★★★★★ The Guardian ★★★★★ The Times ★★★★★ What’s On Stage ★★★★ The Telegraph ★★★★ The Observer ★★★★ The Arts Desk An exploration of life, loss and a single question: Where does true inspiration come from? Composer Philip Glass and performer-director Phelim McDermott (Improbable) have worked together on acclaimed opera productions in London, New York and beyond, and Tao of Glass is their most personal collaboration yet. Inspired by a dream, this West End premiere marries ten meditations on life, death and Taoist wisdom with ten brand new pieces of music from Glass, presented by McDermott with an ensemble of musicians and puppeteers. Part-concert, part-performance, Tao of Glass is a storytelling tapestry, soundtracked by Glass’s mesmerising music and shot through with Improbable’s trademark theatricality. Produced by Factory International, Improbable and Nica Burns.

For one night only, a host of West End stars will take to the stage at the Lyric Theatre for a concert that turns casting on its head. Roles We’ll Never Play brings together some of the industry’s most exciting performers, each stepping into roles they would never usually be cast in. Expect iconic songs, unexpected choices, and performances that feel fresh, surprising, and completely unique. Leading the line-up are Alice Fearn (Wicked, Come From Away), Idris Kargbo (The Lion King, Wicked), Kitty Scott-Claus (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK), Sejal Keshwala (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Bend It Like Beckham), and Desmonda Cathabel (Hadestown, Aladdin). They are joined by Remember Monday band members Lauren Byrne (Matilda, Six) and Holly Anne Hull (Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera), with the evening hosted by Lee Peart (Bottoms Up Podcast with Alan Carr, touring comedian). More star-studded cast announcements will follow in the coming weeks. Produced by Tom Duern alongside Nik Haukohl, Josie Kemp and Lauren Soley, the night brings together a community of performers and creatives who have all volunteered their time to make it happen. At the heart of the event is a personal story. Lauren and Josie met while performing in Les Misérables and are now on a journey to start a family. Like many same-sex female couples in the UK, they are required to self-fund IVF, facing expected costs of over £35,000 under current NHS criteria. This LGBTQ+ IVF Fundraiser is a way of doing something positive in response. A brilliant evening of live performance that raises vital funds and brings the theatre community together in support.

Come on a madcap, rock 'n' roll musical journey of plotting and scheming with folklore's most notorious villain - The Big Bad Wolf. Exiled to the Deep Dark Wood, he parties hard and rocks out every night with his cronies, far away from the goody-goody townspeople of Fairytaleville. But whatever happened to Little Red Riding Hood? Did the Three Little Pigs go on to have a successful career in techno music? Does his Fairy Godmother have what it takes to change the ways of a hardened carnivore? The Plandits are back on the road with this original, high-energy show bursting with live music, punk attitude, and plenty of laughs. Audience review quotes: “What a fabulous show. Three generations all laughing and singing together. Original and brilliant.” “These guys are amazing. We saw their production of the Big Bad Wolf at Wimpole Hall and it was fantastic. So original, the songs were amazing and it was just a really lovely atmosphere. We hope to see the show on a big stage in the future; the world needs more of this!!!” “Funny, charming show with catchy original music!” “The show was full of energy and delivered with style and humour. Would highly recommend, much better than an hour long adaptation of a 5 minute Julia Donaldson book. Funny, charming show with catchy original music.” “We love the German techno piggies!” “We loved everything! There were adult jokes, current affair jokes, lots for the children and audience participation.”

DARK OF THE MOON is a supernatural tale of witchcraft, small-town prejudices, forbidden romance and the power of faith. This timeless, spellbinding new musical portrays the clash of two dynamically polarized worlds—a charming rural Appalachian town and the mystical world of witches and warlocks from the Smoky Mountains that loom high above. And the show’s unique musical score reflects those conflicting worlds as the humans sing country/bluegrass while the witches sing rock. Two young lovers—a human girl and a sexy warlock—find each other and defy their communities’ entrenched prejudices to build a life together. But, with that, they must face a heartbreaking ultimatum, because although true love can heal a great divide...sometimes it is the cause. Directed by GEORGIE RANKCOM with a book by Emmy® Award nominee JONATHAN PRINCE (“American Dreams”) and an eclectic score by Grammy® Award-winning and multiplatinum-selling songwriters LINDY ROBBINS (Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper”), DAVE BASSETT (Elle King’s “Ex’s and Oh’s”) and STEVE ROBSON (Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most”), DARK OF THE MOON is a story of love and loss. It’s about the romantic but tragic bittersweet choice facing the couple: to live forever without love — or to die, at least having loved and been loved.

If you had the power over life and death, what would you do? This summer, the hotly anticipated world premiere of Death Note: The Musical, arrives at the Barbican for 50 performances only from 30 July to 12 September. With over 30 million copies sold worldwide, the legendary manga phenomenon by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata is a global sensation that has captivated audiences for almost twenty years, including multiple sell-out seasons of the musical in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Now, boldly reimagined for the London stage in close collaboration with the original Japanese producers, HoriPro, this new musical features an electrifying score by Tony, Grammy and Emmy nominee Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy and a book by Ivan Menchell. Death Note: The Musical is set to be the theatrical event of the summer. When brilliant student Light Yagami discovers a notebook with the power to determine who lives and who dies, his mission to reshape society quickly spirals out of control and attracts the attention of the elusive and ruthless detective L. What begins as justice descends into obsession and forces both Light and L to confront the limits of morality itself. Write a name. Change the world.

Thirty years on from the film that changed everything, TRAINSPOTTING: THE MUSICAL storms the stage. Written by Irvine Welsh with Music & Lyrics by Stephen McGuinness & Irvine Welsh and Directed & Developed by Caroline Jay Ranger, this is the story of the outsiders, the rebels, a brand-new, expectation defying musical, pumping in live and loud defiance across the West End stage. Cult heroes of youth culture; Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud, Tommy, and Kelly are back, alongside an ensemble cast and a live band. Featuring some of the electrifying tracks from the film that defined a generation, together with catchy, confrontational and celebratory original songs, set to become singalong, dance-along classics, this is more than nostalgia amplified, it’s a genre-defying new musical that speaks to our contemporary malaise of defiance in the face of an uncertain future. Radical, invigorating and life-affirming, this provocative, unforgettable experience will have even the most sceptical leave on a consciousness-altering high. Trainspotting is not just a show. It’s a moment. It’s a manifesto. It’s who we are. CHOOSE LIFE.

'Another day is dawning' In Summer 2026, a brand-new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s global sensation CATS leaps into the magical outdoor setting of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. From Euston station to Victoria Grove, the strays and rebels of London gather under the Jellicle moon in the hope they’ll be the chosen one. And each of them asks, because each of them dares, who will it be? Based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, and with a legendary score featuring , Old Deuteronomy, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, Jellicle Ball and the chart-topping hit Memory, this production of CATS, directed and choreographed by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Artistic Director Drew McOnie (Jesus Christ Superstar, Brigadoon), is sure to be one of the theatrical events of 2026. Following a limited London run of just 7 weeks, this production will undertake a major UK tour through to July 2027.

THE AWARD-WINNING GLOBAL PHENOMENON RETURNS.
 Seen by almost 12 million people across five continents and honoured with more than 80 awards worldwide, Billy Elliot the Musical is one of the most successful and beloved British musicals of all time. Ten years after it last played to audiences in its original home of London and the UK, this landmark production returns at last. Set in a northern town during the miners’ strike of 1984/5, the show follows Billy’s journey from the boxing ring to the ballet class, where he discovers a passion for dance that will change his life forever. As Billy dares to dream, his courage unites his family, inspires his community, and proves the transformative power of art. Brought to life by the award-winning creative team behind the film, with iconic music by Elton John, Billy Elliot is an extraordinary theatrical experience that has captivated audiences around the world. This is the musical that took the nation by surprise and went on to conquer the world. Praised as ‘Breathtaking. A dazzling 40-carat gem of a show’ (Daily Mail), ‘Dazzling. A triumph’ (Independent on Sunday) and ‘Pure magic’ (Sunday Express), Billy Elliot the Musical returns as exhilarating, hilarious and unforgettable as ever, a defining British production finally coming home.

Enjoy an evening of dazzling fiddle tunes from two Grammy winners, celebrating the depth and beauty of American genres. Join Mark O’Connor, ‘one of the most talented and imaginative artists working in music today’ (The Los Angeles Times) and the sensational Maggie O'Connor in an evening that ranges from classical to jazz to bluegrass.   Partners on and off-stage, the duo each took home a Grammy for playing bluegrass in their O’Connor Band. Now they explore original songs and reimagined versions of popular Americana tunes. Mark's previous collaborations include Dolly Parton and Yo-Yo Ma. Featuring on 450 albums in Nashville during the 1980s, his performances have changed the city's view of the fiddle for the better.  Maggie's personality-driven vocals reveal her Georgia roots, blending with Mark's harmonies. The combination of Mark, a multi-instrumentalist and composer, and Maggie, a celebrated violinist and talented singer, makes for an irresistible evening of strings and song. 

After a sell-out 2025 Edinburgh Fringe run, The Mind Spy returns with an immersive, theatrical, magic and mind-reading experience inspired by real Cold War psychic experiments. Could you be a psychic spy? Expect impossible predictions, thought transmission and unexpected connections as the audience becomes part of the test. Stylish, interactive and quietly provocative, this is psychological theatre where nothing is quite as it seems. Winner of Best Original Show, Liverpool Fringe 2025. 'Mind blowing' ***** (TheatreAndArtReviews.com). 'Astounding' ***** (FringeReview.ca).

Indulge yourself in bite-sized hilarity featuring the funniest stand-up comedians from around the globe! Catch this original Fringe comedy showcase for a taste of the freshest talent and uproarious laughter that's sure to leave you wanting more.

Former English voice of Hello Kitty, Soness went from growing up homeless in a beat-up Datsun, to becoming one of Japan’s most recognisable English voices (until AI tried to replace her). Then she tried sumo wrestling. It didn't go well. Fast-paced storytelling blends voice acting, anime, video games, accidental athleticism, one spectacular injury. What happens when you realise you aren't the main character (and maybe never were?) Burbank Comedy Festival semi-finalist. 'One of the most genial hours on offer' **** (TheQR.co.uk). 'An intimate, fascinating glimpse into a life less ordinary – different, charming' **** (One4Review.co.uk).