{"id":895085,"date":"2026-04-15T06:14:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T06:14:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/895085\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T06:14:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T06:14:41","slug":"10-shows-musicals-set-in-london-to-see-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/895085\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Shows & Musicals Set in London To See Right Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

London\u2019s relationship with theatre goes back centuries. It\u2019s a tempestuous one at times: argumentative, self-critical, creative and the fodder for so many compelling stories. Right now, that relationship also happens to be creating some of the most exciting theatre in the world.<\/p>\n

Whether\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0the fog-shrouded streets of Victorian Whitechapel, the well-heeled residences of Notting Hill or the political\u00a0clout\u00a0of Westminster, the city has found its way into some of this year\u2019s must-see stagings.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

From a little bear\u00a0from Peru who arrives at Paddington Station to be met with kindness, to\u00a0a historic madcap plot to deceive the Nazis and the weird\u00a0issues\u00a0that\u00a0crop up\u00a0when you\u2019re the first-ever\u00a0female Chancellor of the Exchequer, here\u2019s our\u00a0pick of the\u00a0plays and musicals<\/a>\u00a0that aren\u2019t just set in London, but in which the city is its own central character.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shows & Musicals Set in London\u00a0\u00a0 \"Paddington <\/a>Paddington The Musical <\/b><\/p>\n

Paddington: The Musical<\/a>\u00a0has burst onto the scene as one of this year\u2019s hottest tickets, scooping up the Best New Musical\u00a0and a slew of other\u00a0awards\u00a0at the\u00a0Olivier Awards 2026.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Michael Brown\u2019s classic story of a small bear\u00a0fresh from Peru,\u00a0who is\u00a0lost in the vastness of London\u00a0before finding\u00a0refuge and friendship with the Brown family\u00a0is brought to life in this charming musical.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

London is no mere backdrop either,\u00a0the city\u00a0is front and centre:\u00a0from\u00a0the Browns\u2019 residence in\u00a0Windsor Gardens, to a pivotal scene at the Natural History Museum \u2013\u00a0it\u00a0is as much the beating heart of\u00a0Paddington\u00a0as the characters and songs themselves.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Paddington The Musical<\/p>\n

Savoy Theatre,\u00a0London<\/p>\n

Book Tickets<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"Harry <\/a>Harry Potter & The Cursed Child <\/b><\/p>\n

Palace Theatre\u00a0<\/p>\n

Away from the fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, London is Harry Potter\u2019s city.\u00a0The very real\u00a0King\u2019s Cross Station,\u00a0from whose fictional\u00a0Platform 9\u00a0\u00be the\u00a0Hogwarts Express\u00a0departs,\u00a0is just down the road from the\u00a0West\u00a0End\u00a0where the eighth\u00a0installment\u00a0of the series has been playing since 2016.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Harry Potter & The\u00a0Cursed Child<\/a>\u00a0picks up 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, with Harry now working at the London-based Ministry of Magic, as his youngest son, Albus, battles with the weight of the family legacy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Winning a record-breaking nine Olivier Awards,\u00a0this is West End theatre at its most transporting. Plus,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0being re-imagined from a two-part to a single part production as of October 2026\u00a0to make it more accessible than ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child<\/p>\n

Palace Theatre,\u00a0London<\/p>\n

Book Tickets<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"Oliver! <\/a>Oliver! <\/b><\/p>\n

Gielgud Theatre\u00a0<\/p>\n

Much like the Charles Dickens\u2019 novel the musical is based on,\u00a0its\u00a0the grimy\u00a0and\u00a0gaslit streets of\u00a0Victorian\u00a0London,\u00a0streets\u00a0filled\u00a0with the\u00a0with workhouses\u00a0and market squares,\u00a0that drive\u00a0Oliver!<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0story.\u00a0A\u00a0long-standing gateway to musical theatre on the West End,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0been\u00a0given fresh life by Matthew Bourne\u2019s imaginary direction and choreography.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Walk through the doors from modern-day\u00a0Shaftesbury Avenue\u00a0and be transported back in time\u00a0into the world of Fagin\u2019s pickpockets \u2013 one where classic\u00a0numbers like Food Glorious Food, Consider\u00a0Yourself and As Long as He Needs Me meet\u00a0all-out spectacle for a show that\u2019s as enjoyable and relevant as ever.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Oliver!<\/p>\n

Gielgud Theatre,\u00a0London<\/p>\n

Book Tickets<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"An <\/a>An Ideal Husband <\/b><\/p>\n

Lyric Hammersmith\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

If Dickens\u2019 Victorian London was a world of workhouses and pickpockets, Oscar Wilde\u2019s was one of dinner parties, drawing rooms and high japes and intrigue.\u00a0Wilde, who famously said of London society \u201cIt is entirely composed of beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics,\u201d wrote the perfect ode to that society in\u00a0An\u00a0Ideal Husband<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nicolai La Barrie brings this classic play where\u00a0secrets mean power and reputation is everything to the Lyric Hammersmith this summer.\u00a0They\u2019ve\u00a0translated\u00a0the action to modern-day London\u00a0\u2013\u00a0not exactly a difficult feat given that many of the places that feature so prominently in the play like Grosvenor Square\u00a0and Curzon Street in Mayfair are still there today.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Add to that a\u00a0plot\u00a0filled with\u00a0scheming and social climbing over which the shadow of Westminster looms and\u00a0you have\u00a0a storyline\u00a0that would still light up the\u00a0gossip\u00a0feeds on social media. \u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

An Ideal Husband<\/p>\n

Lyric Hammersmith,\u00a0London<\/p>\n

Book Tickets<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"Grace <\/a>Grace Pervades<\/b><\/p>\n

Theatre Royal Haymarket\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

David Hare\u2019s elegant new play\u00a0Grace Pervades<\/a>\u00a0puts London\u2019s theatre history in the spotlight, tracing the complex partnership between Sir Henry Irving, the first\u00a0ever actor to be knighted and Ellen Terry,\u00a0one of the\u00a0pre-eminent leading ladies\u00a0of\u00a0the late 19th\u00a0and early 20th\u00a0century\u00a0stage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Together,\u00a0Irving\u00a0and Terry\u00a0dominated the stage at the Lyceum Theatre\u00a0as do the play\u2019s contemporary stars Raph Fiennes and Miranda Raison. Delve into the\u00a0story,\u00a0directed by Jeremy Herrin,\u00a0which looks at the\u00a0true cost\u00a0of a life lived entirely for the stage in what promises to be\u00a0one of the highlights of this year\u2019s\u00a0theatrical\u00a0calendar.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Grace Pervades<\/p>\n

Theatre Royal Haymarket,\u00a0London<\/p>\n

Book Tickets<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"Churchill's <\/a>Churchill’s Urinal <\/b><\/p>\n

King\u2019s Head Theatre\u00a0<\/p>\n

Telling the story of the piece of Victorian plumbing that narrowly avoided becoming a constitutional crisis,\u00a0Churchill\u2019s Urinal<\/a>\u00a0brings a tongue-in-cheek levity to the true story of Chancellor of the Exchequer\u00a0Rachel Reeves discovering that her office at 11 Downing Street contained a urinal that, thanks to its listed status, could not be altered or replaced.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Written by satirist Rosie Holt,\u00a0whose\u00a0online alter-ego fake Tory MP has racked up millions of social media views, the play\u00a0homes in\u00a0on\u00a0heritage, power and the hiccoughs that can arise when\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer in the position\u2019s 800-1000-year history.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Churchill’s Urinal<\/p>\n

King’s Head Theatre,\u00a0London<\/p>\n

Book Tickets<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"Inter <\/a>Inter Alia <\/b><\/p>\n

Wyndham\u2019s Theatre\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rosamund Pike reprises\u00a0the\u00a0central role\u00a0in\u00a0Inter Alia<\/a>\u2019s West End transfer after\u00a0its\u00a0sell-out run at the National Theatre. The play tracks the life of Jessica Parks, a London Crown Court judge\u00a0who\u2019s\u00a0determined\u00a0to change\u00a0a system she knows\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0always just, as she juggles motherhood,\u00a0friendship\u00a0and career success.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s legal landmarks,\u00a0including The Old Bailey, the Royal Courts of Justice and the\u00a0labyrinthine\u00a0system of Crown Courts all make their appearance \u2013 a city within a city\u00a0in which\u00a0writer Suzie Miller and director Justin Martin\u00a0(the duo behind\u00a0Prima Facie)\u00a0build a web of taut, emotionally destructive theatre.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Inter Alia<\/p>\n

Wyndham’s Theatre,\u00a0London<\/p>\n

Book Tickets<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"Operation <\/a>Operation Mincemeat<\/b><\/p>\n

Fortune Theatre\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1943, deep in the annals of MI5, a group of British intelligence officers conceived of a rather fantastical plan:\u00a0one that involved dressing a corpse as a pilot, handcuffing a case of false war plans to his arms and washing him up on the coast of Spain in a misinformation campaign\u00a0to flummox the Nazis.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

It might sound too fantastical to be true\u2026 but\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not,\u00a0and the resulting musical\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Operation Mincemeat<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0is\u00a0just as sharp and funny as the subject deserves. Sold out shows\u00a0at the New Diorama, Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios\u00a0led to\u00a0its\u00a0current life in the\u00a0Fortune Theatre\u00a0where\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0just been extended for the eighteenth time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Operation Mincemeat<\/p>\n

Fortune Theatre,\u00a0London<\/p>\n

Book Tickets<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"The <\/a>The Comedy About Spies <\/b><\/p>\n

Adelphi Theatre\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s\u00a01960s London:\u00a0Carnaby Street is buzzing, the Cold War rages and James Bond\u00a0is\u00a0busy\u00a0quaffing\u00a0shaken not stirred\u00a0martinis inspired by DUKES Bar.\u00a0At the same time, some\u00a0far less competent\u00a0operatives are trying to avert catastrophe\u00a0\u2013\u00a0at least\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0the premise for\u00a0the\u00a0laugh\u00a0out loud\u00a0caper\u00a0The Comedy about Spies<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

When a rogue British agent gets his hands on plans for a top-secret weapon, CIA and\u00a0KGB\u00a0agents swarm The Picadilly Hotel, joined by a host of characters including\u00a0an actor auditioning for none other than\u2026\u00a0a spy movie. The result\u00a0is double-crossings and misunderstandings aplenty,\u00a0a smattering of bumbling incompetence and\u00a0a rather enchanting\u00a0comedy from the same team\u00a0that brought us\u00a0The Play That Goes Wrong.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Comedy About Spies<\/p>\n

Adelphi Theatre,\u00a0London<\/p>\n

Book Tickets<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"Sherlock <\/a>Sherlock Holmes <\/b><\/p>\n

Watching a play at Regent Park\u2019s\u00a0open-air\u00a0theatre during the summer months is one of the quintessential London experiences:\u00a0even more so with the new\u00a0Sherlock Holmes<\/a>\u00a0mystery\u00a0playing in May and June.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Set in London in 1890, this\u00a0brand-new\u00a0Sherlock\u00a0story picks its way through a city expanding so rapidly\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0consuming everything in its path.\u00a0Holmes and Watson race against time, trying to serve a mystery involving an unknown woman, a mysterious\u00a0jewel\u00a0and the city itself.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Written by Joel Horwood, directed by Sean Holmes\u00a0and starring Joshua James as Sherlock Holmes\u00a0alongside\u00a0Jyuddah\u00a0James as\u00a0Dr Watson\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a theatrical spectacle packed with intrigue and\u00a0suspense.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sherlock Holmes<\/p>\n

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre,\u00a0London<\/p>\n

Book Tickets<\/p>\n

<\/a> Sign-up for news and booking alerts about these shows and more:<\/b> <\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf7\u00a0Main photo: Paddington The Musical at the Savoy Theatre. Paddington Bear. Photo by Johan Persson<\/p>\n

Related What’s On guides<\/p>\n

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<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"London\u2019s relationship with theatre goes back centuries. It\u2019s a tempestuous one at times: argumentative, self-critical, creative and the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":895086,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[7757],"tags":[252531,748,252532,393,123127,4884,111807,63898,63899,107158,257,11756,38891,25303,81697,234595,16,15],"class_list":["post-895085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-london","tag-an-ideal-husband","tag-britain","tag-churchills-urinal","tag-england","tag-grace-pervades","tag-great-britain","tag-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child","tag-inspiration-bestsellers","tag-inspiration-home","tag-inter-alia","tag-london","tag-oliver","tag-operation-mincemeat","tag-paddington-the-musical","tag-sherlock-holmes","tag-the-comedy-about-spies","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116407256271304925","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=895085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895085\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/895086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=895085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=895085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=895085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}