.
Plays and comedies
It is not all singing and dancing. If you are after laughs, The Play That Goes Wrong at the Duchess is a riotous, award-winning farce in which absolutely everything that can go wrong does. And for pure comfort, there is nothing quite like the world’s longest-running play, still packing them in night after night and keeping its famous secret under wraps. Spring is a fine time to mix a proper play into your theatre diet.
New this spring
The season also brings fresh arrivals. The much-loved puppet musical Avenue Q has returned to the West End at the Shaftesbury, as rude, warm and funny as ever, a perfect night out for grown-ups who grew up on the show. And over at the Gillian Lynne, the stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro remains pure wonder, a beautifully gentle, visually magical show that enchants children and grown-ups alike. There is always something new to discover in the West End, whatever the season.
Booking tips for a spring visit
Spring sits between the Christmas rush and the summer holidays, which often makes it one of the easier times to find good seats, but the biggest titles still sell quickly, so it pays to book ahead. Midweek performances tend to be quieter and better value than Saturday nights, and many of the theatres sit close together around Covent Garden, the Strand and Shaftesbury Avenue, so a show pairs perfectly with lunch and a wander through the city in the spring sunshine.
Whatever you are in the mood for, there is a West End show to make your spring one to remember. Browse everything that is on and book your seats on our shows page.
