Best theatre to see in London in May

From the Jonathan Lithgow-led *Giant*, to *Just For One Day* and your final chance to see *Mean Girls*, here’s the top theatre picks in London in May 2025.

Steven DeVries
Written bySteven DeVries

Summer is on the horizon, and many of London’s open-air theatres will welcome audiences once more. Look forward to shows under the stars at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe. But, if you’re sticking to the West End theatres, then you’re in for a treat with Just For One Day, Giant and Titanique to name a few.

May 2025 in London marks the beginning of limited summer shows and plenty of buzzy productions to whet your appetite. We’re seriously spoiled for theatre in London this month. Here are our top picks for what to see in London this May.

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Just For One Day at Shaftesbury Theatre
Mean Girls at the Savoy Theatre
Titanique at the Criterion Theatre
Giant at the Harold Pinter Theatre

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Must see
Musical theatre

Set during the rise of Nazism at Berlin’s seedy cabaret spot The Kit Kat Club, Rebecca Frecknall’s production of Kander and Ebb’s musical has seen some incredible stars take to the stage, including Eddie Redmayne, Jessie Buckley, Jake Shears, and Rebecca Lucy Taylor. Now is the turn of Bridgerton star Hannah Dodd and My Son's a Queer performer Rob Madge to become cabaret performer Sally Bowles and the Emcee, the Club’s ghoulish Master of Ceremonies. It’s a perfectly marvellous bit of casting! See the duo take over from Marisha Wallace and Billy Porter from 29 May.

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Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Just For One Day at Shaftesbury Theatre

Live Aid
Historic
Musical theatre

Ah, the good ol’ days... when rock ’n’ roll could save the world, and we’d get a set of killer all-star concerts to prove it. Just For One Day tells the story of Live Aid, the 1985 stadium shows performed in London and Philadelphia to support victims of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. The show features hits by legends such as Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, Madonna, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney and Diana Ross. These are big songs that were made to be heard live, so get your tickets now and learn the real story of how they were brought together.

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Just For One Day at Shaftesbury Theatre

Mean Girls at the Savoy Theatre

Musical theatre
Romcom
Screen to stage

It’s been a helluva run, but the reign of The Plastics is nearing its end, so treat yourself to one last performance of Mean Girls before the curtain comes down for good next month. The rock musical, written by comedian Tina Fey with music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin, is based on the 2004 film about a girl who’s been home-schooled while living in Kenya but gets a crash course in clique life when she starts up at a Chicago high school.

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Mean Girls at the Savoy Theatre

Titanique at the Criterion Theatre

Musical comedy
Must see

The Titanic certainly proved to be sinkable, but not so Titanique. Freshly christened with the Olivier for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play, this bonkers musical carries on full steam ahead – extending its run until January 2026. Described as “a big queer cabaret with renegade energy”, Titanique takes the music of Celine Dion and slathers it over a camp skewering of James Cameron’s Oscar-winning film.

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Titanique at the Criterion Theatre

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09:00

The Breakfast Club

Head to one of The Breakfast Club’s central London branches for a slap-up English cafe classic.

10:30

Buckingham Palace

Is there anything more British than the changing of the guards? Arrive early for a good spot to watch this historic event, which takes place every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 10.45am.

Giant at the Harold Pinter Theatre

Play
New writing

Now don’t you feel silly? Here you had John Lithgow playing at the Royal Court to intimate crowds last year and you were just like: “...maybe?”. Now the show – Giant – has won the Olivier for best new play. Luckily it’s doing a short run in the West End this summer, so don’t skip the opportunity twice! Accomplished director Mark Rosenblatt’s writing debut about a troubling period in author Roald Dahl’s life in the 1980s has scary relevancy to current events.

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Giant at the Harold Pinter Theatre