Name: Mlima’s Tale
Brand: London Theatre
SKU: 29745
Rating: 80 (1 reviews)

Hello, Imelda! One of the buzziest West End openings of 2024 sees the incredible Imelda Staunton starring in Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart’s beloved musical [*Hello, Dolly!*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/37374-hello-dolly). The revival, directed by Dominic Cooke (who worked his magic with Stephen Sondheim’s *Follies* at the National Theatre), plays at the [London Palladium](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/london-palladium) from July.

Staunton takes on the iconic role of indomitable matchmaker Dolly Levi, previously played by the likes of Carol Channing, Barbra Streisand, Mary Martin, and Bette Midler. She’s joined in this London revival by an amazing cast featuring Jenna Russell, Andy Nyman, Tyrone Huntley, and Harry Hepple. 

Herman’s wonderful score includes enduring numbers like “Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” “Ribbons Down My Back,” “Elegance,” “It Only Takes a Moment,” and the great title number. Get ready for Staunton’s next great performance by looking back at her remarkable career on stage and screen.

Check back for information on [*Hello, Dolly!* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/37374-hello-dolly) on London Theatre.

## Imelda Staunton’s beginnings

Imelda Staunton was born in north London in 1956. Her parents – first-generation immigrants from Ireland – worked as a hairdresser and a labourer, and the family home was over her mother’s salon. They were a musical clan, too: her mother could play the fiddle and the accordion.

Staunton first took an interest in acting while at school, playing roles such as Polly in *The Beggar’s Opera*. She auditioned for several drama schools and won a place at RADA, graduating in 1976.

## Imelda Staunton on stage

Staunton made her professional start performing at venues like Exeter’s Northcott Theatre, and playing starring roles early on – such as George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan. She then began her successful association with the National Theatre, returning to *The Beggar’s Opera* to play Lucy Lockit in 1982. That scored her the first of her 13 Olivier Award nominations.

A major revival of *Guys and Dolls* that same year at the [National Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/national-theatre) saw Staunton win acclaim and another nomination for her Miss Adelaide (taking over the role from Julia McKenzie) and introduced her to her husband Jim Carter. 

Staunton won her first Olivier in 1985 for her work in two shows: Emlyn Williams’s *The Corn is Green* at the [Old Vic](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/old-vic-theatre) and Alan Ayckbourn’s *A Chorus of Disapproval* at the National. In 1988, she played Sonya in Anton Chekhov’s *Uncle Vanya* in the West End, and she scored another Olivier nod for her Dorothy in *The Wizard of Oz* at the [Barbican](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/barbican). 

Her intense interpretation of Sondheim roles began with an Olivier-winning Baker’s Wife in the original London production of *Into the Woods* at the [Phoenix Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/phoenix-theatre) in 1990. However, the next few years saw Staunton mainly appearing in plays, such as Yasmina Reza’s *Life x 3* at the National, Joe Orton’s *Entertaining Mr Sloane* in the West End, and Edward Albee’s *A Delicate Balance* at the [Almeida Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/almeida-theatre).

But in 2011 came Staunton’s definitive Mrs Lovett in *Sweeney Todd*, opposite [Michael Ball](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/michael-ball), at the Chichester Festival Theatre, and then 2014 saw her astonishing Rose in *Gypsy* – first at Chichester, then in the West End. Both saw Staunton win more Olivier Awards.

Staunton returned to drama for a towering Martha in Albee’s *Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?* in the West End in 2017, then switched back to Sondheim for the landmark revival of *Follies* at the National Theatre, playing Sally. Most recently, she appeared in the new version of Alan Bennett’s *Talking Heads* at the [Bridge Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/the-bridge-theatre), in 2020.

![Follies - LT - 1200](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/64xND2CejXRB3Z6ove3p9q/d5b6e0a8f32307477f56697402aef75c/follies-imelda-staunton.jpeg)

## Imelda Staunton in film

Staunton made her big-screen debut in the 1986 historical movie *Comrades*. She appeared in the British ensemble film *Peter’s Friends* in 1992, and she had supporting roles in the Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson-led *Much Ado About Nothing* in 1993, and the Thompson-led and scripted *Sense and Sensibility* in 1995.

More Shakespeare followed with the film adaptation of *Twelfth Night* in 1996, and then the Oscar-winning *Shakespeare in Love* in 1998, in which Staunton played nurse to Gwyneth Paltrow’s noblewoman. She added her voice to 2000 animation *Chicken Run* (and is returning for its upcoming sequel), and appeared in Stephen Fry’s Evelyn Waugh adaptation *Bright Young Things* in 2003.

However, it wasn’t until 2004 that cinemagoers really saw what Staunton can do. She played the title role, a backstreet abortionist in 1950, in Mike Leigh’s searing drama *Vera Drake*; the film won the Golden Lion at Venice, while Leigh and Staunton were both nominated for Oscars and won BAFTAs.

Staunton was memorably creepy as the villainous Dolores Umbridge in *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, in 2007, and she reprised the role in its sequel *The Deathly Hallows – Part 1* in 2010. She also reunited with Leigh in 2010 for *Another Year*, and was part of a magnificent ensemble in the British film *Pride* in 2014.

Staunton voiced Aunt Lucy in the *Paddington* films in 2014 and 2017 (and is set to do so again in the upcoming *Paddington in Peru*). She played a fairy in the *Maleficent* films in 2014 and 2019 and joined the *Downton Abbey* cast for its big-screen outings in 2019 and 2022.

![Imelda Staunton in A Lady of Letters, part of the Talking Heads series](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2lM9kpzmFfJYTVibe3aBkB/e2a183122e18cf92819a0b3f26c6a5b9/Imelda_1200x600.png)

## Imelda Staunton on TV

Staunton’s TV career began with an episode of the *Playhouse* anthology series in 1982. Guest roles followed, including in *The Singing Detective* in 1986, and she starred in the romantic comedy series *Up the Garden Path* from 1990-93.

Staunton led the black comedy *If You See God, Tell Him* in 1993, the American TV drama *Citizen X* in 1995, and the British sitcom *Is It Legal?* from 1995-98. She also guest-starred in the Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie sketch show *A Bit of Fry and Laurie*, and she played The Prioress in the TV adaptation of Chaucer’s *Canterbury Tales* in 1998.

More period drama followed with *David Copperfield* in 1999, *Cambridge Spies* in 2003 (in which Staunton played The Queen Mother), *Fingersmith* in 2005, and *Cranford* in 2007. Staunton also played Louisa Durrell in *My Family and Other Animals* in 2005.

Staunton guest-starred in the horror series *Psychoville* in 2010 and played The Interface in an episode of *Doctor Who* in 2011. The following year, she won acclaim – and an Emmy nomination – for playing the wife of Alfred Hitchcock in HBO’s *The Girl*.

Staunton once again teamed up with Michael Ball for Victoria Wood’s *That Day We Sang* in 2014, and, in 2020, she starred in the thriller *Flesh and Blood*, performed one of Bennett’s *Talking Heads* monologues, and joined the cast of comedy series *Trying*.

Most recently, Staunton took on her biggest TV role to date: playing Elizabeth II in the fifth and sixth seasons of royal drama *The Crown* on Netflix. Staunton got a Golden Globe nomination for her regal portrayal of the late monarch, and she reprises the role for the final instalment of the series this month.

It will be a right royal pleasure to see Staunton back on stage in *Hello, Dolly!* – her first musical since that wonderful *Follies*. Tickets are bound to go fast, so don’t wait too long to plan your trip in 2024.

Check back for information on [*Hello, Dolly!* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/37374-hello-dolly) on London Theatre.

*Photo credit: Imelda Staunton in Follies at the National Theatre (Photo by Johan Persson)*

*Imelda Staunton in Lady of Letters at the Bridge Theatre (Photo by Zac Nicholson)*

Learn more about Imelda Staunton's career ahead of 'Hello, Dolly!'

Imelda Staunton - LT - 1200x600

No under 4s admitted. Booster seats are not permitted on the Royal Circle and Grand Circle levels for health and safety reasons.

Hello, Dolly! - LON

Hello, Dolly!

Imelda Staunton will be back where she belongs in Hello, Dolly! next summer, as one of the most iconic musicals of all time comes to The London Palladium.

Imelda Staunton returns to the West End in summer 2024 to star in a major revival of Jerry Herman's classic musical *Hello, Dolly!* at the London Palladium.

The National Theatre has set its full cast for *Till the Stars Come Down*, a new play by Beth Steel. Performances begin on 24 January and run until 16 March.

Philip Whitchurch joins the previously announced cast of Lorraine Ashbourne, Lucy Black, Lisa McGrillis, Sinéad Matthews, Derek Riddell, Ruby Stokes, Alan Williams, and Marc Wootton. 

Young performers Maggie Livermore, Cadence Williams, and Bodhi Rae Breathnach share the role of Sarah.

The play, which opens at the Dorfman and marks Steel’s mainstage debut at the National, is set during a wedding over the course of a hot summer’s day. As a family prepares to welcome a newcomer into the fold, passions rise and the limits of love are tested.

The creative team includes director Bijan Sheibani (*[A Taste of Honey](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/review-a-taste-of-honey-at-trafalgar-studios), Barber Shop Chronicles*), set and costume designer Samal Blak, lighting designer Paule Constable, choreographer and movement director Aline David, sound designer Gareth Fry, fight director Kev McCurdy, intimacy coordinator Asha Jennings-Grant, staff director Stephan Mysko von Schultze, casting director Alastair Coomer CDG and children’s casting Chloe Blake.

Check back for information about *Till the Stars Come Down* tickets on London Theatre.

*Photo credit: the cast of Till the Stars Come Down. (Photo courtesy of the production)*

‘Till the Stars Come Down’ announces full cast at National Theatre 

till the stars come down 1200x600 LT x2 (1)

Former National Theatre writer-in-residence Beth Steel makes her mainstage debut with a play about a family struggling to come to terms with a changing world.

[*Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/36246-cruel-intentions-the-90s-musical) has set initial casting for its run at [The Other Palace](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/the-other-palace) in London, ahead of the performance start date on 11 January.

The *Cruel Intentions* London cast includes Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky as Kathryn, Daniel Bravo as Sebastian, Abbie Budden as Annette, Rose Galbraith as Cecile, Josh Barnett as Blaine, Jess Buckby as Ms Bunny Caldwell / Dr Greenbaum, Nickcolia King-N’Da as Ronald, and Barney Wilkinson as Greg. Further casting will be announced in due course.

The musical follows stepsiblings Kathryn and Sebastian, who make a bet to see if Sebastian can seduce the virtuous daughter of their elite high school's headmaster. Based on the hit 1999 film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair, the *Cruel Intentions* musical features a score of pop hits from the 1990s.

Book [*Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/36246-cruel-intentions-the-90s-musical) on London Theatre now.

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*Photo credit: Josh Barnett, Daniel Bravo, Jess Buckby, Abbie Budden,  
Rose Galbraith, Nickcolia King-N’Da, Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky, and Barney Wilkinson. (Photos courtesy of production)*

'Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical' sets London cast

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Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical - LON 

Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical

A must-see experience in New York and Los Angeles and following a sold-out, critically-acclaimed production in the Assembly Palais du Variété spiegeltent at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical, finally hits London.


The Other Palace will present the jukebox musical adaptation of the hit 1999 movie, with performances beginning on 11 January for a limited 14-week run.

The world premiere of [*Just For One Day*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/35497-just-for-one-day) in the West End has announced its full cast, with performances beginning at the [Old Vic](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/old-vic-theatre) on 26 January.

The *Just For One Day* cast includes Jason Battersby, Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong, Olly Dobson, Joe Edgar, Kerry Enright, Jo Foster, Collette Guitart, Eddie Mann, AJ Lewis, Joel Montague, Rachel Moran, Abiona Omonua, Jack Shalloo, Danielle Steers, Tamara Tare, and Dyd Wynford.

They join the previously announced Julie Atherton, Ashley Campbell, Jackie Clune, Craige Els, James Hameed, Naomi Katiyo, Hope Kenna, Freddie Love, Emily Ooi, and Rhys Wilkinson.

The new musical by John O’Farrell (*[Mrs Doubtfire](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/24395-mrs.-doubtfire), Something Rotten*) tells the story of the 1985 fundraising concert Live Aid, which saw 70 artists across London and Philadelphia perform for free, raising $127 million for charity.

The musical features songs by Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, The Pretenders, and more.

Luke Sheppard (*[& Juliet](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/review-max-martin-musical-and-juliet-shaftesbury-theatre), [The Little Big Things](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/30038-the-little-big-things)*) directs. “It is a great privilege to have such extraordinary artists join our company,” he said in a statement. “This piece is all about the power of people coming together and I can’t wait to see what this group of brilliant performers will achieve on the legendary Old Vic stage.”

The creative team includes set designer Soutra Gilmour, costume designer Fay Fullerton, lighting designer Howard Hudson, musical supervisor and orchestrator Matthew Brind, choreographer Ebony Molina, sound designer Gareth Owen, and video and animation designer Andrzej Goulding.

Book [*Just For One Day* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/35497-just-for-one-day) on London Theatre.

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*Photo credit: the cast of Just For One Day. (Photo courtesy of production)*

‘Just For One Day’ reveals full West End cast

just for one day 1200x600 LT

Just For One Day | Old Vic - LON

Just For One Day

Relive the day music brought the world together.   

The jukebox musical brings the story of Live Aid to the stage at the Old Vic next year, featuring songs from Bob Dylan and David Bowie, among others.

The multi-award-winning play *Red Pitch* is set to transfer to the West End’s newest venue @sohoplace for a strictly limited seven-week run beginning 15 March. The play will replace *The Little Big Things,* which runs until 2 March.

The play, written by Tyrell Williams, will return with its original cast: Kedar Williams-Stirling (*Sex Education*), Emeka Sesay (*The Power*) and Francis Lovehall (*Small Axe*). Bush Theatre’s associate artistic director Daniel Bailey directs.

[In a four-star review on London Theatre, our critic said:](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/red-pitch-review-bush-theatre) “The play works as both a striking portrait of friendship rent asunder but also reinforced, and as a separate enquiry into a community under threat.”

Originally performed at the Bush Theatre in February 2022, the production has won a number of awards including the George Devine Award and Best New Play at the OffWestEnd Awards. Writer Williams was named Best Writer at the Stage Debut Awards, Most Promising Playwright at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards and was awarded the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright.

Red Pitch follows three friends and local London boys Omz, Bilal and Joey, who live in an area that is being steadily gentrified. The play explores the impact of this change on London’s communities.

The play, which opens with previews on 15 March and runs until 4 May, is produced by Chuchu Nwagu, Adam Kenwright and Nica Burns.

Book [*Red Pitch* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/37504-red-pitch) on London Theatre.

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*Photo credit: the cast of Red Pitch. (Photo by Helen Murray)*

‘Red Pitch’ to transfer to @sohoplace in the West End in 2024

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Red Pitch - LON [37504] 

Red Pitch

Red Pitch, celebrated by critics as a “remarkable, next-level coming-of-age story”  by acclaimed writer Tyrell Williams, transfers to London’s newest West End theatre, @sohoplace, following 2 sold-out, award-winning runs at the Bush Theatre.

Tyrell Williams’s play about the pressures of gentrification opens with previews on 15 March and the cast includes Sex Education’s Kedar Williams-Stirling.

Go on a journey to the Upside Down! [*Stranger Things: The First Shadow*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/29263-stranger-things-the-first-shadow) has released new West End production photos, offering a sneak peek into the hit TV series's supernatural world at London’s [Phoenix Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/phoenix-theatre).

Created by writer Jack Thorne, director Stephen Daldry, and producer Sonia Friedman, the stage prequel to the Duffer Brothers’ popular Netflix streaming series is set in the 1950s. *Stranger Things: The First Shadow* features much-loved characters including Joyce Maldonado and Jim Hopper.

Check out photos of the cast in this exciting and otherworldly new production, booking now until 25 August.

Book [*Stranger Things: The First Shadow* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/29263-stranger-things-the-first-shadow) on London Theatre.

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*Photo credit: the cast of Stranger Things. (Photos courtesy of production)*

See photos of ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ in the West End

stranger things 1200x600 LT

stranger things 1200x600 LT (10)

Recommended 12+. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. Under 5s not permitted.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow - LON

Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and may hold the key to the end.


Take a trip to the small town of Hawkins as Netflix’s hit show comes to London’s West End for the first time, in a production directed by Stephen Daldry.

Look back on your year in theatre! Theatre review site Show-Score and ticketing platform TodayTix bring their second annual Year in Reviews campaign back to London. The campaign allows theatregoers to log their theatre habits and receive information about shows. [Take part in Year In Reviews 2023 on Show-Score.](https://www.show-score.com/year-in-reviews?utm_source=londontheatre&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=year-in-reviews&utm_adgroup=article)

Show-Score is an online community that compiles reviews from both users and critics, along with other show-related content, to help audiences find the shows that suit them.

Theatregoers can log onto Show-Score and compile a list of all the shows they've seen in 2023. Show-Score will then present them with infographics on how many minutes they’ve spent at the theatre, their most-visited London theatres, and more.

Users are encouraged to share Year in Reviews stats on their social media platforms. Everyone who follows and tags Show-Score's and TodayTix's social media accounts in their posts will be entered into a drawing for a £365 TodayTix gift voucher.

Year in Reviews runs from now until 5 January, at which time a winner will be chosen for the TodayTix voucher. Users do not need a Show-Score account to participate, though creating one will unlock additional statistics. Users with an account will also have all the shows they reviewed this year automatically added to their Year in Reviews list.

Show-Score and TodayTix launch Year in Reviews 2023

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Back in London for the second year, the program allows people to share their 2023 theatregoing habits and stats for a chance to win a TodayTix gift voucher.

We all need a good laugh sometimes, and especially in the winter – it’s the perfect antidote to those long, cold, frosty nights. Happily, the West End is chock-full of uproarious comedies, which are bound to make you forget your troubles with their side-splitting slapstick or sizzling one-liners. 

Mischief’s Goes Wrong franchise continues to make audiences howl with laughter, including original hit *[The Play That Goes Wrong](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/345-play-that-goes-wrong-tickets)* and seasonal special *Peter Pan Goes Wrong*. Or perhaps you might like the right royal comedy *[Backstairs Billy](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/32850-backstairs-billy)* – *The Crown* with more gags – or the incredible long-runner [*The Book of Mormon*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/287-book-of-mormon-tickets), still the most outrageous comedy in town.

Book [West End comedy tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/whats-on/comedy) now on London Theatre.

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## *[The Play That Goes Wrong](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/345-play-that-goes-wrong-tickets)*, [Duchess Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/duchess-theatre)

All the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society wants to do is put on its latest show, a 1920s country-house murder mystery in the Agatha Christie vein – but everything conspires against this hilariously beleaguered amateur drama troupe. 

Cast members forget their lines or are knocked out cold, music cues are muddled, the doors stick, and, piece by piece, the entire set collapses around them – even as the cast try desperately to keep the show going. Their wrongdoings will have you crying with laughter.

Book [*The Play That Goes Wrong* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/345-play-that-goes-wrong-tickets) on London Theatre.

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## *[Backstairs Billy](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/32850-backstairs-billy)*, [Duke of York's Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/duke-of-yorks-theatre)

Marcelos Dos Santos gives us a sneak peek behind the scenes at Clarence House and offers a riveting new view of the late Queen Mother via her relationship with her devoted Page of the Backstairs, William “Billy” Tallon.

As portrayed by Luke Evans, the latter is a wickedly funny, flamboyant gay man, whose naughty sense of humour chimes with that of the Queen Mother – who just wants some fun. Add in high-wire farce involving a formal function and a phallic artwork, and this show is a right royal treat of a comedy.

Book [*Backstairs Billy* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/32850-backstairs-billy) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar/8547/2023-09?content_product_id=32850&product_type=show&qt=2&venue_id=135)

![peter pan goes wrong-1200x600-NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1WSNL5RQfFdTFi0vvsQkU7/1c879c05b63b8adbb1925b5d8a7ce5b4/peter_pan_goes_wrong-1200x600-NYTG.jpg)

## *[Peter Pan Goes Wrong](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/28171-peter-pan-goes-wrong)*, [Lyric Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/lyric-theatre)

Why have one Mischief show in the West End when you can have two? Theatregoers have their pick of brilliantly catastrophic shows this Christmas, as *[Peter Pan Goes Wrong](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/28171-peter-pan-goes-wrong)* flies back into town – and promptly crashes.

Yes, this disaster-laden riff on JM Barrie’s classic tale about Peter, Wendy and their adventures in Neverland involves not just Cornley Society mayhem like flubbed lines and backstage rivalries, but the added craziness of wirework. It’s seasonal silliness galore. 

Book [*Peter Pan Goes Wrong* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/28171-peter-pan-goes-wrong) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar/8547/2023-09?content_product_id=28171&product_type=show&qt=2&venue_id=135)

![Dear England - LT - 1200](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3gSfTgieBGJr4reOSYLRo7/b916291c7b3e1b68307016f5e4286dcb/The_cast_of_Dear_England_in_the_West_End._Credit_Marc_Brenner__2_.jpg)

## *[Dear England](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/33512-dear-england)*, [Prince Edward Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/prince-edward-theatre)

James Graham scored big-time with his cracking National Theatre show about England manager Gareth Southgate (played by Joseph Fiennes) and how he transformed the culture of our national football team – and transformed the country too.

Although it stealthily tackles big subjects like Englishness, masculinity and mental health, it's a rollicking ride in Rupert Goold’s hugely entertaining production, with a great cast wittily inhabiting all those iconic sporting figures. This is a great night out, whether or not you're footie mad.

Book [*Dear England* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/33512-dear-england) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar/8547/2023-09?content_product_id=33512&product_type=show&qt=2&venue_id=135)

![The Unfriend - 750 - LT](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2wZGZ6m4D5xiFT8Ew3DNTz/2e85c6742316821a12cdf57a4c8ad11b/Unfriend-750-060223.jpg)

## *[The Unfriend](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/26431-the-unfriend)*, [Wyndham’s Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/wyndhams-theatre)

It’s the ultimate British nightmare. Peter and Debbie befriend a stranger on holiday, the brash American Elsa, and invite her to stay – and she actually turns up! Worse, she’s harbouring a dark secret. But how can they get rid of her politely?

*Sherlock* and *Doctor Who* writer Steven Moffat made a memorable theatre debut with this hysterical cringe comedy, directed by Mark Gatiss. It’s back by popular demand for an encore run, starring Lee Mack, Sarah Alexander, and Frances Barber.

Book [*The Unfriend* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/26431-the-unfriend) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar/8547/2023-09?content_product_id=26431&product_type=show&qt=2&venue_id=135)

![Noises Off - LT - 1200](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2wQsJ1R53zhxTRaoIBhi9/ac3f0f9f388d9a02e1ce28ca5329caf5/noises_off.jpg)

## *[Noises Off](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/26701-noises-off)*, [Theatre Royal Haymarket](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/theatre-royal-haymarket)

Michael Frayn’s peerless farce-within-a-farce is a timeless classic of British comedy. It follows an increasingly fractious theatre troupe as they tour a creaky sex farce around the country, all while dealing with much funnier dramas behind the scenes – which we see literally as the set flips around to show us the backstage.

This 40th-anniversary production, impeccably directed by Lindsay Posner, has an all-star cast that features Felicity Kendal, Alexander Hanson, Mathew Horne, James Fleet, Jonathan Coy, and Tamzin Outhwaite. It’s finishing soon, so make sure you don’t miss it!

Book [*Noises Off* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/26701-noises-off) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar/8547/2023-09?content_product_id=26701&product_type=show&qt=2&venue_id=135)

![The Motive and the Cue - 1200 - LT](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/5E1SdOK8cBKCOBYxhlDa8/060037c4668026c05d6767f1034edff1/Mark_Gatiss__Sir_John_Gielgud__and_Johnny_Flynn__Richard_Burton__in_The_Motive_and_the_Cue_at_the_National_Theatre._Photo_by.jpg)

## *[The Motive and the Cue](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/31956-the-motive-and-the-cue)*, [Noel Coward Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/noel-coward-theatre)

It’s the clash of the theatrical titans in Jack Thorne’s fascinating and often uproarious backstage play, which takes us into the rehearsal room where Richard Burton is preparing to give his Hamlet on Broadway in 1964, directed by Sir John Gielgud.

Their sparring is great fun, as is the juxtaposition between Burton's drink-fuelled Hollywood lifestyle (with new celebrity wife Elizabeth Burton) and Gielgud's frugal existence, as vividly illustrated in Sam Mendes’s production. Johnny Flynn and Mark Gatiss make a brilliant double act in this must-see meta-comedy.

Book [*The Motive and the Cue* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/31956-the-motive-and-the-cue) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar/8547/2023-09?content_product_id=31956&product_type=show&qt=2&venue_id=135)

![The London company of The Book of Mormon](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/5XGa9kSpTGxkwcvjpFw3m6/cd06cd952420f2fcc3d04694549ae263/Mormon_1200x600.png)

## *[The Book of Mormon](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/287-book-of-mormon-tickets)*, [Prince of Wales Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/prince-of-wales-theatre)

Last but definitely not least, *[The Book of Mormon](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/287-book-of-mormon-tickets)* is one of the most jaw-dropping comedies, full stop, in the West End or otherwise. Created by *South Park*’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone and composer Robert Lopez (*Frozen*, *Avenue Q*), it’s a rip-roaring satire that takes no prisoners.

The musical follows two naïve and mismatched Mormon missionaries posted to a remote village in Uganda. It pokes fun at everyone, including the Mormons whose only knowledge of Africa comes from *[The Lion King](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/302-the-lion-king-tickets)*, but it also shows a sweet friendship developing. *The Book of Mormon* is a madcap comedy with heart.

Book [*The Book of Mormon* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/287-book-of-mormon-tickets) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar/8547/2023-09?content_product_id=287&product_type=show&qt=2&venue_id=135)

The best comedies in the West End

The Play That Goes Wrong - 1200 - LT 

From side-splitting farce to royal romps to dark comedies and much more, here are the London plays and musicals most likely to bring a smile to your face.

Olivier Award winner Anthony Boyle has joined the cast of [*Long Day's Journey into Night*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/35498-long-days-journey-into-night), the latest revival of Eugene O'Neill's celebrated classic play. Performances run at [Wyndham's Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/wyndhams-theatre) from 19 March.

Boyle, best known for originating the role of Scorpius Malfoy in [*Harry Potter and the Cursed Child*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/21176-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-parts-one-two-tickets) in the West End (Olivier Award) and on Broadway (Tony Award nomination), will play Edmund Tyrone. He replaces the previously announced Alex Lawther, who has withdrawn from the production due to scheduling conflicts.

As previously announced, the starry cast also features Brian Cox (*Succession*) as James Tyrone, Patricia Clarkson (*Sharp Objects*) as Mary Tyrone, Daryl McCormack (*Good Luck to You, Leo Grande*) as James Jr, and Louisa Harland (*Derry Girls*) as Cathleen.

*Long Day's Journey into Night* takes place over one summer day in the life of the Tyrone family. Closely based on O'Neill's own dysfunctional family, the story shows how addiction, betrayal, and love rock the Tyrones' lives.

Book [*Long Day’s Journey into Night* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/35498-long-days-journey-into-night) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=35498&content_product_id=35882&venue_id=1291&product_type=show&qt=2)

*Photo credit: Anthony Boyle. (Photo courtesy of production)*

Anthony Boyle to join 'Long Day's Journey into Night' cast

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Recommend age 12+. Everyone must have their own ticket to enter the theatre. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by and sat next to a ticketholder who is at least 18 years old. Children under the age of 4 will not be admitted.

Long Day’s Journey Into Night - LON 

Long Day’s Journey Into Night

The Emmy, Golden Globe and Olivier award-winning actor Brian Cox, makes his return to the London stage in Spring 2024 starring in Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

Boyle will replace the previously announced Alex Lawther in the upcoming West End production starring Brian Cox, at the Wyndham's Theatre from 19 March.

The best of the West End meets the ballroom! On 2 December, it's Musicals Week on *Strictly Come Dancing*, where the five remaining couples are dancing to songs from London's hit musicals.

Take a sneak peek at the West End musicals featured on *Strictly Come Dancing* this Saturday, from Disney classics to film-to-stage adaptations and more. If you like the numbers you see and hear, book tickets to see the full shows live in London!

Book [tickets to West End musicals](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/whats-on/musicals) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/whats-on/musicals)

## *Moulin Rouge! The Musical*

Maybe Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzman can-can-can advance to the next round with their paso doble to "Backstage Romance" — a steamy mash-up of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance," Britney Spears's "Toxic," and more — from *Moulin Rouge! The Musical*.

Based on the hit Baz Luhrmann film, the stage show follows the star-crossed romance between a writer and a courtesan at the title nightclub. With all the glamour of the movie and dozens more modern [pop songs](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/all-the-pop-songs-in-moulin-rouge-the-musical), the stage show is even more spectacular (spectacular).

Book [*Moulin Rouge! The Musical* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/23350-moulin-rouge-the-musical-tickets) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=23350&content_product_id=23350&venue_id=131&product_type=show&qt=2)

## *Wicked*

Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe could change the course of the competition for good with their foxtrot to "For Good." This bittersweet ode to friendship is from *Wicked*, a *Wizard of Oz* prequel that imagines Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, as friends before their fellow Ozians pitted them against each other.

This musical blockbuster has been in the West End since 2006 and continues to enchant audiences with songs like "Defying Gravity" and "Dancing Through Life." That one sounds like a plum choice for the next *Strictly* Musicals Week!

Book [*Wicked* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/313-wicked-tickets) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar/313/2023-08?content_product_id=1587&venue_id=138)

## *Dirty Dancing*

Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell are sure to have the time of their lives doing a salsa to “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” from the iconic romance film *Dirty Dancing*, which got the West End musical treatment in 2022. 

The show had two successful runs in London, but the latest closed in April 2023. While you wait for it to dance back around again, you can see other romantic, dance-heavy musicals like [*Crazy For You*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/27116-crazy-for-you) and [*Mamma Mia!*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/304-mamma-mia-tickets)

## *Mary Poppins* and *Beauty and the Beast*

The remaining two numbers in Musicals Week are from Disney favorites. Nigel Harman and Katya Jones will Charleston to the high-stepping "Step in Time" from *Mary Poppins*, the classic story of a magical nanny, and Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola will quickstep to "Belle" from *Beauty and the Beast*, about a bookish young woman who teaches a selfish beast to love.

Neither show is currently in the West End, so you unfortunately can't hear these songs on stage. But if you want to get your Disney fix, check out the long-running blockbuster [*The Lion King*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/302-the-lion-king-tickets) or the magical princess tale [*Frozen*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/23585-frozen-the-musical).

## See *Strictly Come Dancing* live

Can't get enough of *Strictly* on screen? Combine the dancing of the TV programme with the thrill of live theatre by seeing the *Strictly Come Dancing* U.K. tour. The tour will stop in [Birmingham](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/34580-strictly-come-dancing-birmingham), [Sheffield](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/34581-strictly-come-dancing-sheffield), [Newcastle](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/34582-strictly-come-dancing-newcastle), [Glasgow](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/34583-strictly-come-dancing-glasgow), [Liverpool](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/34584-strictly-come-dancing-liverpool), [Leeds](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/34585-strictly-come-dancing-leeds), [Manchester](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/34586-strictly-come-dancing-manchester), [Nottingham](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/34587-strictly-come-dancing-nottingham), and [London](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/34579-strictly-come-dancing-london), and London Theatre has tickets to them all.

Book [tickets to the *Strictly Come Dancing* U.K. tour](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/whats-on/strictly-come-dancing-tour) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/whats-on/strictly-come-dancing-tour)

*Photo credit: Moulin Rouge! The Musical. (Photo by Matt Crockett)*

See West End musicals featured on 'Strictly Come Dancing'

moulin rouge london-1200-190122.jpg

Week 11 of the hit ballroom dancing competition programme is Musicals Week, and five couples will perform to songs from beloved theatre on 2 December.

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Mlima’s Tale - LON - London Theatre

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Mlima’s Tale

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Mlima’s Tale - LON - 29745 Product Media

“If you not give elephant proper burial he’ll haunt you forever.”

The Kiln Theatre is located in Kilburn, North London. The theatre opened in a converted Forester’s Hall in 1980 and was formerly known as the Tricycle Theatre. 
In 1987 the theatre was almost totally destroyed by a fire which started in a neighbouring timber yard. Two years later, it was re-built and the front of house facilities were enhanced and expanded. After undergoing a major redevelopment, the theatre reopened in 2018 as the Kiln Theatre under Indhu Rubasingham's leadership.

Kiln Theatre - LON

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Kiln Theatre

This is quite the time for Lynn Nottage on the London stage. The two-time Pulitzer-winner will see a West End transfer next year of Broadway musical smash *[MJ](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/28638-mj-the-musical)*, for which she wrote the book. That will be preceded next month by the local bow of her acclaimed Broadway play *Clyde’s*, to be directed for the Donmar by Lynette Linton, who had a resounding success at that same address with Nottage’s blistering drama *Sweat*. 

Getting a jumpstart on both those titles is the UK premiere of her 2018 Public Theater entry, *[Mlima’s Tale](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/29745-mlimas-tale)*. I saw this play at its Off Broadway premiere and admired it very much, but was by no means prepared for the sensuous allure and political import of this version at northwest London’s [Kiln](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/kiln-theatre). 

For that, credit a director, Miranda Cromwell, who seems to have been building towards this assignment across previous work at the National and the Young Vic (and her Wendell Pierce-led *Death of a Salesman* last season on Broadway). Taking what might seem piecemeal or polemical in less skilled hands, Cromwell finds the beating, often-furious pulse of a play that works by stealth. 

You watch intrigued by the daisy chain of events that makes up the play’s structure, only to realise after the fact that what has seemed in essence like an extended parable carries with it a real sting. 

It’s nigh-on impossible to imagine the production without the commanding magnetism of leading player Ira Mandela Siobhan, an invaluable presence in the latest London revival of *Equus* cast here as the “big tusker” Mlima, the elephant of the title; Siobhan is also credited as associate movement director.

Seen often in shadow or silhouette, Mlima is of value for a pair of sizable tusks, the elephant’s evisceration in the African savannah the gathering source of consternation and conflict that ensnare a cross-section of characters, with the majestic, mysterious Mlima the lone constant. 

The result enfolds poachers and purchasers, embassy officials and reporters, into an enquiry into both the business and very being of collectibles. “There is real money here,” notes a Tanzanian businessmen, but expediency gets a look-in, too, as the geography widens to take in a Vietnamese trader, Thuy Fan, and a master craftsman who just may have a conscience – until such point, at least, as he is let loose on what remains of Mlima and starts to carve.

With a nod towards Brecht but far more balletic, Nottage poses questions about the price exacted by exoticism. *Mlima’s Tale* is very much its own animal, so to speak, and it’s sheer coincidence that an English equivalent of sorts is en route in the Bush Theatre reprise of Anoushka Lucas’s thematically comparable, self-penned *Elephant*. 

At home with both the spiritual and the poetic and yet attuned to the cutthroat politics of the ivory trade, the play must be a tonic to perform, not least with the likes of recent Olivier nominee Gabrielle Brooks (*Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical*) and the invaluable Pui Fan Lee on hand. And for all the bloodletting at its core, the writing has its own incantatory beauty, so much so that Mlima’s final command to “run!” finds the audience more than ever rooted to its seats. 

*Mlima's Tale* is at the Kiln Theatre through 21 October. Book *Mlima's Tale* tickets on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=29745&content_product_id=29745&venue_id=B29&product_type=show&qt=2)

*Photo credit: Mlima's Tale (Photo by Marc Brenner)*

'Mlima's Tale' review – Lynn Nottage's stealthy poaching drama has animal magnetism

Mlima's Tale - LT - 1200

Mlima’s Tale - LON - 29745

Read our four-star review of *Mlima's Tale*, by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, now in performances at the Kiln Theatre to 21 October.

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'Mlima's Tale' review – Lynn Nottage's stealthy poaching drama has animal magnetism