Top West End theatre to see in August

Escape the heat and see some amazing theatre by taking a trip to the West End this summer — find out the best shows to see in London in August 2024.

As we soak up the last of the summer sun (and, this being Britain, the occasional shower), much of the theatre world decamps to Edinburgh for the annual festival. However, there’s still plenty of action in London this August, with some big openings coming your way.

From the much-anticipated summer musical Hello, Dolly! starring Imelda Staunton, to Jeremy O. Harris's controversial Slave Play and Shifters, which transfers to the West End from the Bush Theatre, there's plenty to see in the capital.

Book tickets to London shows in August on London Theatre.

Hello, Dolly!, London Palladium

After proving herself queen of musicals with powerhouse performances in Gypsy, Follies and Sweeney Todd (to name but a few), Imelda Staunton returns to the West End stage in this revival of the classic 1964 show. Staunton plays matchmaker – and force of nature – Dolly Levi, who decides that instead of hooking up Yonkers “half-a-millionaire” Horace Vandergelder with his intended bride, she’s going to bag him for herself. Fans of Jerry Herman’s score, which includes “Before the Parade Passes By” and the iconic title song, are in for a treat.

Book Hello, Dolly! tickets on London Theatre.

Slave Play, Noël Coward Theatre

The 12-time Tony Award-nominated play hits the London stage on a wave of US controversy. Jeremy O. Harris’s excavation of race and sex in contemporary America breaks taboos with its focus on the sexual dysfunction of three interracial couples who engage in Old South Plantation-era role play to work through their issues. Kit Harington and Olivia Washington lead the acclaimed cast of this must-see production.

Book Slave Play tickets on London Theatre.

Shrek the Musical, Eventim Apollo

Everyone’s favourite ogre is back on stage in a spectacular production that features Pinocchio, a fire-breathing dragon and Gingerbread Man – as well as Princess Fiona and Donkey, of course. Packed with eye-popping visual effects, this quest to save Fiona and defeat the dastardly Lord Farquaad makes a perfect family outing before the new school term starts. Antony Lawrence stars as Shrek, with Joanne Clifton as Fiona and American Broadway star Todrick Hall as Donkey

Book Shrek the Musical tickets on London Theatre.

The Wizard of Oz, Gillian Lynne Theatre

Follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Gillian Lynne Theatre to catch the limited run of this returning hit show. JLS’s Aston Merrygold clanks back into his Tin Man costume while RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar The Vivienne fires up her broomstick once more as the Wicked Witch of the West. Expect to hear film classics such as “Over the Rainbow” alongside new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

Book The Wizard of Oz tickets on London Theatre.

Fiddler on the Roof, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Rarely has a family at war been so sonically satisfying. Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s timeless musical about Jewish milkman Tevye’s attempts to marry off his daughters, in turn of the 20th century Imperial Russia, is being given a lively revamp by Jordan Fein (co-director of the Young Vic’s Oklahoma!). Hit songs, including “If I Were a Rich Man”, “Tradition” and “Matchmaker”, provide the soundtrack of this inter-generational battle between tradition and modernity.

Book Fiddler on the Roof tickets on London Theatre.

Shifters, Duke of York's Theatre

Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winner Benedict Lombe penned this heartwrenching rom-com, which receives its West End premiere after a sold-out run at the Bush Theatre. Heather Agyepong and Tosin Cole (star of the hit TV series Supacell) play Des and Dre, high school sweethearts who meet again eight years down the line. As the narrative jumps back and forth in time, it asks whether the scars of the past can heal and whether first love ever really dies. A play that will break your heart then piece it back together again.

Book Shifters tickets on London Theatre.

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Criterion Theatre

The “opposites attract” concept works a treat in this Transatlantic will they-won’t they romance between “glass halfempty” Robin and “glass overflowing” Dougal, who are flung together for 36 hours in New York for a family wedding. Dujonna Gift and Sam Tutty expertly deliver the sparky banter in Jim Barne and Kit Buchan’s charming musical and the tone always stays on the right side of saccharine. Be sure to get a slice of the action before it closes.

Book Two Strangers tickets on London Theatre.