Best 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 Richard II, Clueless, and The Score.

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.

Richard II, Bridge Theatre

Following his joyful reinvention of Guys & Dolls, director Nicholas Hytner is back on classical turf with Shakespeare’s first House of Lancaster history play. Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey, who also previously appeared in Hytner’s National Theatre production of Othello, takes on the role of the titular monarch. The play focuses on the friction between the entitled but flawed King Richard and his cousin and arch rival Henry Bullingbrook (played by Royce Pierreson). Its central theme of the destructive power of weak leadership is one that continues to pack a prescient punch.

Book Richard II tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Much Ado About Nothing, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Director Jamie Lloyd’s brief Shakespeare season, which began with Sigourney Weaver in The Tempest, concludes with one of the Bard’s best-loved comedies. Tom Hiddleston (Betrayal, The Night Manager) and Hayley Atwell (Rosmersholm, The Pride) star as sparring partners Benedick and Beatrice in this battle-of-the-banter romance in which deceit and misunderstanding threaten happy endings for all the main players. Many of The Tempest cast make a welcome return, including Mason Alexander Park, Forbes Masson and Mara Huf as Margaret, Leonato and Hero respectively.

Check back for Much Ado About Nothing tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Unicorn, Garrick Theatre

Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan, who play a couple (then ex-couple) in TV’s The Split, reunite alongside Erin Doherty (The Crown) for Mike Bartlett’s explosive new drama. Polly and Nick seemingly have it all – happy marriage, two kids, fulfilling careers – until an unexpected and thrilling event changes the trajectory of their relationship. Director James Macdonald – who previously worked with Bartlett on Cock at the Royal Court – helms the production, with Miriam Buether designing the set.

Book Unicorn tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Clueless, Trafalgar Theatre

Amy Heckerling, writer of the much- loved 1995 film Clueless, has written the book for this stage adaptation. Loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma, the story centres on Beverly Hills fashion-obsessed rich-kid Cher whose attempts to play matchmaker with her friends and teachers ultimately leads to Cupid’s arrow hitting her own heart. Initially a jukebox musical, the new production features an original score by KT Tunstall and Glenn Slater.

Book Clueless tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

The Seagull, Barbican

Cate Blanchett (Tár, Carol), returns to the Barbican stage to lead a starry cast in a new version of the Chekhov classic by Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier, with Ostermeier also taking on directing duties. Blanchett plays artistic matriarch Arkadina at the centre of a whirlwind of competing passions. Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog) plays her playwright son Konstantin, with Tom Burke (Rosmersholm, Strike) taking on the role of her lover Trigorin, who is seduced by the attentions of young actress Nina (The Crown’s Emma Corrin). This is one red-hot ticket with a short six-week run, so delay booking at your peril!

Book The Seagull tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

The Score, Theatre Royal Haymarket

There’s more A-list acting talent on show here as Brian Cox (Succession) leads the cast of Oliver Cotton’s new play – a West End transfer of the original Theatre Royal Bath production. Trevor Nunn directs the story of a meeting between composer Johann Sebastian Bach (Cox) and the tyrannical monarch Frederick II (played by Stephen Hagan) in 18th century Prussia. The juxtaposition of the pious Bach and godless Frederick helps to sustain the dramatic tension, and there’s sterling support from Nicole Ansari-Cox – Cox’s real-life wife who also plays his fictional spouse.

Book The Score tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Mrs President, Charing Cross Theatre

Acclaimed historian John Ransom Phillips’s play is a HERstory lesson in the power dynamics between Mary Lincoln – widow of Abraham Lincoln – and celebrity photographer Mathew Brady. In an attempt to clean up her public image as a suspected Confederate spy and spendthrift, the grieving First Lady engages Brady to take her portrait. However, the relationship soon breaks down, putting issues of agency and representation into sharp focus. Mrs President offers Mary – arguably the most reviled First Lady in history – a sympathetic right to reply.

Book Mrs President tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Brian Cox in The Score. (Photo courtesy of production)