The West End is famous for its musicals, but its plays are every bit as essential. From record-breaking stage spectacles to the longest-running thriller in history, London’s straight theatre offers some of the most thrilling nights out you can have, and this autumn the line-up is especially starry. Here are the ten plays we think are absolutely worth your time right now, whether you want jaw-dropping stagecraft, a gripping drama or simply the best laugh in town.
1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The spellbinding stage continuation of the Harry Potter story remains the West End’s flagship play, now in a single-part production. Set nineteen years after the books, it follows Harry’s son Albus as he wrestles with the family legacy, and its illusions and stagecraft are some of the most astonishing ever seen in a theatre. A genuine event at the Palace Theatre, and still the benchmark every other play is measured against.
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2. Stranger Things: The First Shadow
The blockbuster prequel to the hit Netflix series took London by storm, and it is unlike anything else on stage. Telling the story of Hawkins before the events of the show, it pairs a genuinely gripping script with effects and illusions that have to be seen to be believed. The hottest “event” play in town, packing out the Phoenix Theatre night after night.
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3. Oh, Mary!
The buzziest comedy ticket in London right now. This anarchic, gleefully silly Broadway smash imagines Mary Todd Lincoln as a frustrated cabaret wannabe, and it has been a word-of-mouth sensation on both sides of the Atlantic. Outrageous, fast and very funny, it lights up the Trafalgar Theatre. Not one for traditionalists, and all the better for it.
4. The Mousetrap
No list of West End plays would be complete without it. Agatha Christie’s classic whodunnit is the longest-running play in the world, and it has been keeping audiences guessing at the St Martin’s Theatre for over seventy years. A cosy, ingenious, twist-in-the-tale thriller and a true London institution. Just remember to keep the ending a secret.
5. Hay Fever
Two screen favourites headline Noël Coward’s irresistible comedy. Christine Baranski, beloved for The Good Wife and Mamma Mia!, and Richard E. Grant, unforgettable in Withnail and I, lead the eccentric Bliss family in Emily Burns’ stinging new production at Wyndham’s Theatre. The pairing promises some of the sharpest comic sparring of the season.
6. The Cherry Orchard
Kristin Scott Thomas, an Olivier Award winner and Oscar nominee, stars in a new version of Chekhov’s great final play by Conor McPherson, directed by Ian Rickson. As a family returns to the estate they are about to lose, this is one of the most distinguished actors of her generation in one of the stage’s richest roles, at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
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7. The Play That Goes Wrong
Mischief’s runaway hit comedy is still one of the most reliable nights out in the West End. The hapless Cornley Drama Society attempts a country-house murder mystery, and absolutely everything that can go wrong does. Slick, silly and brilliantly choreographed, it has been delighting families and tourists at the Duchess Theatre for years.
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8. The Standard of Living
A rare chance to see two very different stars share a stage. Two-time Olivier Award winner Rory Kinnear plays the economist John Maynard Keynes, opposite Royal Ballet superstar Natalia Osipova as the dancer Lydia Lopokova, in a new play about their unlikely and captivating romance at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
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9. My Neighbour Totoro
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage version of the beloved Studio Ghibli film is pure theatrical magic. Brought to life with breathtaking puppetry and design, it captures the wonder of the original in a way few thought possible. A multi-award-winning spectacle for all ages at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, and one of the most in-demand tickets in town.
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10. The Hunger Games: On Stage
The World Will Be Watching. The first-ever stage adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ dystopian phenomenon, adapted by Conor McPherson, brings the deadly spectacle of Panem to vivid life in a purpose-built theatre at Troubadour Canary Wharf. Immersive, high-stakes and unlike anything else in town, it is a thrilling night out for fans of the books and films and newcomers alike.
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Also worth seeing
The West End’s straight-play line-up only gets stronger from here, with plenty more on the way as the festive season approaches, including the Old Vic’s much-loved A Christmas Carol and Mischief’s accident-prone A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong.
Whatever you choose, you can browse the full line-up and book on our plays page. This guide is updated regularly as shows open and close, so check back for the latest on what is lighting up the West End.
