The West End is home to bold new plays and revivals of blockbuster musicals. Photo: AFP
New Yorkers might argue with me, but I believe London now has the best theatre scene in the world. The West End is home to bold new plays and revivals of blockbuster musicals - you can’t miss the huge crowds outside the London Palladium every night waiting to hear Rachel Zegler belt out Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina from the theatre’s balcony. But if you’ve missed that sensation (the show closes Sept 6), not to worry, there’s plenty of fascinating productions to book this autumn.
Bryan Cranston is back on the London stage, where he’d wowed crowds with Network eight years ago. He’s teamed up again with Belgian director Ivo van Hove for a new version of the Arthur Miller classic All My Sons. And in what’s becoming a familiar occurrence, Hollywood legends are making their London theatre debuts. Last year, Sigourney Weaver was in a production of the Tempest; next month Susan Sarandon makes a return to the stage at the Old Vic.
Beyond A-listers, there’s plenty of productions to be excited about, including a show from Nick Payne, who wrote the fantastic Constellations. Called The Unbelievers, it’s at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, which is one of the best venues to see thought-provoking work in an intimate setting.
Note that some of the shows recommended below have very limited runs, so start planning your theatregoing now. Here are nine new (and newly transferred) shows that we’re looking forward to seeing in London this autumn, both on and off the West End.
Not Your Superwoman
Where: Bush Theatre
When: Sept 8 through Nov 1
Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and Marvel superhero Letitia Wright (Black Panther) star as mother and daughter in this coming of-age-drama. This production is Bush Theatre artistic director Lynette Linton’s farewell after a fantastic tenure at the innovative West London venue.
Bacchae
Where: The Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre
When: Sept 13 through Nov 1
All eyes will be on the National Theatre as artistic director Indhu Rubasingham kicks off her tenure as boss of the hugely influential London organisation. Her first show is an adaptation of the Greek tragedy from first-time playwright Nima Taleghani. Expect a big swing from a director known for risk-taking.
Mary Page Marlowe
Where: Old Vic
When: Sept 23 through Nov 1
Sarandon makes her London stage debut in the British premiere of Pulitzer- and Tony-winning playwright Tracy Letts’ epic, time-jumping drama. Homegrown talent Andrea Riseborough will star alongside Sarandon as the titular character at a younger age.
The Lady From The Sea
Where: Bridge Theatre
When: Sept 10 through Nov 8
Oscar-winning actress Alicia Vikander makes her stage debut in this version of the Henrik Ibsen classic, written and directed by Simon Stone, who earned rave reviews for his previous show Yerma. Vikander is joined onstage by Andrew Lincoln, well known to American audiences from The Walking Dead and Love Actually.
Punch
Where: Apollo Theatre
When: Sept 22 through Nov 29
Prodigiously talented playwright James Graham’s powerful show about a fight outside a pub with fatal consequences transfers to the West End from the Nottingham Playhouse and Young Vic. The play itself is an emotional gut punch, with a moving message about redemption. (The play, directed by Adam Penford, also begins an unusual simultaneous run in New York; performances at the Manhattan Theatre Club begin on Sept 9.)
The Unbelievers
Where: Royal Court Theatre
When: Oct 10 through Nov 29
Playwright Payne is back at the Royal Court with a show starring Nicola Walker as a mother whose teenage son disappears. Marianne Elliott, who worked on stellar revivals of Company and Angels in America, directs the show.
The Hunger Games
Where: Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre
When: Oct 20 through Feb 15, 2026
Suzanne Collins’ wildly popular dystopian series is coming to the stage, in a show penned by award-winning playwright Conor McPherson. The play will debut in a purpose-built 1,200-capacity theatre, and the show is advertising that the audience will "feel like part of the action.” May the odds be ever in your favour, Hunger Games fans.
All My Sons
Where: Wyndham’s Theatre
When: Nov 14 through March 7, 2026
Miller’s roaring critique of the American dream returns to the West End, directed by the boundary-breaking van Hove. The talented cast features Cranston (who worked with the director on Network), as well as Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Paapa Essiedu and Tom Glynn-Carney.
Dracula
Where: Noel Coward Theatre
When: Feb 4, 2026 through May 31, 2026
All right, this is obviously more winter than autumn, but Kip Williams bringing his one-woman Dracula show, starring Cynthia Erivo, from Sydney to London is too exciting not to include. Williams’ Picture Of Dorian Gray was a smash-hit that nabbed Sarah Snook an Olivier and a Tony-and it’s always a joy to see the extraordinary Erivo command a stage. - Bloomberg
