An annual round-up of London theatre critics and their picks for the Best London Shows of 2024.

London theatre critics have spoken! At the end of every year the 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 Best of the Best, bringing together all of their choices to see which shows have really hit the spot!

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

Also see: All Shows playing in London in 2025.

Best of the Best List

Here’s a “Best of the Best” list of theatre in 2024, aggregating the critics’ picks. Shows featured in this list have 2 or more mentions.

Shows with 6 Mentions:

  • The Years (Almeida Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 24 January)
  • Oedipus (Wyndham’s Theatre London, until 4 January)

Shows with 5 Mentions:

  • The Picture of Dorian Gray (Theatre Royal Haymarket London)

Shows with 4 Mentions:

  • Waiting for Godot (Theatre Royal Haymarket London)
  • Giant (Royal Court Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 26 April 2025)

Shows with 3 Mentions:

  • The Buddha of Suburbia (RSC Swan Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon; Barbican Theatre London)

Shows with 2 Mentions:

  • Ballet Shoes (National Theatre London, until 22 February)
  • Hello! Dolly (London Palladium London)
  • Dear Octopus (National Theatre London)
  • Till the Stars Come Down (National Theatre London)
  • Machinal (The Old Vic Theatre London)
  • Fiddler on the Roof (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre London)
  • The Hills of California (Harold Pinter Theatre London)
  • Mnemonic (National Theatre London)
  • The Cabinet Minister (Menier Chocolate Factory London)

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian

  1. The Years (Almeida Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 24 January)
  2. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Theatre Royal Haymarket London)
  3. The Lonely Londoners (Jermyn Street Theatre; Kiln Theatre London, from 10 January)
  4. Rewind (New Diorama Theatre)
  5. Hadestown (Lyric Theatre London, booking to 28 September 2025)
  6. Oedipus (Wyndham’s Theatre London, until 4 January)
  7. Love Beyond (Edinburgh Fringe)
  8. Punch (Nottingham Playhouse; Young Vic London, from 1 March)
  9. Pinocchio (Watermill Theatre Newbury)
  10. Please Right Back (Southbank Centre London)

Read the article >

More reviews from Arifa Akbar >

More reviews from The Guardian >

The Years at the Almeida Theatre. Photo by Ali Wright
The Years at the Almeida Theatre. Photo by Ali Wright

Fiona Mountford, i Paper

  1. The Years (Almeida Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 24 January)
  2. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Theatre Royal Haymarket London)
  3. The Secret Garden (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre London)
  4. Underdog: The Other Other Brontë (National Theatre London; Northern Stage Newcastle)
  5. Ballet Shoes (National Theatre London, until 22 February)
  6. Hello! Dolly (London Palladium London) & The Fear of 13 (Donmar Warehouse London)
  7. Barcelona (Duke of York’s Theatre London, until 11 January)
  8. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (Chichester Festival Theatre )
  9. Nye (National Theatre London, from 3 July)
  10. The Buddha of Suburbia (RSC Swan Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon; Barbican Theatre London)

Read the article >

More reviews from Fiona Mountford >

More reviews from i Paper

Clive Davis, The Times

  • Giant (Royal Court Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 26 April 2025)
  • The Buddha of Suburbia (Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon; Barbican Theatre, London)
  • Hadestown (Lyric Theatre London, booking to 28 September 2025)
  • What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank (Marylebone Theatre London, from 20 January 2025)
  • Why Am I So Single? (Garrick Theatre London, until 19 January 2025)
  • The Merry Wives of Windsor (Royal Shakespeare Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon)

Read the article >

More reviews from Clive Davis >

More reviews from The Times >

Oedipus at the Wyndham's Theatre. Mark Strong (Oedipus), Lesley Manville (Jocasta), Jordan Scowen (Eteocles) & James Wilbraham (Polyneices). Photo by Manuel Harlan
Oedipus at the Wyndham’s Theatre. Mark Strong (Oedipus), Lesley Manville (Jocasta), Jordan Scowen (Eteocles) & James Wilbraham (Polyneices). Photo by Manuel Harlan

Matt Wolf & Houman Barekat, New York Times

Read the article >

More reviews from Matt Wolf >

More reviews from the New York Times >

The Stage

  • Boys on the Verge of Tears (Soho Theatre London) (Paul Vale)
  • Cable Street, (Southwark Playhouse Borough London) (Paul Vale)
  • The Children’s Inquiry (Southwark Playhouse Elephant London) (Holly O’Mahony)
  • Fiddler on the Roof (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre London) (Matthew Hemley)
  • Hello, Dolly! (London Palladium) (Holly O’Mahony)
  • The Hills of California (Harold Pinter Theatre London) (Sam Marlowe)
  • Mnemonic (National Theatre London) (Dave Fargnoli)
  • Oedipus (Wyndham’s Theatre London, until 4 January 2025) (Dave Fargnoli)
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray (Theatre Royal Haymarket London) (Sam Marlowe)
  • Red Pitch (@sohoplace London) (Sam Marlowe)
  • Starlight Express (Troubadour Wembley Park London, booking to 26 October 2025) (Paul Vale)
  • Till the Stars Come Down (National Theatre London) (Holly Williams)
  • Toto Kerblammo! (Unicorn Theatre London) (Oliver Jones)
  • Waiting for Godot (Theatre Royal Haymarket London) (Sam Marlowe)
  • The Years (Almeida Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 24 January) (Holly O’Mahony)

Read the article >

More reviews from Sam Marlowe > More reviews from Dave Fargnoli >

More reviews from The Stage >

Giant at the Royal Court Theatre. Photo by Manuel Harlan
Giant at the Royal Court Theatre. Photo by Manuel Harlan

Sarah Crompton, What’s On Stage

  • 1. The Years (Almeida Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 24 January)
  • 2. Till the Stars Come Down (National Theatre London)
  • 3. Dear Octopus (National Theatre London)
  • 4. Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Donmar Warehouse London, until 8 February 2025)
  • 5. Waiting for Godot (Theatre Royal Haymarket London)
  • 6. The Other Place (National Theatre London)
  • 6. Oedipus (Wyndham’s Theatre London, until 4 January)
  • 7. Fiddler on the Roof (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre London)
  • 8. Giant (Royal Court Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 26 April 2025)
  • 9. The Cabinet Minister (Menier Chocolate Factory London)
  • 10. King Lear (Almeida Theatre London)

Read the article >

Andrzej Lukowski, TimeOut

  1. Machinal (The Old Vic Theatre London)
  2. The Cherry Orchard (Donmar Warehouse London)
  3. Oedipus (Wyndham’s Theatre London, until 4 January)
  4. Mnemonic (National Theatre London)
  5. The Years (Almeida Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 24 January)
  6. Viola’s Room (The Carriageworks London, until 23 December 2024)
  7. The Hills of California (Harold Pinter Theatre London)
  8. Or What’s Left of Us (Soho Theatre London)
  9. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Theatre Royal Haymarket London)
  10. Giant (Royal Court Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 26 April 2025)
  11. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Almeida Theatre London)
  12. Bear Snores On (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre London)

Read the article >

More reviews from Andrzej Lukowski >

More reviews from TimeOut >

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Sarah Snook. Photo by Marc Brenner
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Sarah Snook. Photo by Marc Brenner

Susannah Clapp, The Observer

  1. Oedipus (Wyndham’s Theatre London, until 4 January)
  2. The Years (Almeida Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 24 January)
  3. Shifters (Bush Theatre London; Duke of York’s Theatre London)
  4. Giant (Royal Court Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 26 April 2025)
  5. King Lear (Almeida Theatre London)
  6. Machinal (The Old Vic London)
  7. The Forsyte Saga (Park Theatre London)
  8. The Buddha of Suburbia (Swan Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon; Barbican Theatre London)
  9. Burnt-Up Love (Finborough Theatre London)
  10. I Wish You Well: The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical (Underbelly Edinburgh; Criterion Theatre London)

Read the article >

More reviews from Susannah Clapp >

More reviews from The Observer / Guardian >

Neil Norman, Express / Mirror

  • The Picture of Dorian Gray (Theatre Royal Haymarket London)
  • MJ The Musical (Prince Edward Theatre London)
  • Waiting for Godot (Theatre Royal Haymarket London)
  • Giant (Royal Court Theatre London; Harold Pinter Theatre London, from 26 April 2025)
  • The Cabinet Minister (Menier Chocolate Factory London)
  • A Tupperware of Ashes (National Theatre London)
  • Bellringers (Hampstead Theatre Lonfdon)
  • Ballet Shoes (National Theatre London, until 22 February)
  • The Producers (Menier Chocolate Factory London, until 1 March 2025)
  • The Tempest (Theatre Royal Drury Lane London, until 1 February 2025)

Critics’ Picks to book right now

Poster art for The Years - West End play
The Years
Harold Pinter Theatre
Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux’s critically acclaimed “masterpiece” The Years transfers to the Harold Pinter Theatre
The Lonely Londoners - Kiln Theatre
The Lonely Londoners
Kiln Theatre
Sam Selvon’s iconic novel, The Lonely Londoners is brought to life on stage at the Kiln
Hadestown Tickets, London
Hadestown
Lyric Theatre
Book Hadestown tickets to see the Tony Award-winning West End musical at the Lyric Theatre in London.
Oedipus - Wyndham's Theatre London
Oedipus
Wyndham's Theatre
Mark Strong and Lesley Manville star in Oedipus at the West End's Wyndham's Theatre in London.
Man in wet white shirt promotes Punch at Apollo Theatre, London,
Punch
Apollo Theatre
Punch is a hard-hitting new drama from BAFTA and Olivier Award winning writer James Graham, based on a true story - coming to the Apollo Theatre in London
The National Theatre's Ballet Shoes UK Tour
Ballet Shoes
The acclaimed National Theatre production embarks on a national UK tour in 2027, starring Anton Du Beke.
Barcelona - Duke of York's Theatre London 2024
Barcelona The Play
The Tom Stoppard Theatre (formerly the Duke of York's Theatre)
Lily Collins and Álvaro Morte star in explosive thriller Barcelona at the West End's Duke of York's Theatre in London
Poster art for Nye - National Theatre
Nye
National Theatre - Olivier Theatre
Michael Sheen stars as NHS founder Nye Bevan in major new play Nye by Tim Price for the National Theatre.
Giant at the Harold Pinter Theatre London
Giant
Harold Pinter Theatre
Golden Globe-winner John Lithgow stars as Roald Dahl in the West End transfer of Giant at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank - London
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank
Marylebone Theatre
Book tickets to new play What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank at the Marylebone Theatre in London.
Why Am I So Single? - London
Why Am I So Single?
Garrick Theatre
From the creators of mega-hit musical SIX, comes brand new show Why Am I So Single?, playing at the Garrick Theatre in London.
Guys & Dolls - Bridge Theatre London
Guys & Dolls
Bridge Theatre
A stunning new revival of Broadway classic Guys and Dolls staged as immersive theatre, at the Bridge Theatre in London
Starlight Express musical in London - official poster final boarding
Starlight Express
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s spectacular musical Starlight Express in London
The Tempest - West End 2024 - Jamie Lloyd Company
The Tempest
Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Jamie Lloyd directs Sigourney Weaver in Shakespeare's comedy of betrayal, love and forgiveness
Official poster for MJ The Musical - final weeks in London
MJ The Musical
Prince Edward Theatre
Multi-Tony Award-winning musical MJ is now in its final weeks in the West End, featuring the incredible hits and life story of Michael Jackson.


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Main photo: Best of 2024 Critics' Picks

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