A round-up of the Top Theatre To See lists for 2023 from London theatre critics.
This “Best of the Best” brings together 2023 Theatre Highlights lists from major UK theatre critics, including The Times, The Guardian, The Stage, TimeOut, i News, the Evening Standard and The Independent, revealing their Top Picks for theatre to see in 2023.
Top “Best of the Best” shows include James Norton starring in A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre; the stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet by the RSC; Tracy-Ann Oberman starring in The Merchant of Venice (1936) at the Watford Palace; Aidan Turner and Jenna Coleman in Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, also at the Harold Pinter Theatre; Charlie Stemp in the London transfer of Crazy For You directed by Susan Stroman at the Gillian Lynne Theatre; Nicholas Hytner’s new production of Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre; Sophie Okonedo in Medea at @sohoplace Theatre; and Sam Mendes directing Jack Thorne’s new play The Motive and the Cue at the National Theatre.
Also check out our Best Musicals to see in 2023, and Best Plays to see in 2023.
More Best of 2023 lists to follow.
Arifa Akbar, The Guardian
The best theatre, dance and comedy tickets to book for 2023
- Blaccine: First Dose, Pitlochry Festival Theatre (Sound Stage audio)
- Romeo and Julie, National Theatre London / Sherman Theatre Cardiff
- Beginning, Royal Exchange Manchester
- Macbeth, Cast Doncaster
- The Good Person of Szechwan, Crucible Theatre Sheffield / Lyric Hammersmith Theatre London
- A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- The Lost Spells, Watford Palace Theatre
- Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre London
- Hamnet, Swan Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon
- The Secret Life of Bees, Almeida Theatre London
- A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, Barbican Theatre London
- Metamorphosis, Theatre Royal Plymouth
- Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning, Her Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen
- The Score, Theatre Royal Bath
Georgia Snow, The Stage
Theatre in 2023: what are the must-see shows to see across the UK?
- Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Phaedra, National Theatre London
- Macbeth (an undoing), Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
- Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre London
- Medea, @sohoplace London
- Romeo and Julie, National Theatre London / Sherman Theatre Cardiff
- The Merchant of Venice (1936), Watford Palace Theatre
- Top Girls, Liverpool Everyman
- Black Superhero, Royal Court London
- Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre London
- Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Bristol Old Vic, Barbican & Tour
- A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre London
- Hamnet, Swan Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon
- Richard III, Liverpool Playhouse / Rose Theatre Kingston
- The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre London
- Hate Radio, Battersea Arts Centre
- The Pillowman, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Miss Saigon, Sheffield Theatres
- Untitled F*ck M*ss S**gon Play, Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester
- Crazy For You, Gillian Lynne Theatre London
The Telegraph
2023’s hot 100: the essential shows, exhibitions, books and theatre to see in the New Year
- George Takei’s Allegiance, Charing Cross Theatre London
- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Theatre Royal Bath
- The Unfriend, Criterion Theatre London
- Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Noises Off, Phoenix Theatre London
- Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Barbican London / Bristol Old Vic / Tour
- 2:22 A Ghost Story, Lyric Theatre London
- The Lehman Trilogy, Gillian Lynne Theatre London
- The Tempest, Royal Shakespeare Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon
- Sylvia, Old Vic London
- Phaedra, National Theatre London
- The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s Globe London
- Medea, @sohoplace London
- Oklahoma!, Wyndham’s Theatre London
- Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Song From Far Away, Home Manchester
- The Merchant of Venice (1936), Watford Palace Theatre
- Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre London
- Cat on a Hit Tin Roof, Royal Exchange Manchester
- A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre London
The Independent
The best theatre to see in 2023, from A Little Life to The Pillowman. By Jessie Thompson and Isobel Lewis
- A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre London
- Hamnet, Swan Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon
- The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre London
- Sylvia, Old Vic London
- Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Theatre Royal Bath
- Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Graceland, Royal Court Theatre London
- Untitled F*ck M*ss S**gon Play, Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester
- The Great British Bake Off Musical, Noel Coward Theatre London
- The Pillowman, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Medea, @sohoplace London
- The Merchant of Venice (1936), Watford Palace Theatre
- Titus Andronicus, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe London
More reviews from The Independent
Clive Davis, The Times
60 best events to book in 2023: theatre, music, comedy, dance and more
- Crazy For You, Gillian Lynne Theatre London
- Macbeth, Cast Doncaster
- The Good Person of Szechwan, Crucible Theatre Sheffield / Lyric Hammersmith Theatre London
- A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre London
- The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre London
- The Circle, Orange Tree Theatre Richmond
- Hamnet, Swan Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon
- Ain’t Too Proud, Prince Edward Theatre London
- Alan Bleasdale’s Boys from the Blackstuff, Royal Court Liverpool
- The Score, Theatre Royal Bath
Andrzej Lukowski, TimeOut
The best new London theatre for 2023 – shows not to miss: Our pick of the best new plays, shows and musicals to book for in London’s theatres in 2023.
- A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre London
- how did we get here?, Sadler’s Wells Theatre London
- The Unfriend, Criterion Theatre London
- Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Sound of the Underground, Royal Court Theatre London
- Titus Andronicus, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe London
- The Lehman Trilogy, Gillian Lynne Theatre London
- Phaedra, National Theatre London
- Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre London
- Medea, @sohoplace London
- Oklahoma!, Wyndham’s Theatre London
- The Great British Bake Off Musical, Noel Coward Theatre London
- Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre London
- Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Barbican London / Bristol Old Vic / Tour
- Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre London
- The Pillowman, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Crazy For You, Gillian Lynne Theatre London
More reviews by Andrzej Lukowski
Fiona Mountford, i News
Guys and Dolls, A Little Life and Hamnet: The biggest new theatre shows of 2023: Our critic’s look ahead includes Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel coming to the stage and Sophie Okonedo taking on Medea
- Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Bristol Old Vic, Barbican & Tour
- The Tempest, Royal Shakespeare Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon
- Medea, @sohoplace London
- Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre London
- A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Hamnet, Swan Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon
- The Secret Life of Bees, Almeida Theatre London
- The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre London
Nick Clark, The Evening Standard
Curtain up: the top London theatre shows to book in 2023 from Groundhog Day to Cheryl in 2:22 – The pick of productions coming to London this year
Editor’s Note: This is only the first 20 entries in their list… it’s a long list…
- A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre London
- The Unfriend, Criterion Theatre London
- Noises Off, Phoenix Theatre London
- Sound of the Underground, Royal Court Theatre London
- Saint Jude, 100 Petty France London
- Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- 2:22 A Ghost Story, Lyric Theatre London
- Titus Andronicus, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe London
- The Lehman Trilogy, Gillian Lynne Theatre London
- Phaedra, National Theatre London
- Medea, @sohoplace London
- Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre London
- Sylvia, Old Vic London
- Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Trouble in Butetown, Donmar Warehouse London
- Romeo and Julie, National Theatre London / Sherman Theatre Cardiff
- Women, Beware the Devil, Almeida London
- The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s Globe London
- Grenfell: System Failure – Scenes from the Inquiry, Playground Theatre / Tabernacle Theatre / Marylebone Theatre
- The Great British Bake Off Musical, Noel Coward Theatre London
More reviews from the Evening Standard
Neil Norman, Daily Express
The top theatre plays and musicals to watch in 2023
- Mrs Doubtfire, Shaftesbury Theatre London
- The Wizard of Oz, London Palladium
- Crazy For You, Gillian Lynne Theatre London
- Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Groundhog Day The Musical, The Old Vic London
- Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, UK Tour / Riverside Studios London
- Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre London
- George Takei’s Allegiance, Charing Cross Theatre London
- The Great British Bake Off Musical, Noel Coward Theatre London
- Berlusconi A New Musical, Southwark Playhouse Elephant London
- The Time Machine – A Comedy, New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich / Tour
- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Theatre Royal Bath
- Steel Magnolias, UK tour
- London International Mime Festival, Various venues London
