What are the best plays in London right now? 17 must-see recommendations
From Oedipus to Fawlty Towers to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, we've got all the best theatre plays happening in London right now.
The London theatre scene is thriving at the moment. From deathly dark dramas to family friendly comedies, there seems to be a new show cropping up in every corner of the West End.
But with so much on, and budgets to consider, what should you actually go and see? Not everyone is a fan of a glitzy musical, and we know how hard it is to cut through all that happy-clappy noise and see what else is going on.
So, to help, we've made a list of the very best plays happening in London this year.
Below you'll find a show to suit every genre, whether that's retellings of classic plays like Oedipus and A View from the Bridge, or new offbeat stories like Bluets and The Constituent. The West End has also recently seen a trend of nostalgic shows that bring a previously loved film or TV show back to our lives, like Fawlty Towers, My Neighbour Totoro, or Dr Strangelove.
Plus, there's the long-running plays that have dominated London theatre scene for years, such as The Mousetrap, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Stranger Things: First Shadow. Or, there's shows featuring a high-profile celebrity like Jodie Whittaker and Eddie Izzard. Whatever your taste, you're sure to find a show that tickles your fancy.
If you're worried about cost, don't, because we've already done the work for you. For each play we have scoured the various ticketing sites (ATG, London Theatre Direct, TodayTix, etc) and selected the one with the lowest starting price, so you can make sure you're not spending a huge chunk on booking fees.
If you don't see what you're looking for, try our best West End shows roundup instead. But, without further ado, here's the top plays in London.
Best plays in London at a glance
Limited-time only plays
- Boys from the Black Stuff, from £15
- Fawlty Towers, from £19
- The Duchess, from £20
- A View from the Bridge, from £22.50
- The 39 Steps, from £25
- My Neighbour Totoro, from £25
- The Constituent, from £26.50
- Dr Strangelove, from £30
- Oedipus, from £31
- People, Places and Things, from £35
- Eddie Izzard: Hamlet, from £49
- Bluets, from £66
Long-running plays
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, from £15
- Witness for the Prosecution, from £19
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow, from £20
- The Play that Goes Wrong, from £23.20
- The Mousetrap, from £25.50
Best plays in London you have to see in 2024
People, Places and Things
- 3rd May – 10th Aug 2024 – Trafalgar Theatre
Starring Denise Gough, People, Places and Things follows Emma, a struggling actress whose life is spinning out of control. As she tackles addiction and the difficulties of coping with the modern world, Emma believes that everyone else is the problem.
Buy People, Places and Things tickets from £35 at ATG Tickets
Bluets
- 17th May – 29th Jun 2024 – Royal Court
Don't miss the last few weeks of Bluets, starring Paddington himself, Ben Wishaw, House of the Dragon's Emma D'Arcy, and stage star Kayla Meikle. Based on Maggie Nelson's stellar book, Bluets is a story about a person's struggles with depression, pleasure, pain and an obsession with the colour blue.
Buy Bluets tickets from £66 at TodayTix
Fawlty Towers
- 4th May – 28th Sept 2024 – Apollo Theatre
Head back to Torquay this summer in the West End Debut of Fawlty Towers the stage show. Featuring Basil Fawty, Sybil, Manuel, Polly and The Major, this comedy takes three of the best episodes from the '70s sitcom and blends it into one hilarious performance. The show was written by creator John Cleese himself, and in case you're worried, he told RadioTimes.com and other press, that it keeps "all the best bits" from the original series.
Buy Fawlty Towers tickets from £19 at London Theatre Direct
Eddie Izzard: Hamlet
- 23rd May – 30th Jun 2024 – Riverside Studios
After the huge success of Great Expectations, Eddie Izzard is currently performing in her second solo show, Hamlet, until the end of the month. Featuring one actress and 23 characters, this play is a unique and gripping retelling of the Shakespearean classic.
Buy Eddie Izzard: Hamlet tickets from £49 at London Theatre Direct
Witness for the Prosecution
- Until 30th Mar 2025 – London County Hall
We gave Witness for the Prosecution five stars in our review because it is, quite simply, the perfect Agatha Christie thriller. Although less known than The Mousetrap, we would say it's just as thrilling, with a plot that centres around a young man accused of murdering his elderly patron.
The show is set in London County Hall – once home to the now-extinct Greater London Council – and has the look and feel of a real court room. Plus, you can buy tickets to actually sit in the jury and take part in the show.
Buy Witness for the Prosecution tickets from £19 at London Theatre Direct
My Neighbour Totoro
- 8th Mar – 2nd Nov 2025 – Gillian Lynne Theatre
Studio Ghibli's My Neighbour Totoro is coming back to London next spring after a run at The Barbican. We were lucky enough to see the first run of this show and were hugely impressed by its stunning puppetry and the use of the original movie score.
The play is a coming-of-age tale set in the 1950s Tokyo about two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who have moved to the countryside with their father and soon encounter a fantastical range of spirits and creatures.
Buy My Neighbour Totoro tickets from £25 LW Theatres
Buy My Neighbour Totoro tickets from £28 TodayTix
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Boys from the Black Stuff
- 13th Jun – 3rd Aug 2024 – Garrick Theatre
Now showing for a limited run, Boys from the Blackstuff is based on Alan Bleasdale’s award-winning series from the 1980s. Set in Liverpool, the play is about Chrissie, Loggo, George, Dixie and Yosser, who are working hard to support their families through the hardest of times. But with no jobs and no money around, they need a miracle.
Buy Boys from the Black Stuff tickets from £15 TodayTix
The Play that Goes Wrong
- Until 4th May 2025 – Duchess Theatre
This hilarious award-winning disaster of play will have you howling from the minute you sit down. Now in its ninth year at The Duchess Theatre, The Play that Goes Wrong is all about a murder mystery being put on by the accident-prone members of The Cornley Drama Society. As they muddle through the drama, everything seems to be against them, but as always the show must go on, but will they make it to the final curtain call?
Buy The Play that Goes Wrong tickets from £23.20 at LOVE Theatre
Did you know that this is currently on tour alongside a whole host of other shows? Check out the best musicals on tour for more.
The Mousetrap
- Until 2nd Mar 2025 – St Martin's Theatre
The day The Mousetrap leaves the theatre is the day London falls. It's the longest running West End show, having started in 1952, and yet its ending is still a complete mystery to those who haven't seen it. Written by Agatha Christie herself, this spine-tingling show is a must-see if you love murder mysteries.
Buy The Mousetrap tickets from £25.50 at TodayTix
A View from the Bridge
- 22nd May – 3rd Aug 2024 – Theatre Royal Haymarket
The Crown's Dominic West and It's a Sin's Callum Scott Howells are currently starring in a limited run of A View from the Bridge. Written by Arthur Miller, the play is set in 1950s New York, and follows ordinary worker Eddie Carbone as he welcomes his wife’s Italian cousins to America. But when his niece Catherine falls for one of the visitors, Eddie struggles with his own feelings of jealousy and barely concealed lust for the young girl.
Buy A View from the Bridge tickets from £22.50 at London Theatre Direct
The Constituent
- 13th Jun – 10th Aug 2024 – The Old Vic Theatre
James Corden is back in the UK, and when he isn't preparing for the next Gavin and Stacey Christmas special, he's starring in a brand-new play with Anna Maxwell Martin (Line of Duty, Motherland).
The Constituent is about Martin's life as a compassionate back bencher MP who comes across an ex-serviceman whose world is tumbling down around him.
Buy The Constituent tickets from £26.50 at LOVE Theatre
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
- Until 16th Feb 2025 – Phoenix Theatre
Stranger Things: The First Shadow was recently extended until February 2025, and we are so glad! Earlier this year, we gave the play four stars in our RadioTimes.com review, praising it for its incredible visuals and the way it ties in so very neatly to the Netflix series.
The play is set in Hawkins 1959 and follows a young Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper and Bob Newby as they try to uncover who has been killing off all the town's pets, meanwhile a new student, Henry Creel, has just moved into town...
Buy Stranger Things: The First Shadow tickets from £20 at ATG Tickets
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- Until 2nd Mar 2025 – Palace Theatre
Since 2016, The Cursed Child has enchanted fans by bringing the magical world of Harry Potter to life before their very eyes. With spellbinding effects, a thrilling plot and brilliant performances, this show is perfect for Hogwarts fans or anyone who enjoys a spectacle.
Buy Harry Potter and the Cursed Child tickets from £15 at Ticketmaster
Buy Harry Potter and the Cursed Child tickets from £15 at Harry Potter the Play
Take a look at the best kids theatre shows for more family fun.
Oedipus
- 4th Oct 2024 – 4th Jan 2025 – Wyndham's Theatre
Now there are actually two Oedipus plays going on at the West End over the next year – how very Greek tragedy! First there's this one starring Mark Strong and Lesley Manville this august, the second is starring Rami Malek and Indira Varma starting next January.
But for now focussing on the play happening this year, this adaptation brings the classic Greek tragedy into a modern day political campaign, following Oedipus and his investigation to find the killer of King Laius.
Buy Oedipus tickets from £31 at London Theatre Direct
Dr Strangelove
- 8th Oct – 21st Dec 2024 – Noel Coward Theatre
Steve Coogan will be taking to the stage this October for the first-ever adaptation of Dr Strangelove. Based on Stanley Kubrick's film and adapted by Armando Iannucci (creator of The Thick of It), this black comedy explores the nuclear paranoia of the Cold War and follows an unhinged US Air Force General trying to destroy the Soviet Union.
Buy Dr Strangelove tickets from £30 at Ticketmaster
The 39 Steps
- 16th Aug – 28th Sept 2024 – Trafalgar Theatre
Based on Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 spy thriller, the 39 Steps is back on the West End for just six weeks this autumn. Following protagonist Richard Hannay, this show has dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents, beautiful women, and a very British outlook on it all.
Plus, it's an absolute feat of engineering to watch as just four actors take on 139 roles in the space of two hours.
Buy The 39 Steps tickets from £25 at London Theatre Direct
The Duchess
- 5th Oct – 20th Dec 2024 – Trafalgar Theatre
Jodie Whittaker – AKA the Thirteenth Doctor – will be heading back to the stage this autumn for the first time in over a decade to perform in a brand-new adaptation of The Duchess of Malfi.
Based on the classic 17th century play, this tragedy focuses on a Duchess who marries beneath her class, and in the process enrages her two brothers who feel compelled to take revenge.
Buy The Duchess tickets from £20 at ATG Tickets
We have so much more theatre over in our Going Out section, take a look at the best Shakespeare plays and the best open air theatre shows. Plus, Bradley Riches on his new musical Babies and how to get Calamity Jane UK tour tickets.
