Gothic Horrors, Gospel Icons, and West End Heavyweights
February may be the shortest month, but West End stages are packing in a diverse slate of new shows this year.
The spotlight is firmly on solo powerhouses and long-awaited premieres: Cynthia Erivo makes a spectacular return to the London stage to inhabit every character in Dracula, while Beverley Knight prepares to raise the roof as the godmother of rock ‘n’ roll in Marie & Rosetta.
Also this month, the candlelit intimacy of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse will be home to the premiere of Chadwick Boseman’s Deep Azure, movie star Hugh Bonneville is returning to the West End in Shadowlands, and there are bold new voices coming to the Royal Court.
Honourable mentions must also go to shows we featured in our January 2026 round-up, which started previews in January but officially open in February: I’m Sorry, Prime Minister starring Griff Rhys Jones at the Apollo Theatre; and Man and Boy starring Ben Daniels at the National Theatre.
Check out our top 10 picks for the best new shows opening in London and the West End this February 2026, in order of their arrival.
Shadowlands – Aldwych Theatre London. Hugh Bonneville & Maggie Siff
1. Shadowlands
Aldwych Theatre | Starts 5 February 2026
Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington) and Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy) star in this heart-wrenching revival of William Nicholson’s classic play. It chronicles the profound and transformative love story between the reserved C.S. Lewis and the American poet Joy Davidman.
2. The Shitheads
Royal Court Theatre | Starts 6 February 2026
Part of the Royal Court’s bold 70th-anniversary season, Jack Nicholls’ fierce new prehistoric drama The Shitheads offers an unexpected look at humanity’s earliest days. Co-directed by David Byrne and Aneesha Srinivasan, it is a highlight of the season’s focus on provocative new writing.
3. Deep Azure
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse | Starts 7 February 2026
The late Chadwick Boseman’s Deep Azure makes its highly anticipated UK premiere in the intimate, candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. This electrifying drama combines the raw pulse of hip-hop theatre with a powerful narrative on justice and identity, from breakout director Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu (For Black Boys…).
Dracula to star Cynthia Erivo in London
4. Dracula
Noël Coward Theatre | Starts 7 February 2026
In a theatrical event like no other, Cynthia Erivo (Wicked, The Color Purple) takes on all 23 roles in Kip Williams’ innovative reimagining of Bram Stoker’s gothic masterpiece Dracula. Fresh from his Olivier and Tony Award-winning success for The Picture of Dorian Gray, Williams uses groundbreaking “cinetheatre” to bring the spine-chilling tale of Count Dracula to life.
Bird Grove at Hampstead Theatre. Elizabeth Dulau & Owen Teale (Photo via PR)
5. Bird Grove
Hampstead Theatre | Starts 13 February 2026
Alexi Kaye Campbell’s new play explores the life of the legendary English writer George Eliot. Set against the backdrop of Victorian expectations, it’s a poignant study of a woman fighting for her independence and her creative voice in the world. Stars Elizabeth Dulau (Andor, House of Guinness) and Game of Thrones star Owen Teale (A Doll’s House).
Midnight – 2026 casting announced. Marisha Wallace, Rachel Tucker (Photos via agents), Todrick Hall (Photo Jon Sams)
6. Midnight – A New Original Musical
Sadler’s Wells East | Starts 20 February 2026
Todrick Hall brings his sweeping, high-energy new musical back to Sadler’s Wells East. Expect spectacular choreography and a modern pop-infused score in this story of love, conflict, and understanding. An exceptional cast includes Hall, Rachel Tucker (Wicked), Marisha Wallace (Cabaret) and George Maguire (Sunny Afternoon).
Ticket hub for Midnight – A New Original Musical
Broken Glass – The Young Vic. Pearl Chanda, Eli Gelb (Photo via PR)
7. Broken Glass
Young Vic Theatre | Starts 21 February 2026
Jordan Fein (Into the Woods, Fiddler on the Roof) directs a revival of Arthur Miller’s Olivier Award-winning drama Broken Glass. Starring Nancy Carroll, the play examines the psychological fallout of the 1938 Kristallnacht attacks on a Jewish couple living in Brooklyn.
Our Town – Michael Sheen and cast. Photo by Helen Murray
8. Our Town
Rose Theatre Kingston | Starts 26 February 2026
Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic comes to The Rose Theatre in Kingston starring Michael Sheen. As the inaugural production of the newly formed Welsh National Theatre, this critically acclaimed new staging offers a beautiful, reflective look at the small moments that define a human life.
9. The Holy Rosenbergs
Menier Chocolate Factory | Starts 27 February 2026
Directed by Lindsay Posner (A View from the Bridge), Ryan Craig’s uncompromising family drama The Holy Rosenbergs explores the deep-seated tensions of identity and loyalty. Following a family pushed to its breaking point as personal and political convictions collide, the drama stars Dan Fredenburgh (Holby City, Bad Girls) and Tracy-Ann Oberman (EastEnders, Friday Night Dinner).
Book tickets to The Holy Rosenbergs
Marie & Rosetta – Ntombizodwa Ndlovu & Beverley Knight. Photo by Marc Brenner
10. Marie & Rosetta
@sohoplace Theatre | Starts 28 February 2026
The legendary Beverley Knight stars as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the godmother of rock ‘n’ roll, with Sharon Rose as Marie Knight in new play-with-music Marie & Rosetta. The show chronicles Rosetta’s first rehearsal with a young Marie Knight as they prepare to embark on a tour that would change music history.
Visit our Marie & Rosetta ticket hub
All Shows Opening in February 2026
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