Welcome to your weekly West End round-up, helping you to catch up on this week’s stagey news.

It was World Theatre Day on Friday (27 March), so happy holidays to those that celebrate! (Spoiler: we do).

This week saw some important casting updates, including news of Broadway import Beetlejuice The Musical, and the Bridge’s five-star production of Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

Plus, the critics have spoken and given their verdict on Teeth ‘n’ Smiles starring Rebecca Lucy Taylor, and Broadway hit John Proctor is the Villain.

Also this week, catch up on new show announcements including Trainspotting The Musical, magic spectacular Now You See Me Live, and the return of Secret Cinema’s Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical.

West End Weekly
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He’s the Ghost with the most: Beetlejuice is finally here!

He’s the Ghost with the most: Beetlejuice is finally here!

It’s been a long wait, but the Netherworld is officially relocating to London this May. David Fynn (School of Rock) leads the chaos in the cult-hit musical that’s “dead on arrival” in the best way possible.

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New stars head Into the Woods

New stars head Into the Woods

It’s time to revisit Sondheim’s enchanting forest as West End stars John Owen-Jones (Les Misérables), Rachel Tucker (Wicked) and Melanie La Barrie (Hadestown) join the Bridge Theatre’s acclaimed revival from April.

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First Look: Richard Kind joins The Producers

First Look: Richard Kind joins The Producers

Only Murders in the Building star Richard Kind has stepped into the iconic role of Max Bialystock for a limited run in The Producers at the Garrick Theatre.

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Look Closely... Now You See Me Live hits the Coliseum

Look Closely... Now You See Me Live hits the Coliseum

The Four Horsemen are coming for London! This summer, the London Coliseum transforms into a high-tech arena of “how did they do that?” illusions in Now You See Me Live, inspired by the hit films. The limited 5-week season goes on sale on 1 April. 

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Go Together Like Rama-Lama-Ding-Dong! Grease is Back!

Go Together Like Rama-Lama-Ding-Dong! Grease is Back!

Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical experience from Secret Cinema is back in London this summer in Battersea Park. Step into Rydell High with live music, fairground fun and a full-scale retro spectacular. 

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Trainspotting gets a musical stage adaptation

Trainspotting gets a musical stage adaptation

Thirty years after the iconic 90s film, Irvine Welsh is bringing Trainspotting to the West End as a high-octane “anti-musical”. Theatre Royal Haymarket, from 15 July.

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News Headlines

Photos: First look at Big Night of Musicals 2026 on the BBC -  More >
Teeth ’n’ Smiles Review Round-up – Starring Rebecca Lucy Taylor at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London -  More >
Final weeks of Dracula starring Cynthia Erivo at the West End’s Noel Coward Theatre -  More >
London Standard Theatre Awards 2025: Full list of winners including Hayley Atwell & Rachel Zegler -  More >
West End producer Robert Fox dies aged 73, West End theatres to dim their lights -  More >
French & Saunders to reunite for Cinderella at the London Palladium -  More >
Review Round-up: John Proctor is the Villain in London – What the critics are saying -  More >

Shows Opening & Closing

Shows Opening:
  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Starts 1 Apr
  • I Was a Teenage She-Devil: Starts 2 Apr
  • The Boy at the Back of the Class: Starts 7 Apr
  • World’s Greatest Lover: Starts 12 Apr
  • Please Please Me: Starts 16 Apr
  • The Price: Starts 17 Apr
  • Category Is Macbeth: Starts 24 Apr
  • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Starts 29 Apr
  • Sherlock Holmes: Starts 2 May
  • 1536: Starts 2 May
  • End of the Rainbow: Starts 5 May

More new openings >

Shows Closing:
  • It Walks Around the House at Night: Closes 28 MarManic Street Creature:
  • Closes 28 MarSugar Daddy: Closes 4 Apr
  • Unfortunate: The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch: Closes 5 Apr
  • Deep Azure: Closes 11 Apr
  • Marie & Rosetta: Closes 11 Apr
  • Evening All Afternoon: Closes 11 Apr
  • Back to the Future: Closes 12 Apr
  • Alice in Wonderland: Closes 12 April
  • The Tempest: Closes 12 April
  • Yentl: Closes 12 April
  • Broken Glass: Closes 18 April
  • The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry The Musical: Closes 18 Apr
  • Summerfolk: Closes 29 Apr
  • Deep Azure: Closes 2 May
  • The Holy Rosenbergs: Closes 2 May

More shows closing >

Latest News

Stage performance with a guitarist on a platform amid sparks, surrounded by actors and a seated audience in a theater setting.
Planning a theatre trip over the holidays? Here are 11 shows to see during your time off
Three carnival performers in glittering costumes on stage: a dancer posing with a large disco ball, an owl(costume) character, and a queen in an ornate gown and crown.
A jaunt through the history of panto: how a flexible theatre form transformed Britain’s Christmas theatre scene
West Side Story. Photography by Adam Fussell. Art direction and design by National Theatre Creative Studio
Everything you need to know about West Side Story at the National Theatre
West Side Story. Photography by Adam Fussell. Art direction and design by National Theatre Creative Studio
10 reasons we can’t wait for West Side Story
Musical 42nd Street in Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London, England (September 2017). Photo by Theaterbilder123
A brief history of Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the West End’s oldest theatre
From left to right: A performer in vibrant pantomime costume with colourful feathered headdress, a character in dark gothic clothing holding a lantern, and an animated snowman in winter attire.
Why the West End at Christmas isn’t just for pantos  
Nickcolia King-N'da (Will Scarlet), Kandaka Moore (FT), Eshan Gopal (Lil John Jr) and Helen K Wint (Marian) in rehearsals for Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem. Photography by Mark Senior
See new rehearsal photos for Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem, Stratford East’s rip-roaring panto
Back view of a girl with two braids wearing a white shirt and black backpack, a booklet titled
Birdcatcher unveils trailer ahead of run at London’s Park Theatre as part of extended UK tour
Matt Henry, Amy DiBartolomeo and LucyBenjamin (Credit Chris Davis)
Matt Henry leads the cast of To Sir, With Love – A New Musical, touring the UK from April 2027
Theatrical performer in historic costume stands on a wooden platform with arms outstretched inside a brick-walled theater set, dramatic lighting overhead.
Hamnet hits the road: the RSC’s hit play tours the UK in 2027
Woman with curly hair sits on an orange studio floor, opening a lit decorative box containing maps; tangled cords lie around her.
Carrie Hope Fletcher to star in new musical Ballad Lines at The Other Palace for limited 12 week run
A Christmas Carol - The Old Vic 2023 - Christopher Eccleston first look. Photo by Hugo Glendinning
Everything you need to know about A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic
James Graham
James Graham on hit play Punch: “I’m hoping to turn that into television.”
Woman in a dramatic black gown seated on a white rug outdoors, with two wicker baskets beside her in a dimly lit forest setting.
Cloud 9 reviews: critics hail a “ferocious takedown” of Victorian imperialism, but one questions whether its content has aged well
Older man in a dark bathrobe being helped by a younger woman in a red-and-gray sweater in a church-like room with pews in the background.
First look at Sir Ian Mckellen in rehearsals for Lear at The Yard
Three portrait shots in a vertical triptych: left a smiling man in a dark suit, middle a man in a blue denim shirt with arms crossed, right a glamorous drag queen in a gold sequined dress posing with a hand on her face.
Drag, opera and Elvis: Monét X Change heads to the West End in The Legend of Georgia McBride
Saving Alan Turing King's Head
Saving Alan Turing: new play about the codebreaker’s final years to premiere at the King’s Head Theatre
Two women in a bright studio, one raises an arm while the other leans in with an arm around her shoulders near a small exercise bar.
First look: rehearsal photos for Victoria Wood musical Fourteen Again at the Menier Chocolate Factory
Headshot of a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes, smiling warmly at the camera against a neutral grey background.
The Mousetrap’s Artistic Director to step down after 32 years at the end of 2026
Bo Poraj and John Ramm in rehearsals for Sherlock Holmes and the Twelve Days of Christmas. Photo by Marc Brenner
Rehearsal images released for Sherlock Holmes and the Twelve Days of Christmas at Alexandra Palace Theatre
BILLY ELLIOT The Musical. Rafferty Smale (Billy) and Company. Photo Tristram Kenton
See newly released images from Billy Elliot the Musical, as UK and Ireland tour commences
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong - London. Photo by Mark Senior
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong releases additional front row tickets at Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End
Man in a dress shirt and tie stands on a hill with a dog, set against a giant full moon and colorful space backdrop in a surreal collage.
Matt Smith to star in the 2027 world premiere of The Humans in the West End
Top pantos to book this Christmas
The best pantos in London to book this Christmas
Cast announced for Father Christmas at Lyric Hammersmith
Full cast announced for Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas at the Lyric Hammersmith
The Snowman, Birmingham Rep 2026. Photo by Johan Persson
Everything you need to know about The Snowman on stage ahead of its 29th year in the West End
ABBA VOYAGE. Vernon Kay and Pudsey Bear. Children In Need Gala Performances (8 November 2026). Photo Craig Sugden
ABBA Voyage raises over £325,000 for BBC Children in Need after gala performances hosted by Vernon Kay
Logo for JOY: A New Musical with bold purple letters on a bright yellow background
JOY: A New Musical to have UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant in February 2027
Old Vic New Season annouced. Damien Lewis, Milly Allock. Photos by Photo by Nadav Kander
Rupert Goold’s first Old Vic season announced, with Damian Lewis, Milly Alcock and more
Two men sit close together on a blue sofa against a green paneled wall; older man has a gray beard and plaid jacket, younger man wears a yellow shirt and jeans.
Amadeus trailer released starring Michael Sheen and Callum Scott Howells ahead of West End run in 2027 
Paddington Broadway Cast Announcement
Tony Hale, Jessie Mueller and Karen Ziemba lead the Broadway cast of Paddington The Musical
Three-panel collage: left woman in a purple sweater stands in a kitchen, center bald man with a glass of blue liquid, right smiling woman in a Labyrinth shirt in a library.
7 West End theatre shows closing in November 2026 
Three women in 19th-century costumes on a dim stage; center figure wears a bonnet and striped dress, looking distressed.
New production images released for Cranford at the Orange Tree Theatre starring Tamsin Greig
L-R Felipe Pacheco (Guildenstern), Claudia Harrison (Gertrude) & Miles Barrow (Rosencrantz) and the company of Hamlet Hail to the Thief at Barbican Theatre. Photo by Manuel Harlan
See newly released production images for Hamlet Hail to the Thief
From left to right: Young person viewed from behind wearing a black backpack and navy skirt, standing on a residential street with stone houses in the background, close-up portrait of a young woman with dark hair and bold red lipstick, with water splashing across her face against a teal background, and a viintage wooden-framed tennis racket photographed against a dramatic red and green gradient background.
Three new plays set to premiere at Park Theatre in 2027
Operation Mincemeat - The first preview of its new UK tour. Photo via PR
Operation Mincemeat UK tour announces additional performances in Birmingham, Salford and Plymouth
PRIDE the Musical: How Matthew Warchus and Stephen Beresford reimagined PRIDE for the stage
How Matthew Warchus and Stephen Beresford reimagined PRIDE for a new audience
Three actors in period costumes stand on an outdoor stage at night; a seated woman holds a child, flanked by two standing performers in Victorian gowns.
First look photos: Dominic Cooke’s new staging of Cloud 9, starring Rebecca Humphries and Eloka Ivo
A production photo of Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway
Havana comes to London: Tony-winning Buena Vista Social Club confirms West End debut
Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose star in One Day the Musical Photo: Matt Crockett
Everything you need to know about One Day the Musical at the Garrick Theatre
Avenue Q at the Shaftesbury Theatre London. Photo by Matt Crockett
Last minute theatre in London: 10 must-see shows to book right now 
LOVEthetre Top Picks. Oh, Mary (Manuel Harlan). The Play that Goes Wrong (Matt Crockett). The Hunger Games (Johan Persson). Beetlejuice (Johan Person)
Top Picks: 10 shows to book during LOVEtheatre Week
Triptych of three black-and-white portraits: a man with glasses in a suit, a woman with dark hair, and a woman with light hair looking into camera.
Jessica Hynes and Reece Shearsmith join White Rabbit Red Rabbit’s final line-up
Six teenagers sit around desks in a photography studio with a gray backdrop, engaged in conversation as a group photo is taken.
The cast of John Proctor Is the Villain talk about bringing the show to the West End
John Lithgow and Elliot Levey in Giant at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Photo by Johan Persson
First clip released from Giant, starring John Lithgow as Roald Dahl, screening in 900 cinemas from 19 November
Promotional banner advertising family-friendly Christmas shows, with a collage of posters on a purple background and a large white figure in the foreground.”,
11 Family-friendly shows to see in London this Christmas
The Cast of Ceilidh. Photo by Luke Dyson
Ceilidh the Musical extends its Shoreditch Town Hall residency due to popular demand, now booking into February 2027
Adam Garcia, Lauren Oakley and Sam Bailey in Chicago. Photo by Matt Crockett
Lauren Oakley, Adam Garcia, Mica Paris and Sam Bailey to star in Chicago UK and Ireland Tour 2027
Theatrical confrontation: a chained, ragged performer lunges toward a seated woman in a bonnet on a stage with a clock on the wall behind them
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong: first look at the festive mayhem 
Colin Burnicle, Liza Stevenson, Sameer Dhanjee, Ellie Seaton, Ashh Blackwood in rehearsals for Cinderella at Lyric Hammersmith. Photo by Alex Brenner.
Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Lyric Hammersmith’s Cinderella pantomime in rehearsal ahead of Christmas premiere
Sukania Venugopal & Nipuni Sharada in Counting and Cracking. Photo by Pia Johnson
Acclaimed Australian Sri Lankan epic Counting and Cracking to make its London debut at Soho Theatre Walthamstow
Three-panel collage: a man leans on a railing in a library, a dancer swirls a red-edged black gown on stage, and another dancer in a striped dress leaps with red shoes.
Sadler’s Wells announces 2027 season with Wuthering Heights, The Breakfast Club and more
PLAY WITHOUT WORDS. 2012 Company. Photo by Simon Annand
Matthew Bourne’s Play Without Words returns for 25th anniversary with a season at Sadler’s Wells
Jordan Donica as the Phantom. Phantom of the Opera 40th Anniversary cast. Photo by Johan Persson
The Phantom of the Opera welcomes new principals and extends following celebration of 40 years in the West End
One the Musical Interview. Background Image - Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose in One Day the Musical at Lyceum Edinburgh. Photo by Mihaela Bodlovic
How One Day the Musical found its voice: the cast and creative team on translating a beloved novel for the stage
Two women stand indoors and smile while presenting a framed award with a red seal.
Renowned West End producer Sonia Friedman receives Freedom of the City
Matt Willis as The Emcee in Cabaret. Photo by Marc Brenner
Matt Willis returns as Emcee in Cabaret opposite Sarah Hyland for a limited six-week run
Gloria Obianyo, Janie Dee.jpg in Speculations at Marylebone Theatre. Photo by Helen Maybanks
See Janie Dee take on Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald in newly released images for Torben Bett’s Speculations
The Choir of Man Production Image. Photo by The Other Richard
The Choir of Man announces full cast ahead of return this Christmas at The Arts at Marble Arch
Collage of ten portraits featuring diverse drag performers and performers in bold, colorful outfits posing together.
Rufus Hound, Vikki Stone, Danielle Steers and more join King’s Head Theatre’s Dick Whittington: Adults Only panto
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Main photo: West End Weekly (28 March 2026) - Beetlejuice (Photo via show), Grease, Trainspotting (Photos Matt Crockett)

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