In the pre-Christmas, pre-New Year rush, we’re not really thinking about light dresses or spring theatre tickets — but London theatres have long since released their schedules and are already waiting for audiences. What’s worth seeing in the first half of 2026? Let’s take a look.
I’m Sorry, Prime Minister
Apollo Theatre
Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 7EZ
From 30 January
The most political comedy of January is a continuation of the hugely popular 1980s TV series Yes, Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister. The action at the Apollo takes place many years later: a now well-established Jim Hacker (played by something close to a national treasure — Griff Rhys Jones) faces both a new political crisis and new traps laid by the machinery of power. But by his side, as always, is his brilliant assistant — the cunning civil servant Sir Humphrey Appleby (played by the magnificent Clive Francis).
Bureaucracy, political games, and a multitude of razor-sharp verbal duels — from which Sir Humphrey invariably emerges victorious. The play is written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, who also co-wrote the original TV series.
Do you know what this reminds me of? Jeeves and Wooster. Jim Hacker is very much a Bertie Wooster figure — good-natured, vain, not entirely sure what’s going on — with Sir Humphrey as an almost-Jeeves, cleverer, more eloquent, and thankfully always several moves ahead. They’re so perfectly matched and so delightfully content in each other’s company that you find yourself enjoying not so much the biting political satire as the relationship between these colleague-friends. Their politeness is so exquisite that even when they could destroy a career with a single sentence, it’s impossible to take offence.
Shadowlands
Aldwych Theatre
49 Aldwych, London WC2B 4DF
From 5 February
A love drama directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, based on real events — the meeting of C. S. Lewis with the American writer and poet Joy Davidman. The play was written by William Nicholson in the early 1990s.
Set in 1950s Oxford, the story begins when Lewis — a renowned intellectual, academic, and emotionally closed man — receives a letter from Joy, who writes to him after devouring his books. Their correspondence gradually turns into love. This bittersweet cocktail of love, grief, faith, and loss transforms the cold academic, teaching him vulnerability and how to value life in all its imperfection.
Lewis is played by Hugh Bonneville (familiar to wide audiences from Downton Abbey and Paddington), while Joy Davidman is portrayed by the dazzling Maggie Siff (yes — Rachel from Mad Men).
In real life, the relationship between the two writers unfolded over many years. Their marriage allowed Joy to remain in England legally. This is an emotionally rich production, with many quiet scenes — and yes, grief and illness are very much part of the story.
Lewis described his own grief — confusion, anger, questions for God — in his memoir A Grief Observed, and both the play and the production lean heavily on that text. Shadowlands treats Lewis with great respect; there are no tabloid-style intrusions here. If you want to know what awaits you and enjoy the actors’ performances in advance, you can allow yourself a spoiler by watching the 1993 film Shadowlands starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger.
Romeo & Juliet
Harold Pinter Theatre
Panton St, London SW1Y 4DN
From 16 March
A new Shakespeare production in the West End is a must-see. First, it’s directed by Robert Icke, who returns with a new production after the stunning Oedipus with Mark Strong and Manhunt. Second, it marks Sadie Sink’s London stage debut as Juliet. She is vivid, emotional, modern — alive — and utterly unlike the heroine of dusty classical tradition.
Romeo is played by Noah Jupe, also making his West End debut; he recently appeared in the film Hamnet. His Romeo is sincere, impulsive, very young — fragile and unprotected.
Of course, the Shakespearean story remains intact — Icke never stages productions in order to “rewrite” the classics. This is still the story of two teenage lovers trying to be together against the backdrop of brutal family hatred that leads to devastating tragedy. Visually striking, carefully thought-out, atmospheric, the production breathes new life into a text the audience knows by heart — and does so with screen stars stepping onto the theatrical stage.
Think of Zeffirelli’s and Luhrmann’s films, which became generational anthems. This production, too, could become a defining cultural event for the youth of 2026.
Grace Pervades
Theatre Royal Haymarket
Haymarket, London SW1Y 4HT
From 24 April
A new historical drama by one of Britain’s most celebrated playwrights, David Hare (author of Skylight). Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the play premiered at Theatre Royal Bath, where it enjoyed enormous success with both audiences and critics — and now transfers to the West End in spring 2026.
This is what you might call “theatre about theatre” — a genre beloved on both sides of the curtain for its allure and magic. Audiences get a glimpse behind the scenes of the creative process, while actors tell stories of a life that only appears glamorous from the outside.
At the heart of Grace Pervades is the creative partnership between two towering figures of Victorian theatre: Henry Irving, the great Shakespearean actor, and Ellen Terry, Britain’s theatrical darling. On the Royal Haymarket stage, these legends will be portrayed by today’s stars: Ralph Fiennes and Miranda Raison.
Seeing Fiennes on stage is, frankly, a historic pleasure — tickets should be bought now. Reviews in Bath were nothing short of astonishing: such unanimity and enthusiasm is rare indeed.
The creative (and possibly personal!) bond between Irving and Terry shaped not only their lives but the entire course of British theatre at the end of the 19th century. What are artistic ambitions? What does fame give — and take? Is there room for love? Both the play and the production answer these questions with striking honesty.
High Society
Barbican Centre
Silk St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS
From 19 May
A musical directed by Rachel Kavanaugh (yes — her second appearance in this list), based on the play The Philadelphia Story (1939) and the famous 1956 film starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra. Music and lyrics are by Cole Porter, one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, with a book by Arthur Kopit.
You are guaranteed to be humming High Society numbers for a week afterwards: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, I Love Paris, True Love, and many more. This is a dazzling, glamorous, witty, romantic, and delightfully light production — the perfect choice for a spring evening at the theatre.
The brilliant Helen George (Call the Midwife) plays Tracy Lord, with the wonderful Felicity Kendal as her mother. Around them are some 30 performers and a full symphony orchestra. The choreography is by the magnificent Anthony Van Laast, known for Mamma Mia! and Kiss Me, Kate.
So: American high society in the 1950s. Tracy is preparing for what promises to be the wedding of the season — when suddenly her ex-husband reappears and old feelings flare up. A chain of misunderstandings, a lavish party, total chaos, and an irrepressible joy of life.
And note: this is also a chance to say goodbye to the Barbican Centre as we know it. The building is closing for renovation. Opened in 1982, this architectural and cultural landmark of London will be restored to the highest modern standards.
Driftwood
Kiln Theatre
269 Kilburn High Rd, London NW6 7JR
From 3 June
Actor, director, and theatre educator Martina Laird presents her first play. Driftwood is her debut, exploring personal and cultural identity through history and memory. Born in Trinidad and raised in the UK, Laird draws deeply on her Caribbean roots.
Set in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in the 1950s — on the brink of political independence — the play centres on ALMA, a closed men’s club around which events begin to unfold. Power, control, greed, corruption, danger: when the familiar order collapses, everything collapses. One wrong move — and you’re alone with the danger.
This is a story about self-definition and the search for roots, about family at a moment of historical rupture, about choosing one’s path. Driftwood is produced in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company, directed by Justin Audibert, Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre. Casting has yet to be announced.
Please Please Me
Kiln Theatre
269 Kilburn High Rd, London NW6 7JR
From 16 April
It’s impossible not to mention Please Please Me — a play telling the dramatic story of The Beatles’ rise, but with a twist: the focus is not on the Liverpool four themselves, but on their manager, Brian Epstein.
A man spoken about far less than he deserves, Epstein was an undervalued genius — effectively the “fifth Beatle”. Today, there’s a long queue just to enter Liverpool’s Cavern Club, where one of the defining stories of 20th-century music began. The play shows Epstein walking into the club, hearing John, Paul, George, and Ringo for the first time — and instantly understanding that the band could become the greatest in the world.
Working with The Beatles, he confronts personal struggles, secrets, and an unresolvable longing. Against the backdrop of staggering success and meteoric rise unfolds a deeply human story of vulnerability and the price of achievement.
The play is written by Tom Wright, a playwright who previously served as Artistic Director of Leeds Playhouse, and directed by Amit Sharma, Artistic Director of the Kiln Theatre, where this new production premieres. The cast has yet to be announced — so there’s still room to dream.
