An annual round-up of London theatre critic’s picks of their Best London Shows of 2023.

London theatre critics have spoken! At the every year London’s theatre critics publish their “Best of” lists of what they’ve seen and enjoyed the most in the West End and beyond.

Here’s our tally of the List of Lists, bringing together all of their choices to see which shows really have hit the spot!

This Best of the Best listing will be updated as the critics publish their lists.

Also check out our All Shows playing in London in 2024.

The Best of the Best – Rankings

(Shows with two or more mentions in the Critic’s Picks, listed in alphabetical order)

  • A Mirror, Almeida Theatre London (2)
  • A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre London (4)
  • Boys from the Blackstuff, Royal Court Liverpool (2)
  • Clyde’s, Donmar Warehouse London (3)
  • Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre London (4)
  • Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre London (5)
  • Infinite Life, National Theatre London (4)
  • Macbeth, The Depot Liverpool (2)
  • Medea, @Sohoplace London (2)
  • Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre London (2)
  • Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre London (2)
  • The Second Woman, The Young Vic London (3)
  • The Witches, National Theatre London (2)
  • Vanya, Duke of York’s Theatre London (3)

Andrzej Lukowski, TimeOut London

  1. Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre London
  2. Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre London
  3. Infinite Life, National Theatre London
  4. Vanya, Duke of York’s Theatre London
  5. Tambo & Bones, Theatre Royal Stratford East London
  6. Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Lyric Hammersmith / Theatre Royal Haymarket London
  7. The Witches, National Theatre London
  8. Clyde’s, Donmar Warehouse London
  9. Re-Member Me, Hampstead Theatre London
  10. A Mirror, Almeida Theatre London

Read the article >

More reviews from Andrzej Lukowski >

Sam Marlowe, The Stage

  • A Playlist for the Revolution, Bush Theatre London
  • A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre London
  • Crazy for You, Gillian Lynne Theatre London
  • The Effect, National Theatre London
  • Flowers for Mrs Harris, Riverside Studios London
  • Groundhog Day, The Old Vic London
  • Guys and Dolls, The Bridge Theatre London
  • Medea, @Sohoplace London
  • Romeo and Julie, National Theatre London
  • Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre London

Read the article >

More reviews from Sam Marlowe >

Clive Davis, The Times

Read the article >

More reviews from Clive Davis >

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian

  1. The Second Woman, The Young Vic London
  2. All Right. Good Night, Home Manchester
  3. One Who Wants to Cross, Finborough Theatre London
  4. The Architect, Greenwich + Docklands international festival London
  5. High Steaks, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
  6. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Barbican Theatre London
  7. Trojan Women, Edinburgh International Festival
  8. Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre London
  9. Happy Days, Birmingham Rep
  10. Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre / Gillian Lynne Theatre London

Read the article >

More reviews from Arifa Akbar >

Susannah Clapp, The Observer

  1. A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre London
  2. Phaedra, National Theatre London
  3. Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre London
  4. Infinite Life, National Theatre London
  5. Alter, Secret location near Milton Keynes
  6. Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre London
  7. A pair of Macbeths: David Tennant & Cush Jumbo in Macbeth at the Donmar Warehouse London; Ralph Fiennes & Indira Varma in Macbeth, The Depot Liverpool
  8. Boys from the Blackstuff, Royal Court Liverpool
  9. Clyde’s, Donmar Warehouse London
  10. Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre London

Read the article >

More reviews from Susannah Clapp >

Fiona Mountford, i News

  1. A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre London
  2. Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre London
  3. Vanya, Duke of York’s Theatre London
  4. Cold War, Almeida Theatre London
  5. Romeo and Juliet, Almeida Theatre London
  6. Macbeth, The Depot Liverpool
  7. Never Have I Ever, Chichester Festival Theatre
  8. The Second Woman, The Young Vic London
  9. Ghosts, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse London
  10. Boys from the Blackstuff, Royal Court Liverpool

Read the article >

More reviews from Fiona Mountford >

Sarah Crompton, Whatsonstage

  • The Second Woman, Young Vic London
  • Infinite Life, National Theatre London
  • Vanya, Duke of York’s Theatre London
  • Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre London
  • The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre London
  • Medea, @sohoplace London
  • Clyde’s, Donmar Warehouse London
  • No ID, Royal Court London
  • Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre London
  • A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre London
  • Death of England: Closing Time, National Theatre London
  • Sleepova, Bush Theatre London
  • A Mirror, Almeida Theatre London
  • Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse London

Read the article >

Critic’s Picks to book right now

Sunset Boulevard - Savoy Theatre London
Sunset Boulevard Tickets
Savoy Theatre
Jamie Lloyd directs a bold new revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's legendary musical Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre starring Nicole Scherzinger
The Motive and the Cue - Noel Coward Theatre
The Motive and the Cue Tickets
Noël Coward Theatre
Oscar winner Sam Mendes directs a hot new play from Jack Thorne
Guys & Dolls - Bridge Theatre London
Guys & Dolls Tickets – Thrilling London Revival
Bridge Theatre
A stunning new revival of Broadway classic Guys and Dolls staged as immersive theatre, at the Bridge Theatre in London
Poster Art: A Mirror - London
A Mirror Tickets
Trafalgar Theatre
Jeremy Herrin directs the world premiere of A Mirror starring Jonny Lee Miller & Tanya Reynolds at the West End's Trafalgar Theatre
The Witches - National Theatre
The Witches Tickets
National Theatre - Olivier Theatre
Roald Dahl’s The Witches is brought to life in a rip roaring new musical at the National Theatre
Dear England - UK Tour - Tickets
Dear England Tickets
The National Theatre's hit play Dear England returns to UK theatres in 2025 in 2026.
Next To Normal - Wyndham's Theatre
Next to Normal Tickets – London
Wyndham's Theatre
Hit rock musical Next to Normal is now playing to the Wyndham's Theatre in London
Operation Mincemeat - West End
Operation Mincemeat Tickets – London
Fortune Theatre
Winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, Operation Mincemeat is the hilarious comedy musical now playing at the West End's Fortune Theatre in London.
Poster of Stranger Things The First Shadow - Phoenix Theatre London (2025)
Stranger Things: The First Shadow Tickets
Phoenix Theatre
Stranger Things: The First Shadow at London’s Phoenix Theatre – a thrilling stage prequel to the smash-hit Netflix series.
Ghosts - Shakespeare's Globe
Ghosts Tickets
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
In a Globe first, experience a thrilling new revival of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in London.


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Main photo: Best of 2023 - Critic's Picks

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