This is the greatest show! [*Come Alive!*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/37379-come-alive) has released new production pictures, providing a first look at the incredible circus spectacular, which combines songs from hit film *The Greatest Showman* with an original story. *Come Alive!* runs at the Empress Museum through 30 March 2025.

Take your seats in the 700-seat Big Top, to see some of the world's finest circus stars, including *Cirque du Soleil* performers, as well as West End...

Take a first look at 'Come Alive!', the circus show inspired by 'The Greatest Showman'

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Step into the world of *Come Alive!* at the Empress Museum, where the much-loved music of *The Greatest Showman* meets an original story.

The world premiere of Olivier winner Conor McPherson's new play *The Brightening Air* will open at the Old Vic in London in April 2025. The play marks his return to the theatre following *Girl from the North Country* in 2017, which transferred to the West End and Broadway.

*The Brightening Air*, which McPherson also directs, is set in 1980s Ireland and follows brother and sister Stephen and Billie, whose lives are upended by an "ex-clergyman uncle with an unscrupulous plan, a sister-in-law...

Conor McPherson's 'The Brightening Air' to have world premiere at London's Old Vic

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*The Brightening Air* marks McPherson's return to the Old Vic following *Girl from the North Country* in 2017, which later transferred to the West End and Broadway.


All aboard! The full cast has been set for the West End transfer of *[Titanique](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/40903-titanique)*, which opens at the [Criterion Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/venues/criterion-theatre) on 9 December.

The cast includes Darren Bennett (*Singin’ in the Rain, Grease*) as Victor Garber / Luigi, Lauren Drew (*SIX UK Tour, Legally Blonde*) as Céline, Jordan Luke Gage (*Bonnie & Clyde, & Juliet*) as Cal, Stephen Guarino (*Eastsiders, Titanique* LA) as...

'Titanique' sets West End cast including Jordan Luke Gage, Layton Williams, and Lauren Drew

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*Titanique* combines Céline Dion's music with the Oscar-winning, blockbuster film *Titanic*, asking what really happened to Jack and Rose the night the Titanic sunk?

She’s brave, she’s clever, and sometimes she’s just a little bit naughty. Roald Dahl’s brainy heroine Matilda has been top of the class in the West End since 2011, starring in the beloved RSC stage musical version of the iconic children’s novel.

Winner of multiple Olivier and Tony Awards, this brilliant adaptation by Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly remains a family favourite – and for good reason. Its witty book and indelible score make this a fantastic watch for grown-ups as well as kids, so it’s...

Make a day out of ‘Matilda’ in London

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Add more exciting activities to your family's West End theatre trip, such as visits to a children's museum, the circus, and a Roald Dahl-themed afternoon tea.

Welcome to your complete guide to West End theatre! Whether you're at the beginning of planning your trip or you just want some more information on a booked show, our series of guides will help you to navigate your way through this exciting and vibrant city.

From advice on what to wear and where to sit, to restaurants, bars, pubs, and afternoon tea recommendations, look no further than LondonTheatre.co.uk.

So what are you waiting for? Dive in and learn more about what London's theatre scene...

Complete West End theatre guide: Shows, venues, and more

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Your hub for all things London theatre. Find recommendations, advice, and in-depth information about shows, restaurants, bars, and more in the West End.

Further casting has been announced for Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier’s new version of Chekhov’s *The Seagull*, which opens at the Barbican Theatre in London from February 2025 for a six-week run.

Joining the previously announced Cate Blanchett as Arkadina and Tom Burke as Trigorin are Priyanga Burford (Polina), Emma Corrin (Nina), Zachary Hart (Medvedenko), Paul Higgins (Shamrayev), Tanya Reynolds (Masha), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Konstantin), and Jason Watkins (Sorin).

Directed by...

Emma Corrin, Tanya Reynolds, and more to join Cate Blanchett in 'The Seagull'

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Priyanga Burford (*An Enemy of the People*), Emma Corrin (*The Crown, Orlando*), and Olivier Award winner Tanya Reynolds (*A Mirror*) join the cast of Chekhov’s masterpiece.

Seeing a West End show during the Christmas period will add a festive flair to any trip to London. Throughout the Christmas season, many West End shows will add more performances, giving you even more opportunity to catch the shows you've missed out on all year. Or if you're looking to find an extra-special present for somebody this Christmas, why not take that special someone to a show on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. 

We've listed all the West End performances...

All the West End shows you can see at Christmas

West End

From *Guys & Dolls* to *Wicked* and *The Lion King*, this is your ultimate list of shows that will be playing in the West End during the Christmas period.

New lead casting has been announced for *[Hadestown](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/24465-hadestown-tickets)* in the West End, as the production extends its booking period through 28 September 2025.

Trevor Dion Nicholas, who recently starred in *Next to Normal* in the West End, will play Hades, while Rachel Tucker (*Sunset Boulevard, [Wicked](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/313-wicked-tickets), Come From Away*) will play Persephone. They will appear in the production until 9 February...

Rachel Tucker and Trevor Dion Nicholas join the cast of 'Hadestown' in London

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Trevor Dion Nicholas recently starred in *Next to Normal* in the West End, while Rachel Tucker is known for her performances in *Sunset Boulevard*, *Wicked*, and *Come From Away.* 

One for the road! [*The Choir of Man*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/23760-the-choir-of-man-tickets) has announced that its final performances at the Arts Theatre in the West End will be on 31 December, as the venue closes for planned redevelopment.

The show, which follows nine performers as they bring chart classics to life in a pub environment, opened in the West End in October 2021 and has welcomed over 280,000 audience members through its doors.

Future plans for the show in London...

'The Choir of Man' to close in West End as venue undergoes redevelopment

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*The Choir of Man* first opened at the Arts Theatre in the West End in October 2021 and has welcomed over 280,000 audience members through its doors.

The Royal Shakespeare Company and Good Chance's production of *Kyoto* will transfer to @sohoplace in the West End for a limited 16-week run next year. The show will open on 9 January, running until 3 May.

The political thriller, which was part of Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey’s inaugural programme as RSC Co-Artistic Directors, charts the negotiations leading up to the historic 1997 Kyoto climate summit, which brought about the world’s first legally binding emissions targets. [*Stranger Things:...

'Kyoto' to transfer to the West End's @sohoplace in 2025

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The political thriller charts the negotiations leading up to the historic 1997 Kyoto climate summit, which brought about the world’s first legally binding emissions targets. 

An additional week of [*Good*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/26063-good-tickets) performances will now take place at the [Harold Pinter Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/harold-pinter-theatre). Extra performances are scheduled from 2 - 7 January. Book *Good* tickets on London Theatre.

*Good* follows John Halder, a literary professor living in 1930s Germany who finds himself swept up in the overbearing Nazi ideology. [David Tennant](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/david-tennant) stars as Halder, alongside Elliot Levey as Maurice, and Sharon Small as Helen.

In a [*Good* review on London Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/good-review-david-tennant-harold-pinter-theatre), our critic said: “Tennant superbly captures Halder’s latent vanity and self-serving rationalisations, and does well with both the odd moments of humour (including a folk dance) and vulnerable reflections… [Dominic Cooke’s] production imprisons us in Halder’s psyche… and there are striking, resonant messages.”

*Good* is at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

Book *Good* tickets on London Theatre.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=26063&content_product_id=26063&venue_id=134)

*Photo credit: Good (Photo by Geraint Lewis)*

‘Good’, starring David Tennant, adds extra week of performances 

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Recommended for ages 12+, no children under the age of 5 years will be admitted.

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David Tennant returns to the West End to star in *Good* at the Harold Pinter Theatre. *Good* tickets are available on London Theatre soon.

Tennant plays the lead role of John Halder in the play, a literary professor living in Frankfurt in the 1930s. The *Good* play demonstrates how seemingly decent people could have their lives and motives drastically altered by Nazi ideology during their regime in the Second World War. The Olivier-winning actor, Elliot Levey, will also star in *Good* as Maurice, John Halder's friend.

*Good* was first commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1981, and premiered at the Donmar Warehouse directed by Howard Davies. Michael Grandage later directed the play, which has been hailed one of the most significant plays of the 20th century by the National Theatre, at the Donmar in 1999, starring Charles Dance. 

Dominic Cooke directs *Good* in London. Cooke was the artistic director of the Royal Court from 2006 to 2013, and in that time staged a number of acclaimed productions such as *Clybourne Park*, *Jerusalem*, and *Enron*, each of which transferred to the West End. He has won a number of Olivier Awards for productions such as *The Crucible* with the RSC and *Ma Rainey's Black Bottom* at the National Theatre. He won Best Revival for *Follies* at the National Theatre.

## Who is David Tennant?

David Tennant is a Scottish actor, best known for playing the Doctor in the BBC television series, *Doctor Who.* Tennant's starred in many West End shows: *Much Ado About Nothing* alongside his *Doctor Who* assistant, Catherine Tate, *Richard II*, and *Don Juan in Soho.* David Tennant plays John Halder in the *Good* play.

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Good Tickets | Starring David Tennant | Londontheatre.co.uk

As the world faces its Second World War, one man finds himself swept in an unthinkable movement.
David Tennant and Elliot Levey star in C. P. Taylor's seminal World War Two play.
Find out more about *Good* tickets at the Harold Pinter Theatre on London Theatre today.

Although John Halder is a fictional character, the *Good* storyline follows real life events. At the start of the play, Halder lives in a time where Adolf Hitler assumes office and book burning begins at the University of Berlin in order to stop the dissemination of “illegal thoughts.” Then as the play progresses, moments take place with pogroms, shooting, and war in the background. 

## What to Watch For:

- David Tennant plays John Halder in *Good*. The *Doctor Who* actor’s West End credits include *Don Juan in Soho*, and *Much Ado About Nothing* alongside Catherine Tate.
- Dominic Cooke directs *Good* in London. He previously directed *Follies* at the National Theatre, as well as Olivier Award-winning revivals of *Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,* *Clybourne Park,* and *The Crucible* for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
- C. P. Taylor is a Glasgow-born playwright. During his 16-year career, Taylor penned over 70 plays, mostly focusing on his Jewish background and experiences. *Good* is often considered to be his most successful play and is the definitive Holocaust drama in English-speaking theatre.
- The Royal Shakespeare Company commissioned C. P. Taylor to write *Good* in 1981. *Good* in 2022 marks the play’s West End debut.
- Viggo Mortensen played John Halder in the 2008 *Good* film.

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What would it take for a seemingly good man to be seduced by such a vile ideology as Nazism – to the point of becoming an SS officer and an active participant in its worst atrocities? That’s the premise of CP Taylor’s 1981 play [*Good*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/26063-good-tickets), now revived in the West End with [David Tennant](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/a-complete-guide-to-good-starring-david-tennant-in-the-west-end) playing the susceptible Halder.

It’s an urgent question that we are all facing in a time where the far right is once again resurgent, as is anti-Semitism, and democratic norms are being eroded across the world. Dominic Cooke has mounted a pacey production, and Tennant is joined by two excellent co-stars in Sharon Small and Elliot Levey. However, Taylor’s play keeps us at arm’s length before finally gripping in a stronger second half.

Halder is a literature professor in 1930s Frankfurt with a wife and three kids, and a mother with visual impairment and advanced dementia. He’s a bit of a loner – Jewish psychiatrist Maurice is his only friend – and he expresses his frustrations with caring for his mother in a pro-euthanasia novel (which Hitler later praises as being written “from the heart”). He begins an affair with his young student, Anne, while also becoming involved with the Nazi Party.

Taylor’s big dramatic idea is to demonstrate Halder’s fatal detachment from reality – which suits the Nazi purpose, as he is able to distance himself from humanity to the extent of extermination – by having him constantly hear music. So he might be talking to Maurice, but he’s also listening to a dance band and carrying on an internal monologue. Maurice doesn’t quite seem real to him; no one else does, except perhaps Anne. The music turns iconvenient reality into fantasy.

Taylor makes the sinister point that it’s passivity, rather than an active enthusiasm for evildoing, that is the real insidious force in society – people turning a blind eye to the persecution of others if it makes their own lives better. Halder personifies that, drifting into horrors while finding a new justification for each step; his casual moral equivocation is chilling.

It’s a harrowing demonstration of how quickly we can adjust to “the new normal” – like Halder and Anne carrying out a loving domestic conversation while she helps him into his SS uniform – and the banality of evil, like Halder sighing when he's summoned for Kristallnacht because he was happily pottering in the garden. Plus there’s an extra charge in this production – with all the actors using their natural accents – from the casting of lovable Doctor Who star David Tennant; surely he could never become a Nazi officer?

But because we spend much of the play essentially in Halder’s mind, switching between past and present, memories and ponderings, the audience is also detached from the supporting characters, who only appear in brief snapshots. That issue is exacerbated by Small and Levey multi-roling (although very ably), further blurring them together, so Halder’s mounting betrayals don’t land with as much as force as they should.

There is also the issue, particularly in early scenes, that Halder never really seems like a “good” person – however reductive that constantly used term might be. He’s too self-absorbed to be a decent friend, and he resents his wife for not being better at childcare and cooking; he even speculates she might have brain damage because she doesn’t conform to that housewife role. His mother is certainly difficult, and the fraught scenes between them are among the play’s most affecting, but it’s still a leap to legitimising mercy killing. 

However, Tennant superbly captures Halder’s latent vanity and self-serving rationalisations, and does well with both the odd moments of humour (including a folk dance) and vulnerable reflections. Though his route to Nazism is hazy – for example, it’s never quite clear whether his career is at stake if he doesn’t join the Party, or if he’s more ambitious – Tennant gives the latter stages, when Halder has walked too far down a dark path to turn back, an icy resolve.

Small is impressively versatile, flipping between Halder’s terrified mother, absentminded wife and alluring lover, plus a bluff SS major. Levey brings pathos to Maurice, whose understandable fears are shrugged off by Halder, although it’s hard not to compare with his recent Olivier Award-winning turn as Herr Schultz in the  more emotionally powerful *[Cabaret](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/23939-cabaret-tickets)*.

Cooke’s production imprisons us in Halder’s psyche by having minimal set (a bleak stone cell from Vicki Mortimer) and flipping between scenes swiftly via Zoe Spurr’s lighting changes. There are no props, just sound effects for something like Halder and Maurice clinking glasses – or, later, the terrible shattering of glass. Panels in the wall slide open to reveal horrors like the flames awaiting the burning of books. It’s a strong framing, and there are striking, resonant messages within this work, but as drama it unsettles when really it should devastate.

[*Good is running at the Harold Pinter Theatre through 24 December. Book tickets for Good on London Theatre*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/26063-good-tickets)

*Photo credit: David Tennant in Good at the Harold Pinter Theatre. (Photo by Johan Persson)*

'Good' review – David Tennant is chilling as a professor who drifts into Nazism

David Tennant was born in Bathgate, West Lothian in 1971 and grew up in Ralston, Renfrewshire – just outside Glasgow. At age 16, he won a place at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and studied there for three years, one of the youngest students they had accepted. [Read more about David Tennant's career in London here.](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/west-end-features/david-tennant-on-stage-20-years-in-the-west-end)

On graduating, Tennant’s first professional production was in a production of *The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui* with the 7:84 Theatre Company. Numerous television appearances followed, including the role of transsexual barmaid Davina in a Scottish TV sitcom, *Rab C Nesbitt*, and the manic depressive Campbell in *Takin’ Over the Asylum* in 1994.

The early 1990s also saw him performing with the Dundee Repertory Theatre before making the move to London in 1994. Here his career began to flourish, making regular appearances with the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/royal-shakespeare-company), beginning with the role of Touchstone in [*As You Like It*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/23078-as-you-like-it-shakespeares-globe) in 1996. Other appearances with the RSC include Jack Lane in *The Herbal Bed* (1996), Romeo in *Romeo and Juliet* (2000), Berowne in *Love’s Labour’s Lost* (2008) and the title role in *Hamlet* in 2008. The latter was adapted into a BBC film with Tennant reprising his role in 2009.

His most recent Shakespearean performances include Benedick in *Much Ado About Nothing* at the [Wyndham’s Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/wyndhams-theatre) with Catherine Tate in 2011, and the title role in *Richard II* for a limited run at Stratford-upon-Avon before transferring to the [Barbican Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/barbican) in 2013. He reprised the role of *Richard II* at the Barbican and in New York in 2016 as part of the RSC’s ‘King and Country’ cycle.

Tennant is probably best known for his television work, notably his performance in *Casanova* in 2005, as supervillain Kilgrave in *Jessica Jones* and as Alec Hardy in the hugely successful ITV drama series *Broadchurch* alongside Olivia Colman. His appearance as Barty Crouch Jr in the motion picture *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* in 2005 is a fan favourite. 

Tennant’s [tenure as the Doctor](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/west-end-features/a-brief-history-of-doctor-who-actors-on-stage) in *Doctor Who* solidified him as one of the nation’s most beloved actors. Taking over the role from Christopher Eccleston in 2005, Tennant became the tenth actor to portray the role and played the role for 4 years, his final appearance being aired on New Year’s Day 2010. He returned for a one-off guest appearance in the show’s 50th anniversary episode in 2013. Tennant had been an avid fan of *Doctor Who* and has said it was a childhood dream to step into the Doctor’s shoes.

In March 2017, David Tennant returned to the West End’s [Wyndham’s Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/wyndhams-theatre) to play the title role in Patrick Marber’s *Don Juan in Soho*, a modern take on Molière’s classic *Don Juan*.

Tennant played John Halder in *Good* at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Tennant and his co-stars Sharon Small and Elliot Levey all received Olivier Award nominations for their performances. Following this, he will play the title role in *Macbeth* at the Donmar Warehouse.

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Your Lie in April

Due to phenomenal demand, critically acclaimed Your Lie in April will transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre for 12 weeks only. 

The Harold Pinter Theatre, established and adorned with Victorian architecture in 1881, is one of the most notable theatre venues in the heart of London. Originally known as the Royal Comedy Theatre, it later adopted the name of 'Harold Pinter', honouring the famous playwright. The theatre is situated conveniently in the centre of the bustling West End, an ideal location for tourists and locals alike. The interior is decorated with an impressive array of original features aligned with its historical era of inception, creating an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for theatre-goers. The theatre has an audience capacity of 796 people across four levels, with the seats divided into Stalls, Dress Circle, Royal Circle and Balcony. Over time, it has been home to many outstanding performances, including shows like 'The Homecoming', 'Moonlight', and 'Betrayal'. The Harold Pinter Theatre undoubtedly offers a memorable and culturally enriching experience for all those who visit.

### How to Get to the Venue 

Harold Pinter Theatre is accessible and well-connected, located at Panton Street in the City of Westminster. The closest Underground stations are Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, both within a short 5-minute walk. Numerous buses service the area regularly, making it straightforward to reach using public transport. For those driving, the MasterPark at Whitcomb Street and NCP at Denman Street are the nearest parking options.

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The Harold Pinter Theatre opened on 15 Oct. 1881 as a comic opera house. Its name on opening was the Royal Comedy Theatre, though its ‘Royal’ epithet was dropped in 1884.

The Comedy Theatre helped establish the New Watergate Club in 1956, a society which helped overturn the stage censorship enforced by the Lord Chamberlain’s Office. The formation of the Club meant that the plays banned by the Government could be performed at this venue as it was now being run as a private club rather than a commercial entity. Notable plays in this category include Arthur Miller’s *A View from the Bridge* and Tennessee Williams’ *Cat On A Hot Tin Roof*. The censorship was finally overturned in 1968. 

Harold Pinter's works were often performed here: *The Homecoming*, *The Caretaker*, *Moonlight*, *No-Man’s Land* and *The Hothouse* all enjoyed successful runs, and Pinter directed a production of *The Old Masters* here in 2004. After his death, it was thought fitting to bestow the honour of naming a theatre after him, and the name was officially changed on 13 Oct. 2011 to the Harold Pinter Theatre. The Ambassador Theatre Group own the Harold Pinter Theatre.

## Harold Pinter Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has four levels – Stalls, Dress Circle, Royal Circle and Balcony. The top three levels are a horseshoe shape around the stalls.

The Stalls is a single block of seats, and offers good sightlines. Some seats are impaired by supportive pillars and the overhang of the Dress Circle.

The Dress Circle doesn’t offer a great raking in the seating, but the view is not affected by the overhang of the Royal Circle. 

The Royal Circle seats curve towards the stage more noticeably than the Dress Circle.

The Balcony feels very high in this theatre.

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Opened in 1881 as the Royal Comedy Theatre, it became the Harold Pinter Theatre in 2011. It features four seating levels and hosted notable uncensored plays.

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The Harold Pinter Theatre is a historic venue in London's West End, known for hosting many notable performances. Convenient and easily accessible by public transit.

‘Good’, starring David Tennant, adds extra week of performances

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