Nye — National Theatre
The story of one of Britain’s greatest political figures of the 20th century, Nye Beaven, is being reimagined in a new light this spring at the National Theatre. It is to this man, who served as the United Kingdom’s Health Secretary in post-war England, that the modern population owes the existence of the NHS. Nye Beaven, a staunch socialist, had a difficult but incredibly interesting path from the Welsh mines in a working-class town to the British Parliament, where he was able to do the almost impossible: to ensure the possibility of receiving medical care for everyone in the UK, regardless of their financial and social status. This breathtaking story has already premiered, but will be available to watch until May 11.
Opening Night — Guild Theatre
Opening Night is a musical adaptation of the 1977 John Cassavetes film of the same name. The plot revolves around a successful Broadway actress Myrtle Gordon, who unintentionally witnesses the death of a young female fan. This tragic event causes the actress to suddenly fall into a severe depression right before one of the most important premieres of her life. Her psychological state severely affects rehearsals, jeopardising both the success of the premiere and the actress’ career itself. The idea of bringing this story to life on the stage of a London theatre is a really interesting one: the main action of the film takes place on the stage of a Broadway theatre, so the narrative in this production has to cleverly play out the theme of a narrative within a narrative, where actors play actors on a stage within a stage. One of the most successful actresses in contemporary British theatre — Sheridan Smoot, will play the lead role of Myrtle Gordon, has been entrusted with this long-range narrative. The music itself, composed by the American rock legend Rufus Wainwright, has made Opening Night the most anticipated musical on the London stage long before its premiere. The musical can be seen at the Guild Theatre from March 6 through July 27.
MJ The Musical — Prince Edward Theatre
New York’s Broadway sensation has finally made it to London! The musical about the King of Pop Michael Jackson debuted in America in 2022 and has already won four Tony Awards for Best Lead Actor, Best Choreography, and Best Lighting and Sound Design. And there really is a lot to see in the musical! The plot covers the life of Michael Jackson through the prism of the singer’s 25 greatest hits, masterfully performed by a fine cast, many of whom are far from their first big Broadway work. The musical is currently on a world tour, with the London premiere at the Prince Edward Theatre on March 6. Performances in London will continue through June 22, after which the musical is scheduled to travel to Hamburg and then Sydney. Considering such a short period of stay of the musical on the London stage, as well as the incredible popularity of its predecessor, Thriller, the producers expect a complete sold-out, so you should hurry to buy tickets.
Long Day’s Journey Into Night — Wyndham’s Theatre
American playwright Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play returns to the Wyndham Theatre stage with the amazingBrian Cox as the lead. The play tells the story of a summer day in the life of the Tyrone family, based on O’Neill’s own chaotically dysfunctional family. Deeply moving and uplifting in equal measure, this is a gripping story of love, hate, betrayal and addiction, and the impossible fragility of family bonds. Viewerswill be able to see a modern reimagining of this story as early asMarch 19, and the show will run through June 8.
London Tide — National Theatre
London Tide is a new, intriguing production at the National Theatre that tells a story of two very different women who meet by chance in London with the same mysterious young man. The plot is based on the last work of Charles Dickens “Our Mutual Friend”, in which the English classic combined detective-romantic intrigue with the participation of touching, purely Dickensian characters, and social and psychological satire on the destructive power of money. These themes are still relevant now in modern London, so in order to create an authentic atmosphere of today’sEngland, the writing of the musical part was given to the famous British singer and musician PJ Harvey. As a result this play combines Dickensian wit and images skilfully altered to fit inmodern times. You can see the play from April 10 to June 22 at the National Theatre.
The Cherry Orchard — Donmar Warehouse
No theatre season in London goes without a production based on Chekhov’s plays. This spring is no exception, and very soon the London audience will be able to see a new promising production of “The Cherry Orchard” at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre. The production is directed by Australian Benedict Andrews, whose production of The Three Sisters at the Young Vic in 2012 was a resounding success, clearly indicating the director’s ability to look at the Russian classic from a completely new perspective. Expectations for this production are incredibly high, as is the number of people who want to see it on stage, so tickets for The Cherry Orchard have already begun to be sold again, extending the show for several days in advance. The premiere of the play will take place on April 26, and the show will end on June 22, but despite that it seems that there is still time, it is better to hurry up and buy the tickets!
Spirited Away — London Coliseum
The success of the theatrical adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s animated film “Totoro” has not gone unnoticed and predetermined the imminent arrival of another beloved Japanese classic to the London stage. The news that the show, based on one of the most famous anime films “Spirited Away”, is coming to London has been around for a long time, but all the details of the performance became known only recently. This time the touching story about Chihiro and her adventures in the world of Japanese gods and spirits will be shown at the home of British opera — the London Coliseum. The production will run from April 30 through August 24.
