Autumn is always a big season in Theatreland, and this year’s run of openings is especially starry. Screen favourites are taking to the stage, award-winning productions are transferring in, and there are new musicals and major revivals arriving almost every week between September and November. Here are the new West End shows worth booking this autumn.
Rent
Duke of York’s Theatre, from 26 September
Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking rock musical returns for its 30th anniversary in a bold new production directed by Luke Sheppard. Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo leads the company as Mark, the filmmaker documenting a year in the lives of a group of young artists in New York’s East Village. From “Seasons of Love” to “La Vie Boheme”, the score reshaped what a musical could sound like, and this anniversary staging brings a genuine screen star to the heart of it. Read more and book on the Rent page.
Jesus Christ Superstar
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, from 16 October
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s iconic rock opera extends into the West End with the Olivier Award-winning Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production. Sam Ryder takes the role of Jesus, with a rotating cast of star King Herods bringing extra wattage to a strictly limited season on one of London’s grandest stages. It is one of the most anticipated musical events of the autumn. See the full details on the Jesus Christ Superstar page.
Into the Woods
Noël Coward Theatre, from 22 September
Jordan Fein’s Olivier Award-winning production of Sondheim and Lapine’s Into the Woods transfers to the West End for a strictly limited season. Sondheim’s beloved fairytale mash-up sends Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Baker’s Wife deep into the woods, where wishes come true and consequences follow. Witty, moving and musically dazzling, it is a treat for Sondheim devotees and newcomers alike. Book on the Into the Woods page.
High School Musical on Stage!
Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, from 12 October
Disney’s High School Musical comes to the stage in a new production marking 20 years since the film became a global phenomenon. Following Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High, the staging transforms the auditorium into an immersive basketball court, with on-stage seating that puts audiences at the heart of the action. Packed with the songs you know by heart, it is a joyful family outing. More on the High School Musical on Stage! page.
The Lives of Others
Adelphi Theatre, from 14 October
Keira Knightley, Stephen Dillane and Luke Thompson star in Robert Icke’s electrifying stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning film. Set in East Berlin under the watchful eye of the Stasi, it is a tense, humane story of surveillance, art and conscience, brought to the stage by one of theatre’s most inventive directors for a strictly limited run. It is one of the autumn’s hottest straight-play tickets. Details on the The Lives of Others page.
Hay Fever
Wyndham’s Theatre, from 22 September
Christine Baranski and Richard E. Grant lead Noël Coward’s irresistible comedy of bad manners in a stinging new production directed by Emily Burns. The eccentric Bliss family each invite a guest to their country house for the weekend, with gloriously awkward results. With two screen and stage favourites at its centre, it promises to be one of the most entertaining nights of the season. Book on the Hay Fever page.
The Cherry Orchard
Harold Pinter Theatre, from 3 October
Kristin Scott Thomas stars in a new version of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard by Conor McPherson, directed by Ian Rickson. Chekhov’s bittersweet masterpiece follows a family returning to their beloved estate as the world they knew slips away beneath them. With a major screen star and a top-tier creative team, it is a classic given fresh life for the autumn season. See the The Cherry Orchard page.
Looking ahead
There is plenty more to come as the year turns, including the return of Dirty Dancing to the West End at the Prince Edward Theatre in the new year. For now, autumn alone offers one of the strongest line-ups in recent memory. Browse everything that is on and book your seats on our West End shows page.
