There is no shortage of great theatre on stage in London this summer. From riveting new plays to critically acclaimed revivals, here are 12 shows we’re most looking forward to seeing.
The summer months are the perfect time to plan a trip to the theatre. Venture to Regent’s Park for an Andew Lloyd Webber classic or stroll over to the South Bank to see something at the National Theatre. Catch familiar faces on the stage like Cate Blanchett, Letitia Wright, Sam Ryder and Mary Louise Parker.
With so much to see on the London stage this summer, here are twelve shows you should be excited to see:
Best shows to see in summer 2026
Electra/Persona
National Theatre
19 August 2026 – 10 October 2026
Premiering this August is Electra/Persona, a new play starring Cate Blanchett who makes her return to the National Theatre for the first time in seven years. Blanchett reunites with Tár co-star Nina Hoss in this exciting new play. They are also joined by Ella Lily Hyland (Black Doves), who makes her London stage debut.
In Electra/Persona, playwright and director Benedict Andrews blends two stories told millennia apart – Sophocles’ Electra and Persona, Ingrid Bergman’s 1966 film – to explore identity, grief and the fragile line between who we are and who we play.
National Theatre - Lyttelton Theatre, London
Cats
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
25 July 2026 – 19 September 2026
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical Cats returns to London this summer in a brand-new open-air production under the stars. A staple of summer in London, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre offers a unique theatre experience surrounded by lush greenery. The famous feline Jellicle Ball takes place under the stars this summer for a limited seven-week London run.
West End stars Gary Wilmot (Anything Goes), Melanie La Barrie (Hadestown) and Rachael Wooding (Standing at the Sky’s Edge) join the cast of this reimagining, directed by Drew McOnie (Jesus Christ Superstar, Brigadoon).
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London
The Oresteia
Bridge Theatre
2 July 2026 – 19 September 2026
A gripping story of justice and revenge, Aeschylus’ The Oresteia comes to the Bridge Theatre in a major new production, led by two-time Tony Award winner Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) who makes her West End debut. The production also stars screen and stage actor David Morrissey (Sherwood, Daddy Issues).
Written and directed by Simon Stone (Yerma, Phaedra), this bold new staging reimagines the Greek tragic play as it follows a family torn apart by war, betrayal and violence in a cycle that spans generations.
Bridge Theatre, London
Arcadia
Duke of York’s Theatre
20 June 2026 – 12 September 2026
Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia transfers to the Duke of York’s in the West End this summer, following a sell-out run at the Old Vic. Set in a country house, the story threads together two timelines: in 1809, a teenage math prodigy seeks to understand the world, and in the present day, scholars take a closer look at her story.
Isis Hainsworth (Red Rose, Metal Lords) returns as Thomasina Coverly: the role earned her an Olivier Award nomination, and is joined by Nikki Amuka-Bird (NW, Small Island) as Hannah Jarvis and Oliver Chris (Rivals) as Bernard Nightingale.
The Tom Stoppard Theatre (formerly the Duke of York's Theatre), London
Heathers
The Arts at Marble Arch
9 July 2026 – 22 August 2026
Smash hit Heathers the Musical returns to London for a limited run at The Arts at Marble Arch this summer. Based on the cult 1980s film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, this darkly funny musical follows high school outsider Veronica Sawyer as she becomes entangled with the ruthless Heathers the top of the popularity food chain and the dangerously charismatic JD who is a bit of a mystery.
Directed by Andy Fickman (She’s the Man) with songs by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe (Legally Blonde the Musical), this hilarious musical has built its own cult following over the years.
The Story
National Theatre
27 August 2026 – 24 October 2026
Black Panther star Letitia Wright makes her National Theatre debut in The Story, a high-stakes newsroom thriller from acclaimed playwright Tracey Scott Wilson (The Good Negro, The Americans). Wright plays an ambitious rising reporter who gets the scoop of a lifetime, but when fact and fiction begin to blend, the question ultimately becomes ‘who owns the story?’
This powerhouse ensemble also includes Aliyah Odoffin, Wilf Scolding, Ashley Thomas, and Lorraine Toussaint, in a play that explores, race and representation in an era of misinformation.
National Theatre - Olivier Theatre, London
To Kill a Mockingbird
Wyndham’s Theatre
25 June 2026 – 12 September 2026
Trade the London sunshine for the hazy heat of Alabama with To Kill a Mockingbird. Richard Coyle (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) returns to the West End as Atticus Finch, father to Scout Finch and lawyer at the centre of a new case threatening to upset the already precarious balance in their 1930s town.
Acclaimed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Newsroom, The West Wing) adapts Harper Lee’s iconic novel in this critically acclaimed production directed by Tony Award-winner Bartlett Sher.
Wyndham's Theatre, London
Jesus Christ Superstar
London Palladium
20 June 2026 – 5 September 2026
The second Andrew Lloyd Webber offering coming this summer is Jesus Christ Superstar, a revival of the award-winning 2017 Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production.
Eurovision star Sam Ryder makes his West End debut as the titular Jesus and will be joined onstage by a series of guest stars in the role of King Herod including Richard Armitage (The Hobbit trilogy), pop icon Boy George (Moulin Rouge!) and Layton Williams (Titanique).
Jesus Christ Superstar is a contemporary rock retelling of the last days of Jesus Christ through the eyes of Judas, offering a strikingly human perspective on events that changed the course of history.
London Palladium, London
Pride the Musical
National Theatre
11 June 2026 – 12 September 2026
Premiering this summer at the National Theatre, Pride the Musical is the hotly anticipated new musical from the creative team behind the acclaimed 2014 film. Following the inspiring true story of activist group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, and how two disparate communities found common ground, joined forces and made history.
Director Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical, Oedipus) and writer Stephen Beresford (The Last of the Haussmans, The Southbury Child) reunite on the new musical after working on the film together, with composers Christopher Nightingale, Josh Cohen, and DJ Walde joining the team with original songs inspired by protest anthems, rock, disco and the Welsh choral tradition.
Bridge Theatre, London
Cyrano de Bergerac
Noel Coward Theatre
13 June 2026 – 5 September 2026
The acclaimed RSC production of Cyrano de Bergerac arrives in the West End this summer, starring Adrian Lester (The Sandman, Hustle), Susannah Fielding (This Time with Alan Partridge) and Levi Brown (This Town). This classic play presents a romantic and funny story that is thrilling and heartbreaking in equal measure.
Poet, soldier and philosopher Cyrano is in love with Roxane, kept from telling her the truth by insecurities about his appearance. When she falls in love with a young soldier who struggles with words, Cyrano’s heart is put to the test as he helps shape a love story that may ultimately destroy him.
Noël Coward Theatre, London
Beetlejuice the Musical
Prince Edward Theatre
Booking to 17 April 2027
Based on Tim Burton’s iconic 1988 film, Beetlejuice the Musical is an outrageous and wickedly funny stage adaptation that has arrived in London after growing something of a cult following during its time on Broadway. Directed by Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge! the Musical), the musical brings the luridly vibrant demon in a striped suit to life with gusto.
Olivier Award nominee David Fynn (School of Rock) stars in the titular role, alongside Hannah Nordberg (Euphoria) as the gothic Lydia Deetz, originally played by Winona Ryder.
Prince Edward Theatre, London
Sinatra the Musical
Aldwych Theatre
3 June 2026 – 10 April 2027
Featuring more than 20 of Frank Sinatra’s greatest hits, Sinatra the Musical brings one of the most iconic performers of all time to the London stage, revealing the man behind the myth. This exciting new musical charts Sinatra’s extraordinary career, from his rising fame to the salacious scandal that ruined him and the comeback that changed everything.
Directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes, Follies) and written by two-time Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro (Memphis), Sinatra the Musical is the glamourous old Hollywood jukebox musical you won’t want to miss this summer.
Aldwych Theatre, London
Oh, Mary!
Trafalgar Theatre
Booking to 2 January 2027
Smash hit comedy Oh, Mary! has announced an extension this summer, alongside a new leading star. Television and stage actress Catherine Tate currently stars as Mary Todd Lincoln in this chaotic and fast paced comedy until 18 July, after which Cole Escola will take over for a limited time.
Escola, who originated Mary Todd Lincoln on Broadway for which they won a Tony Award, also wrote the play, a satirical retelling of the life of Mary and her husband Abe Lincoln in the weeks leading up to his assassination.
Trafalgar Theatre, London
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