Our critics travel up and down the country reviewing the latest theatre, musicals and dance, so have the inside track. Here is our guide to the best productions and where to watch them — ordered by when they end. Feel free to get involved in the comments and share your own recommendations.
My Fair Lady — it leaves you wanting to dance all night
Curve, Leicester
This musical just shouldn’t work any more, with its fetish for posh vowel sounds, spiky serenades to misogyny and a song that — to all intents and purposes — celebrates stalking. Yet Nikolai Foster’s sparkily atmospheric production, marked by vivacious choreography, nightingale-sweet singing and enjoyably peppery dialogue, is so damn charming from beginning to end that it leaves you wanting to dance all night. To January 4, curveonline.co.uk
RH
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A Christmas Carol — John Simm is tremendous in this winter warmer
Old Vic, SE1
From the opening taste of mince pies and tangerines thrown from a stage that projects into the audience like a big London hug to its uplifting finale two hours later, this resilient revival makes it impossible to venture back into the cold streets without an overwhelming desire to add to the collection buckets that continue to shake by the exit. To January 4, oldvictheatre.com
Ben Dowell
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Michael Morpurgo’s Pinocchio — both children and adults will enjoy it
Watermill, Newbury
After last year’s drab, stroppy teen version of The Wizard of Oz, the good news from Berkshire is that this most intimate of venues is back on form. At a time when we tend to think bigger is always better, Simon Reade’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s reworking of the classic tale has all the charm of a travelling puppet show. To January 5, watermill.org.uk
CD
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Aladdin — the flying carpet scene is worth the price of admission alone
Lyric Hammersmith, W6
An Aladdin’s cave in the middle aisle of Lidl, a horny genie and a psychotic evil stepfather with a penchant for lime and purple outfits — have no doubt, the Lyric Hammersmith pantomime is firing on all cylinders this year. Two years ago, the writer Sonia Jalaly and director Nicholai La Barrie delighted audiences with their kick-ass take on Jack and the Beanstalk. Now, they’re putting audiences through the spin cycle in their Arabian Nights rewrite for the bargain supermarket generation. To January 5, lyric.co.uk
RH
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The Lehman Trilogy — you won’t see better acting all year
Gillian Lynne Theatre, WC2
Sam Mendes’s densely informative yet dazzlingly theatrical production first appeared at the National Theatre in 2018. Yet don’t think you are getting second best today. This new Anglo-American cast of John Heffernan, Aaron Krohn and Howard W Overshown is every inch as virtuosic and perhaps even a shade handier with the comedy than its predecessors. Good luck seeing better acting all year.
To January 5, lwtheatres.co.uk
DM
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The Little Mermaid — an eco-fable twist on a much-loved fairytale
Bristol Old Vic
It’s The Little Mermaid, but not as we know it. Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairytale has been transformed into a contemporary eco-fable at Bristol Old Vic, and if that sounds far too worthy for a festive family show, be reassured there’s still plenty of magic, wonder and entertainment on offer. To January 11, bristololdvic.org.uk
Rebecca Franks
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Pan — a cast of 800 whizz us to Neverland
Chickenshed Theatre, N14
After two years of hi-tech revamps of old stories — a video-game universe enfolding Jack and the Beanstalk, Pinocchio updated to the era of AI — the 50th anniversary Christmas production by north London’s Chickenshed theatre is almost radically faithful to its source. Perhaps that’s because JM Barrie’s Peter Pan is weird enough unvarnished. Stick to his script — and this show cleaves pretty closely — and its macabre atmosphere still disturbs. To January 11, chickenshed.org.uk
Neil Fisher
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Spend Spend Spend — sex, snobbery and a romp of a musical
Royal Exchange Manchester
Steve Brown and Justin Greene’s musical, first seen in 1998, is an affectionate run through the life of the much-maligned Viv, from a hardscrabble upbringing in the Yorkshire mining town of Castleford through teen pregnancy, five marriages, winning and losing the equivalent of £4.3 million and becoming a Jehovah’s Witness. To January 11, royalexchange.co.uk
Holly Williams
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Hold on to Your Butts — a funny, head-spinning Jurassic Park parody
Arcola Theatre, E8
If someone asked me whether I’d want to watch a two-man version of Jurassic Park, the short answer would be no. But, as I take my seat in the American theatre company Recent Cutbacks’ makeshift cinema and the lights go down, something begins to change. Halfway between theatre and film, Hold on to Your Butts builds the world of Steven Spielberg’s classic, roars and all, right in front of our eyes. To January 11, then on tour, holdontoyourbutts.com
Anya Ryan
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Cinderella — Marianela Nuñez glows with goodness
Royal Opera House
When you have a ballet as precious as Frederick Ashton’s 1948 staging of Cinderella you want to show it off, especially when it’s had such a sumptuous makeover. So, not quite two years since its redesign, it takes over the Royal Opera House for Christmas. To January 16, rbo.org.uk
Debra Craine
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Little Shop of Horrors — a deliciously monstrous cult comedy-horror
Crucible, Sheffield
Here’s something I’m not sure I’ve written in a review before — because the problem is almost always the other way round — but this Little Shop needs to start bigger. Its opening feels unsteady in tone and a bit lost on the Crucible’s stage. But the good news is that when the production gets going, feeding on the increasing absurdity of the plot and the audience’s energy like Audrey II feeds on human blood, it grows to be deliciously monstrous. To January 18, sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
HW
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Twelfth Night — a lesson in comic timing
Orange Tree, Richmond
Sit in the front row in this compact, in-the-round space and you have a good chance of being drawn into the subterfuge hatched at the expense of Oliver Ford Davies’s crusty Malvolio. A timeless scene becomes as much fun as a post-Christmas dinner party game. To January 25, orangetreetheatre.co.uk
CD
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Swan Lake — 30 years on, Matthew Bourne’s rewrite still grips
Sadler’s Wells
This is a clever staging that starts as a joke and darkens into heartbreaking tragedy. It’s blessed with stylish and witty designs from Lez Brotherston, including the evening’s most memorable image — a majestic white bed. Bourne’s choreography is more concerned with the detail of character than with lengthy phrases, but you can’t deny the power of his strikingly naturalistic moves for the 14 swans — beasts at heart — or the emotional heft of the Prince’s awakening desire. To January 26, sadlerswells.com
DC
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Nutcracker in Havana — a feelgood Cuban take on a Christmas classic
Created by the dance superstar turned choreographer Carlos Acosta in a partnership with Norwich Theatre and Valid Productions, this new and very easy to like take on a seasonal ballet staple doesn’t avoid the scenario’s wintry aspects. It is, however, very much situated, at least initially, in the warmer climes of Acosta’s birthplace of Cuba. Touring to January 28, 115min, nutcrackerinhavana.com
DH
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The Nutcracker — Scottish Ballet’s festive favourite is a cracker
Theatre Royal, Glasgow
The mix of respectful reverence and invention in the production finds its fullest expression in the pas de deux of the Nutcracker Prince (Yuri Marques) and the Sugar Plum Fairy (Jessica Fyfe), which in its precision and restraint manages to be incredibly moving, and devoid of camp or sugary sweetness. Touring to February 8, scottishballet.co.uk
AR
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Why Am I So Single? — the makers of Six serve up a laugh-a-minute feast
Garrick Theatre
Talk about pressure. Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss enjoyed such a runaway success with their debut show, the gaudy Tudor history lesson Six, that it was always going to be a challenge to write a half-decent follow-up. What a pleasure, then, to discover that their mischievous version of a “big fancy musical” more than lives up to expectations. To February 13, whyamisosingle.com
CD
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Summer 1954 — an affecting double bill of Terence Rattigan’s work
Theatre Royal, Bath
Which has aged better as a portrait of a troubled marriage: The Browning Version or Look Back in Anger? It’s possible to put that question to the test at the moment since John Osborne’s kitchen sink play is enjoying a rare revival at London’s Almeida, while in Bath you can savour Terence Rattigan’s public school drama as part of Summer 1954, an affecting double bill alongside the portrait of genteel seaside folk in Table Number Seven. Touring to February 15
CD
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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — this musical touches the heart
Our hero, touchingly played by John Dagleish, enters this world as a stooped figure in a bowler hat and green suit, and comes of age in a fishing village where myth and legend are part of daily life. Dagleish doesn’t resort to extravagant make-up as he journeys from old man to teenager. Instead, the narrative holds us through the power of words and subtle gestures. Benjamin is a painfully inarticulate figure who drifts through the world like an unassuming, 20th-century version of Frankenstein’s monster. To February 15, benjaminbuttonmusical.com
CD
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Starlight Express — revamped classic will intoxicate your inner child
Troubadour Theatre, Wembley
Make sure to take your inner child with you. Viewed in a cold, rational light, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hugely popular Eighties musical about a pack of rollerskating actors pretending to be trains delivers an extended exercise in daffiness. But as a way of introducing a young audience to musical theatre, the show has a lot going for it. To February 16, starlightexpresslondon.com
CD
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Ballet Shoes — this snappy family show is the National at its best
Olivier, National Theatre
Could this be the classiest Christmas show in town? Kendall Feaver’s bold adaptation of Noel Streatfeild’s 1930s children’s novel doesn’t come festooned with baubles and elves, yet the combination of adventure, romance and sheer good humour makes it ideal material for a holiday outing. To February 22, nationaltheatre.org.uk
CD
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The Producers — Mel Brooks’s outrageous musical slims down nicely
Menier Chocolate Factory, SE1
Can a show as big and blowsy as Mel Brooks’s outrageous musical about a Broadway scam work in such an intimate setting? I had my doubts at first, but Patrick Marber’s revival is so full of mischief that you’re simply swept along by the sheer ridiculousness of it all. To March 1, menierchocolatefactory.com
CD
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Fawlty Towers — hugely entertaining blast of nostalgia
Apollo Theatre, W1
Even though Cleese’s adaptation — first seen in Australia in 2016 — can’t quite recreate the original chemistry without the man himself and Prunella Scales behind the reception desk, I’m pleased to report that this genial condensing of three episodes delivers a hugely entertaining blast of unadorned nostalgia. To March 1, fawltytowerswestend.com
CD
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Come Alive! The Greatest Showman — a high-energy homage to the film
Empress Museum, SW6
A dynamic string of circus acts accompanied by anthemic songs from the film’s score. Blink and you’ll miss the storyline, yet this remains an engaging, high-energy exercise in family entertainment, which, in a 700-seat venue adjacent to the remains of the now demolished Earls Court Exhibition Centre, feels strikingly intimate. To March 30, comealiveshow.com
CD
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Six — long may these witty queens reign over the West End
Vaudeville Theatre, WC2
While Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s musical Six is marketed as a brash girlie venture (men my age are definitely not part of the core demographic) there are a lot of clever ideas lurking beneath the glitter. If the show barely qualifies as a musical in the traditional sense — it’s really more of a pumped-up concert and runs for only 80 minutes — the songs are packaged with a degree of poise and wit that makes jukebox shows such as Jersey Boys look ponderous by comparison. Booking to May 2025, thevaudevilletheatre.co.uk
CD
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Operation Mincemeat — a gloriously inventive wartime romp
Fortune Theatre, WC2
Sometimes the jokes hit you so quickly that you barely have time to laugh before the next one comes sweeping along. This gloriously inventive musical, based on a celebrated Second World War intelligence operation, is the nearest thing to those hyperactive Tex Avery cartoons that kept cinema audiences entertained during the war years. Booking to June 7, operationmincemeat.com
CD
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MJ: The Musical — 24-carat karaoke anchored by sleek dance moves
Prince Edward Theatre, W1
If the day comes when musicals are created by artificial intelligence they may well resemble this jukebox show. It’s proficient, but oddly soulless. Hardcore Michael Jackson fans — and there are more than enough of them to sell tickets for the rest of eternity — will enjoy themselves. For the uncommitted, Christopher Wheeldon’s production offers an immaculately choreographed evening of anchored by the sleek dance moves of its Tony-winning star Myles Frost. To June 21, mjthemusical.com
CD
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Hadestown — magical musical that touches the heart
Lyric, W1
The underworld has never sounded so funky. At a time when jukebox musicals seem to be everywhere, singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell’s captivating folk opera, inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, is a reminder of what musical theatre can achieve when it sets its sights beyond the lowest common denominator. To September 28, uk.hadestown.com, nimaxtheatres.com
Clive Davis
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War Horse — it’s impossible not to be swept away by this revival
New Theatre, Oxford
Let’s start by admitting that the script has its flaws: there are passages early in the second half where this epic tale of the trenches loses its focus. By the end, though, it’s impossible not to be swept away by the sheer theatricality of a story that peers into the abyss and finds a shard of light in the form of Joey, the lifesize equine puppet. Looking around the auditorium, I saw more than a few grown men dabbing their eyes at the final scene. To January 4, atgtickets.com; then touring to November, nationaltheatre.org.uk
CD
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Oliver! — Matthew Bourne’s version is a jolly, comforting winner
Chichester Festival Theatre
It’s a while since I’ve heard the Chichester locals explode into quite such passionate applause. Shanay Holmes’s Nancy earned some of the loudest cheers for an impassioned rendition of As Long As He Needs Me,which provides a measure of anguish amid all the jollity. Gielgud Theatre, W1, from December 14, oliverthemusical.com
CD
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Les Miserables — Alfie Boe and Michael Ball in arena spectacular
Ovo Hydro, Glasgow
Les Misérables, created by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, with English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, is perhaps the only long-running show that could generate an atmosphere somewhere between a rock concert and a football match. The production, directed by James Powell and Jean-Pierre van der Spuy, is at its most hypnotic in its virtuoso moments. It’s fun to see Ball, and his long-time partner in crime, Alfie Boe, playing the virtuous Jean Valjean, spark off each other, and Boe gives a truly showstopping rendition of Bring Him Home.
Touring worldwide to December 2025, concert.lesmis.com
AR
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