Our top 15 list of musicals we’d like to see open in London’s West End in 2023.
It’s already shaping up to be a great year for musical lovers with lots of fabulous musicals set to open in London. Broadway is sending Mrs Doubtfire The Musical via Manchester, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations and the long-awaited The Spongebob Musical.
London revivals include: Nick Hytner’s immersive production of Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love starring Michael Ball at the Lyric Theatre; Groundhog Day The Musical at The Old Vic; Queen’s jukebox musical We Will Rock You at the London Coliseum; Dirty Dancing and Grease at the Dominion; and the toe-tapping Broadway show 42nd Street at Sadler’s Wells theatre.
West End transfers from London and regional theatres include The Young Vic’s acclaimed production of Oklahoma! heading to the Wyndham’s, The Great British Bake Off The Musical opens at the Noel Coward Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre’s 5-star revival of Crazy For You starring Charlie Stemp opens at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.
Here’s our list of TOP 15 musicals we’d like to see open in London’s West End in 2023 (this list doesn’t include already announced shows)
1. Beetlejuice The Musical
This Broadway hit recently completed a second run on Broadway. Based on Tim Burton’s wonderfully strange film, this musical comedy centres on a strange and unusual teenager who attempts to scare away her insufferable parents with help from a degenerate demon from the Netherworld and the former owners of her house – who just happen to be dead. Underneath this light-hearted comedy is a remarkably touching show about family, love, and making the most of every day.
2. Hadestown
Winner of 8 Tony Award, including Best Musical, Rachel Chavkin and Anaïs Mitchell’s haunting journey through the underworld is a musical must see. The Evening Standard described it as a “musical feast – full of folksy melancholy and heartache, yet also packed with gospel, dirty funk and New Orleans jazz”
3. Mean Girls The Musical
Tina Fey’s musical stage adaptation of the hit teen film picked up 12 Tony Award nominations when it premiered on Broadway. Featuring a catchy score and a ferociously funny book this musical has been tipped to open in London’s West End for quite some time.
4. Into The Woods
Terry Gilliam’s revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s masterpiece caused a stir at Theatre Royal Bath in 2022. A rare modern classic, this much loved musical (amongst theatre fans) interweaves everyone’s favourite storybook characters into a timeless, yet relevant, comically dark musical.
5. Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
‘A musical cannonball unlike anything else on Broadway’ so says The Guardian. With 12 Tony nominations including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Actor and Best Actress – Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 takes 70 pages of Tolstoy’s epic War & Peace and turns it into a smashing rock opera.
6. Muriel’s Wedding
Undateable. Unemployable. And addicted to ABBA – it’s time for the London premiere of Muriel’s Wedding. Based on the iconic Australian film starring Toni Collette – this new musical adaptation features an unstoppable social media obsessed Muriel.
7. Spring Awakening
Almeida Theatre’s acclaimed revival of Spring Awakening demands a West End transfer. Rupert Goold‘s production of the Tony and Olivier Award winning musical about teenage sexual awakening set against a backdrop of religious and parental repression featured star performances from Laurie Kynaston and Amara Okereke – who went on to star in My Fair Lady
8. A Strange Loop
This Tony winning Best Musical plays its final Broadway performance 15 January 2023. Set to a bouncy Broadway beat with vibrant songs and cutting lyrics, this razor-sharp musical ‘would have your grandparents leaving the theatre humming. If they hadn’t walked out before’ (New York Times ).
9. Summer – The Donna Summer Musical
Who doesn’t like disco? This vibrant musical charts the incomparable life of Donna Summer —the undisputed Queen of Disco. Features more than 20 of Summer’s classic hits and electric dancing, all in tribute to the voice of a generation.
10. The Cher Show
It’s been touring the UK to critical acclaim. Surely it’s time to bring this smash hit juke box musical – celebrating the one and only CHER – to London’s West End. Featuring 35 hits, the musical charts six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, a Grammy, an Oscar, an Emmy, and enough Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequins shortage in New York City, all in one unabashedly fabulous new musical.
11. The Time Traveller’s Wife
This show ran for a limited number of performances in 2022. Featuring music by Joss Stone and Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, The Time Traveller’s Wife: A New Musical is based on the best selling novel of the same name. A heart-racing and devastatingly theatrical journey like no other, The Time Traveller’s Wife deserves a full West End season in 2023.
12. The Greatest Showman! The Musical
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land) have had enough time to bring this show to the stage. Based on the hit musical-film starring Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams and Zac Efron, The Greatest Showman! The Musical is a fabulous celebration of the birth of show-business.
13. PRIDE – The Musical
Inspired by the hit British film of the same name, PRIDE – The Musical is development. This much-loved film will be brought to life on stage by the original creative team – writer Stephen Beresford and director Matthew Warchus. Unfortunately we don’t know when it will land but we’d love to see it in 2023.
14. Jagged Little Pill
Jagged Little Pill has been on our list of shows we’d like to see open every year for quite some time and if rumours are to be believed 2023 is the year it lands in the West End of London. Inspired by Alanis Morissette’s 1995 five-time Grammy Award winning album Jagged Little Pill, is a Tony and Grammy Award winning musical that tells the story of a perfectly imperfect American family grappling with a series of distressing events.
15. La La Land The Musical
Purely on our wish-list. We can’t seen this opening in 2023. This box-office blockbuster movie has musical stage adaptation written all over it. It also happens to have music by Justin Hurwitz and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (The Greatest Showman, Dear Evan Hansen).














