Best Shakespeare plays being performed live in London this year

There’s also a variety of adaptations to suit any kind of theatregoer. Some will be very classic versions for the more traditional viewer, like productions at The Globe, while others are really pushing the boat out this year, like the recent Much Ado About Nothing from Jamie Lloyd.

As a medium, Shakespeare has been reimagined so many times and in so many ways which means you’ll never really run out of original performances to see. Plus, the Bard's birthday (23rd April) is fast approaching, and what better way to celebrate than by buying tickets to a new Shakespeare production?

So, to help you answer the question of to buy or not to buy, we’ve put together this list of the best Shakespeare plays to see in 2025.

We’ve also thrown in some Shakespeare-themed experiences and tours, as well as opera and ballet adaptations of Shakespeare's work.

Speaking of operas, check out the best operas in London and our Carmen review.

If you’re a theatre fan, take a look at the best West End shows, the biggest celebrity names coming to the West End in 2025, or find the best kids theatre shows.

Jump to:

• Best London Shakespeare plays at a glance
• Best Shakespeare plays in London to see in 2025
• More Shakespeare plays and other live experiences in 2025

Best London Shakespeare plays at a glance:

• Cymbeline, from £6
• Romeo and Juliet, from £8
• The Merry Wives of Windsor, from £8
• Twelfth Night, or What You Will, from £8
• Trolius and Cressida, from £8
• Richard III, from £17.60
• Rough Magic - Globe, from £18
• A Midsummer Night's Dream, from £23.40
• Richard II, from £60

Best Shakespeare plays in London to see in 2025

A Midsummer Night's Dream

• 31st May – 23rd August 2025

Following its critically acclaimed run in 2019, A Midsummer Night's Dream is returning to the Bridge Theatre for a limited time only this summer. This show will star JJ Feild (Ring Round The Moon), Susannah Fielding (The Crossing Plays), Emmanuel Akwafo (As You Like It), and David Moorst (To Kill A Mockingbird).

The summer evenings will provide a brilliant backdrop for this adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream; you'll head to the forest and be immersed in a world of flying fairies, love stories, and magical tricks.

Buy A Midsummer Night's Dream tickets from £23.40 at LOVEtheatre

Cymbeline

• 17th Jan – 20th Apr 2025

Shakespeare’s late, tragic comedy of love and rebellion, has returned for the first time in ten years. If you want to experience a lesser-known Shakespeare work in a beautiful theatre (London's only candlelit theatre), then don't miss out on tickets!

Buy Cymbeline tickets from £6 at LOVEtheatre

Romeo and Juliet

• 25th April – 2nd August 2025

This classic Shakespeare tragedy is getting a brand-new perspective in Sean Holmes's production. This time we're heading to the Wild West for an exciting showdown between the Montagues and Capulets, featuring saloon brawls and gunfights. Hold on to your (cowboy) hats!

Buy Romeo and Juliet tickets from £8 at TodayTix

Check out more of the best musicals on tour UK and the best open air theatre shows.

The Merry Wives of Windsor

• 4th July – 20th September 2025

Fun fact: despite being one of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays, The Merry Wives of Windsor served as the inspiration behind the 2006 rom-com John Tucker Must Die.

This summer you can watch the original in all its glory, as Sir John Falstaff finds himself by the two wealthy ladies he's attempting to double cross.

Buy The Merry Wives of Windsor tickets at TodayTix

For the latest ticket releases, such as Gladiators Live tickets, be sure to stay up to date with our Going Out section.

Rough Magic - Globe

• 19th July – 23rd August 2025

One for the kids this time. If you're looking for a way to keep your children's brains engaged and learning over the summer holidays, why not use this time to introduce them to the works of Shakespeare?

Rough Magic is a show specially targeted at children, based on the famous three witches from Macbeth. Be prepared to come dressed up as your favourite magical creature.

Buy Rough Magic - Globe tickets from £18 at TodayTix

Twelfth Night, or What You Will

• 8th August – 25th October 2025

This bittersweet comedy is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. The playwright does what he does best here, weaving a tangled web of love and desires that turns into a glorious tale showcasing the power of love and freedom.

Buy Twelfth Night, or What You Will tickets from £8 at TodayTix

Trolius and Cressida

• 26th September – 25th October 2025

Trolius and Cressida is a lesser-performed Shakespeare drama, so it's best to grab tickets to see it while you can. This genre-defying satire takes place eight years after Trojan prince Troilus falls deeply in love with Cressida, and it explores the cult of celebrity, even as far back as ancient Greece and Troy.

Buy Trolius and Cressida tickets from £8 at TodayTix

Here at RadioTimes.com, we like to review the shows we recommend to you, just take a look at our Unicorn review, The Seagull review, and Dear England review.

Richard II

• 10th Feb – 10th May 2025

Jonathan Bailey is swapping Bridgerton for Bolingbroke this year, as he will be appearing in a brand-new London production of Richard II at the Bridge Theatre. This is one of Shakespeare's lesser-known works, which tells the exciting tale of a disastrous king and the plot to destroy him.

Buy Richard II tickets from £60 at London Theatre Direct

Richard III

• 13th May – 17th May 2025

You've heard of Richard II, now get ready for Richard III! Shakespeare takes on the tale of the next King Richard in this play focusing on a villain who manipulated his way to the throne, which is part history and part tragedy.

Buy Richard III tickets from £17.60 at ATG Tickets

Taking a loved one to see a Shakespeare play would be a brilliant birthday gift, and for moreinspiration, take a look at the best experience birthday gifts and top London experience gifts.

More Shakespeare plays and other live experiences in 2025

Romeo and Juliet ballet

• 4th March – 26th May 2025

The greatest love story ever told is at the Royal Opera House this spring.

As we mentioned earlier, one of the brilliant things about Shakespeare productions is that they're all adapted in unique ways, and this ballet is a brilliant example of that with its passionate choreography.

Buy Romeo and Juliet tickets from £48 at Theatre Tickets Direct

Shakespeare in the City Walking Tour for Two

If history’s more your thing than literature, you can honour the Bard in another way by going on the Shakespeare in the City Walking Tour.

With an expert guide, who was once a Shakespearian actor, you can follow the footsteps of the playwright as he lived in 16th century London and learn all about his works and troubled personal life.

Buy Shakespeare in the City Walking Tour for Two for £31 at Virgin Experience Days

The Swan at The Globe afternoon tea for two

Right next to Shakespeare's Globe is the historic Swan restaurant, which gives you not only one of the best views of the River Thames around, but also a beautiful afternoon tea to enjoy. We dare anyone to bite their thumb in the direction of these scrumptious scones.

Buy The Swan at The Globe Afternoon Tea for £70 at Virgin Experience Days

Shakespeare's Schoolroom & Guildhall Entry Ticket and Tour

If you find yourself in Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, you can take a closer look at the Bard’s childhood with a tour of his schoolroom and the Guildhall. The interactive experience lets you sit in the very room where Shakespeare studied as a boy, plus you can take part in a Tudor-style lesson and even dress up in period costume for a selfie.

Buy Shakespeare's Schoolroom & Guildhall Entry Ticket and Tour for £13 from Viator

Did you know you can still buy Evita tickets for London?

Plus, check out the Everton new stadium tour.

Shakespeare Distillery Tour

Learn the secrets of gin making and find out how the spirits were produced in the Tudor period in this Shakespeare Distillery Tour. You’ll get to sample and discover the process of Stratford gin, and you can walk around the distillery at your leisure.

Buy Shakespeare Distillery Tour for £19.50 at Viator

Looking for a saving? Here's how to get cheap Cadbury World tickets, cheap Harry Potter Studio tickets, and cheap Warwick Castle tickets.

Stratford-upon-Avon Audio Walking Tour

If you fancy taking the lead yourself, you can simply grab an audio guide and wander around Stratford-upon-Avon as you please. Put together by an expert literature historian, you’ll get information on all the town’s most iconic buildings and get a closer look into all the facets of Shakespeare’s life.

Buy Stratford-upon-Avon Audio Walking Tour for £6.99 at Viator

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