See Off-West End plays in London
Don’t limit your next London theatre trip to the confines of the West End. While there’s plenty of exciting, groundbreaking theatre taking place in the bright lights of central London, there’s a ton of gritty productions you can see all across the city.
Catch acclaimed revivals of plays such as Jitney and Handbagged, or check off a visit to Shakespeare’s Globe on your theatregoing list and see Julius Caesar and Henry VIII.
There’s also lots of new plays premiering across London. See Alex Jennings in Stephen Beresford’s latest drama The Southbury Child. Why not say cheers to Romeo and Juliet with an alcoholic twist? Whatever you choose to see in London, you’ll have a great time at an Off-West End show.
Book Off-West End theatre tickets during Off-West End Theatre Week. See over 25 Off-West End shows from just £10. But you’ll want to book fast, as Off-West End Theatre Week runs from 27 June to 10 July.
Book tickets to Off-West End plays on London Theatre.
Henry VIII
Tudor history tends to focus solely on Henry VIII’s impact on the wider world. But what happened to the women? Hannah Khalil’s feminist adaptation shines a light on Henry VIII’s early wives and how they impacted the monarchy. See Catherine of Aragon, Anna Boleyn, and Jane Seymour fight for justice in a male-led world.
Book Henry VIII tickets on London Theatre.
Jitney
August Wilson’s Jitney parks for a limited time at the Old Vic this summer. The groundbreaking play forms part of the Pittsburgh Cycle — a collection of works which chart what life was like in 20th-century America.
For Jitney, take it all the way back to 1970s Pittsburgh. The 1970s was a time of social and political upheaval, and audiences see all that unfold through the eyes of Jim Becker, a taxi-rank manager who does his best to rally his employees. In a four-star review for London Theatre, Jitney is “worth the ride.”
Book Jitney tickets on London Theatre.
Handbagged
On the surface, Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth II live entirely different lives. One was the first female Prime Minister in the United Kingdom, and the other continues to rule over the Commonwealth. But in Handbagged, Thatcher and the Queen are at loggerheads with one another. Moira Buffini’s Handbagged peeks behind the curtain to see what could happen behind closed doors.
Book Handbagged tickets on London Theatre.
The Fellowship
Dawn and Marcia Adams grew up in 1980s London. They’re children of the Windrush generation, and their families sacrified a great deal to move to the United Kingdom. Fast forward to today, and they’re struggling to see eye to eye. Can the pair come together and reinstate their sisterhood? Roy Williams’s The Fellowship explores what it means to live in modern Britain today.
Book The Fellowship tickets on London Theatre.
The Darkest Part of the Night
Zodwa Nyoni’s family drama explores the impact of racial discrimination in 20th-century England. It’s centered around Shirley and Dwight, two siblings who come together as they bury their mother. While grieving, the pair reflect on childhood as a Black person in 1980s Leeds. The pair try to move forward together and wait for the sun to rise.
Book The Darkest Part of the Night tickets on London Theatre.
The Canterville Ghost
Oscar Wilde’s centuries-old tale, The Canterville Ghost, receives the cabaret treatment in Tall Stories’s adaptation. As the narrator reveals the story of Sir Simon de Canterville, cabaret acts will present the story in an entertaining family-friendly way. Who said the classics had to be boo-ring?
Book The Canterville Ghost tickets on London Theatre.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Experience the Shakespeare fantasy play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in the heart of Covent Garden this summer. In this enchanting adaptation, expect 1990s music and love triangles infused in the fairy kings and queens way of living.
Book A Midsummer Night’s Dream tickets on London Theatre.
A Single Man
Christopher Isherwood wrote Goodbye to Berlin, a story that would eventually inspire the Cabaret musical. Isherwood also penned A Single Man, which comes to the Park Theatre stage later this year. A Single Man follows George, a 1960s professor who mourns his husband’s death and now finds himself an outsider.
Book A Single Man tickets on London Theatre.
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