Top theatre to see in London in February

It's the shortest month of the year, so time is of the essence – don't wait to book incredible London shows including Standing at the Sky's Edge and Hadestown.

Congratulations, you made it through January. The first 31 days of the year can feel like a lifetime — a combination of dark nights, low temperatures, and little sunlight can be difficult to get through day after day. Put the first month of the year behind you, and get ready for an action-packed February that's complete with West End theatre.

Plus, Valentine’s Day is right in the middle of February, so there’s no better time to find the West End show for you. Book theatre tickets to the latest West End musicals and newest plays, and keep up to date with the hottest shows opening across the capital.

Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Gillian Lynne Theatre

The journey of Sheffield-based musical Standing at the Sky’s Edge is impressive. The show premiered at the city’s Crucible Theatre in 2019, before heading to the National Theatre in 2023 and picking up Olivier Awards for Best New Musical and Best Original Score or New Orchestrations along the way.

Now Chris Bush’s musical – which is set over sixty years at Sheffield's Park Hill estate and follows the lives of three families living in the same flat across different decades – is heading to the West End’s Gillian Lynne Theatre.

Samuel Jordan (Sex Education) and Rachael Wooding (Pretty Woman: The Musical) will reprise their roles as Jimmy and Rose, while Elizabeth Ayodele (Small Island) and Joel Harper-Jackson (Cock) join the cast as Joy and Harry.

Book Standing at the Sky's Edge tickets on London Theatre from 8 February.

The Little Big Things, @sohoplace

This critically acclaimed musical charts the true story of Henry Fraser, an avid sportsman who became a tetraplegic after a diving accident.

Star Ed Larkin also made history by becoming the first wheelchair-using actor to lead the cast of a West End show. Don't wait to catch this moving musical, which ends next month.

Book The Little Big Things tickets on London Theatre until 2 March.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Peacock Theatre

There's a Work of Art heading to the West End. That's right, Everybody's Talking About Jamie is back in London for a limited run as part of a nationwide tour. The award-winning musical tells the story of 16-year-old Jamie New, who wants to become a drag queen, and takes inspiration from the documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16.

Ivan Turco (Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical) is cast as the titular drag queen, and will be joined on stage by soap stars John Partridge and Shobna Gulati, as Hugo/Loco Chanelle and Ray.

Book Everybody's Talking About Jamie tickets on London Theatre from 8 February.

Nachtland, Young Vic

Dorothea Myer Bennett (Leopoldstadt) has recently stepped in for Atonement actor Romola Garai to play the role of Nicola in Marius von Mayenburg's Nachtland. The play, director by Tony Award winner Patrick Marber, is a satire about marriage, legacy, and the rise of the new right.

Set in modern-day Germany, Nicola and Philipp are sorting through their late father's home, but the discovery of an ancient painting hidden in the attic sparks a heated debate. While Nicola wants to sell it, Philipp is adamant about keeping it, and his wife Judith is set on destroying it.

Book Nachtland tickets on London Theatre from 20 February.

King Lear, Almeida Theatre

William Shakespeare’s great tragedy about power, love and blindness gets a refresh at the Almeida Theatre this month, with Yaël Farber directing. The production marks Farber’s return to Shakespeare, following her 2021 production of The Tragedy of Macbeth, also at the Almeida, which starred Oscar-nominated actor Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle.

Don’t miss this exciting cast line-up, which includes Fra Fee (The Ferryman), The Wire’s Clarke Peters and Danny Sapani of Killing Eve fame.

Check back for King Lear tickets on London Theatre.

The Merchant of Venice 1936, Criterion Theatre

There’s another Shakespeare play to keep an eye on in the capital this month. Coming straight to the West End from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre, The Merchant of Venice 1936 sees Tracy-Ann Oberman as Shylock – reportedly making her the first British actress to take on the role.

In this reimagining, Shylock is a strong-willed single mother, running a pawnbroking business in London’s East End, where there’s political unrest in the streets and facism is spreading through Europe.

Book The Merchant of Venice tickets on London Theatre from 15 February.

Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical, The Other Palace

After its success in New York and Los Angeles and a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this must-see musical has arrived in London. Based on the hit film, itself inspired by the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the musical follows manipulative step-siblings Sebastian and Kathryn as they engage in a cruel bet to seduce the virtuous Annette, unravelling a web of secrets and temptation.

The production features a wild jukebox soundtrack of iconic '90s pop classic, including songs by The Verve, R.E.M., Natalie Imbruglia, Ace of Base, TLC, Boyz II Men, NYSNC, and Britney Spears.

Book Cruel Intentions tickets on London Theatre until 14 April.

Hadestown, Lyric Theatre

Following a successful transfer to Broadway - where the musical won eight Tony Awards and a Grammy Award - Hadestown returns to London for a run at the Lyric Theatre.

Inspired by the Greek myth about Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown sends you on a journey to the Underworld in a post-apocalyptic vision of New Orleans’s French Quarter. From blues and jazz, to gospel, swing, and folk, this musical has it all.

Dónal Finn (The Wheel of Time) and Grace Hodgett Young (Sunset Boulevard) will star as lovers Orpheus and Eurydice. They will be joined by Zachary James (The Addams Family), Melanie La Barrie (& Juliet), and Gloria Onitiri (Cinderella).

Book Hadestown tickets on London Theatre from 10 February.

Clueless, Churchill Theatre

This is a good month for lovers of '90s romcoms! Clueless fans should keep their eyes peeled for the two-week development run of the musical, which heads to the Churchill Theatre in Bromley. This new production features music by Brit Award-winning singer-songwriter KT Tunstall and lyrics by Grammy winner and Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater.

Check back for Clueless tickets on London Theatre.

Photo credit: Samuel Jordan and Elizabeth Ayodele in Standing at the Sky's Edge. (Photo by Steve Gullick)