Spring is in full swing and we’re heading full steam into summer, but what should you see this May at the theatre? Check out our preview below!
Tender – Soho Theatre (24 Apr – 30 May)
The Dancing Bears strip club is failing. Ten covers on a Saturday night. One booking next week. The new club down the street are packing fifty women a night with their twelve-inch synchronised dicks. When the boss’s daughter shows up, she realises they’re gonna need a bigger show. From the Tambo & Bones powerhouse duo, writer Dave Harris and director Matthew Xia, comes a steamy, boisterous and tender story about breaking free from masculinity’s seductive cage.
Grace Pervades – Theatre Royal Haymarket (24 Apr – 11 Jul)
Ralph Fiennes stars as Sir Henry Irving, the first actor ever to be knighted and the greatest star of the Victorian stage. Miranda Raison plays Ellen Terry, the most loved and highest paid actress in England and recruited by Irving to join his renowned company at the Lyceum Theatre.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind – @SohoPlace (25 Apr – 18 Jul)
A bold and uplifting new musical telling the true story of a boy who hopes to defy expectations to produce the gift of power and give hope for tomorrow. Plays at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon before reaching London.
Brief Play About Rage – Omnibus Theatre (28 Apr – 2 May)
Nell and Val have been friends for many years. Val has hated Nell for most of them, but has never had the courage to say anything. When Nell comes to visit Val and her boyfriend Hugh in their apartment, she immediately asserts a brutal crusade of truth upon them, disrupting Val and Hugh’s carefully maintained peace and exposing parts of each other’s lives that they would rather keep hidden. Val has never stated the deep resentment she feels towards Nell. Hugh and Val have never shared certain parts of themselves with each other. So what happens when someone finally says everything out loud?
Something Clean – Lion and Unicorn Theatre (29 Apr – 3 May)
Award nominated playwright Selina Fillinger soars in this intimate drama following one woman struggling to make sense of her own grief, love, and culpability.
1536 – Ambassador’s Theatre (2 May – 1 Aug)
Word spreads of a clash between King Henry VIII and his Queen, Anne Boleyn. And closer to home, another rumour threatens to catch fire. 1536 asks whether female solidarity can survive in a world where barbarism and misogyny are state-sanctioned.
Sherlock Holmes – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre (2 May – 6 Jun)
London, 1890, a city rapidly expanding, devouring all in its path. Fresh off the success of his first big case, Sherlock Holmes misuses his time, until an unknown woman and a mysterious jewel arrive at 221b Baker Street. As the chase begins, and with lives on the line, can Holmes and Watson pull back the curtain on the big show and reveal the mastermind behind this deadly conspiracy?
Foal – Finborough Theatre (5 – 30 May)
A.K. wants to escape the Island. Live a good life. But the sea draws you back. When a dreadful secret comes to light, A.K. returns to his home town to confront the shadows of his childhood and put right a terrible wrong. The thing is, he’s worried about the other version of himself, the one who lives inside his ribcage. An exhilarating fever dream, Foal is a revenge thriller set in the era of the Sony Walkman; a lyrical, urgent new play about masculinity, compassion, and retribution. Annie Kershaw directs this new work by Titas Halder.
Ashes and Diamonds – White Bear Theatre (5 – 16 May)
A one-woman play written by Gail Louw. An elderly lady walks into a room full of her family: daughter, son, grandchildren. They evoke wistful memories and songs of love and playfulness, yet they take no notice of her as she moves among them. Memories overlap, sparkling and fading, merging into one: past overlapping with present. Memories of being strafed by Luftwaffe, storm-tossed boats, births, deaths, love, family. You don’t remember if it’s been fun, you just know it’s 11.15 and it’s been a life full of ashes and diamonds.
The Anti “Yogi” – Soho Theatre (6 – 16 May)
This is the world that yoga professor Mayuri knows well: Incense, turmeric lattes, spandex. It’s absurd, especially as the only South Asian/Indian in a practice rooted in her own heritage. Join Mayuri Bhandari and Kali, Goddess of Death as they take on wellness capitalism and spiritual theft.
The Wasp – Southwark Playhouse Borough (6 – 30 May)
Heather and Carla haven’t seen each other since school. Their lives have taken very different paths – Carla lives a hand-to-mouth existence while Heather has a high-flying career, husband and a beautiful home. And yet, here they are in a café having tea and making awkward conversation. That is until Heather presents Carla with a bag containing a significant amount of cash and an unexpected proposition. A twisting two-hander, this electric thriller from Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Emilia) asks how far beyond the playground we carry our childhood experiences – and to what lengths some people are willing to go in order to come to terms with them.
Dinner By Moira Buffini – Omnibus Theatre (6 – 24 May)
Paige is celebrating the publication of her husband’s self-help bestseller. Her menu is dramatic and deliberate, all served with the deeply attentive assistance of a vigilant waiter.
Flush – Arcola Theatre (6 May – 6 Jun)
Set in the heart of a London club, FLUSH unfolds entirely in the women’s bathroom – a space of eyeliner touch-ups, whispered confessions, and fleeting connections. Over the course of one night, stories slip between the cracks of the cubicles: teenage girls in chaos; queer and trans lives in motion; an American woman trying to belong; a hen party unravelling; women in their 30s quietly falling apart – and rebuilding.
I’m Not Being Funny – Bush Theatre (7 May – 13 Jun)
She’s signed them both up. Her and her husband. For stand-up comedy. So tonight they’re locking themselves in their living room until they’ve got a ‘tight five’, delving through their past for material. But some jokes hurt and laughter isn’t always the best medicine. With the clock ticking and nothing but a baby monitor for an audience, Billie and Peter wrestle with the spotlight as questions about their future are forced to the surface.
An Ideal Husband – Lyric Hammersmith (7 May – 6 Jun)
Oscar Wilde’s comedy, Sir Robert Chiltern is riding high on all the very best that modern life has to offer a man of his impeccable taste and immaculate reputation. The house, the clothes, the wife. All seems well until the arrival of the devious Mrs Cheveley, who has a taste for drama and secrets to spill. Her revelations threaten scandal, betrayal, public disgrace: so how far will this perfect gentleman go to protect his good name?
Mother Courage and Her Children – Shakespeare’s Globe (7 May – 27 Jun)
War rages. Resources are scarce. Hope is a luxury. Mother Courage drags her cart through a wasteland stripped bare by greed and conflict – a profiteer, a survivor, and a mother. She’s learnt to make a living from war, and she’ll sell whatever’s left of humanity to keep herself and her children alive. In the business of war, every victory costs her something – and eventually, everything.
Filled with live music, biting humour and raw determination, this modern staging of a classic protest piece, translated by Anna Jordan and directed by Globe Associate Artist Elle While asks urgent questions about survival, capitalism and complicity.Globe Artistic Director Michelle Terry leads as one of theatre’s mightiest and most complex female characters, in a darkly hedonistic production that will bring the yard vividly to life with fury, empathy and joy-as-rebellion.
Equus – Menier Chocolate Factory (7 May – 27 Jun)
Peter Shaffer’s award-winning, deeply unsettling play returns in a powerful revival directed by Lindsay Posner.
Krapp’s Last Tape – Royal Court (8 May – 30 May)
Starring and directed by Gary Oldman, on his 69th birthday, a man sits alone and listens to the echoes of his younger self.
Stage Kiss – Hampstead Theatre (8 May – 13 Jun)
It’s the first day of rehearsal for long-forgotten melodrama, The Last Kiss. Enter – a plot twist. Art imitates life, as our two leading actors have an explosive romantic history of their own. With opening night approaching, a passionate affair may be waiting in the wings… Two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl’s brilliant romantic comedy makes its UK premiere, following a critically acclaimed New York run in 2014. Stage Kiss is directed by Blanche McIntyre
The Last Man – Southwark Playhouse Elephant (8 May – 13 Jun)
One survivor. One choice. A mysterious virus spreads across the globe. Cities fall silent. The undead roam. In a bunker beneath the streets of Seoul, one survivor takes shelter – alone. As days turn to weeks, supplies begin to dwindle. As weeks turn to months, isolation warps their sense of reality. Time fractures. Memories resurface. Fear rises. As the power fails and monsoon rains fall, they must make a choice: to survive, or to live. The Last Man is a gripping one-person musical that plunges audiences into the heart of a global catastrophe.
Care – Young Vic (11 May – 11 Jul)
A single mum, two feuding pre-teens, and their gran. When Grandmother takes a fall, she is hastily moved to a care home she doesn’t want to be in, surrounded by other elderly people longing for comfort and missing home. But as time passes, she comes to see what really matters in life and between loss and loneliness, we glimpse the unexpected joy in life’s everyday moments. Alexander Zeldin directs with Linda Bassett, Rosie Cavaliero, Hayley Carmichael and Ann Mitchell heading up a stellar cast.
Marilyn – Upstairs At The Gatehouse (12 – 24 May)
Marking the centenary of her birth, this world premiere imagines Marilyn Monroe at 100, looking back on the girl she was and the legend she became. From wartime factory floors and nude calendars to the glare of Hollywood; from Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller to her final days in Brentwood, the show follows Norma Jeane’s journey through love, fame, mental illness, and survival in a system built to consume her. Blending original songs and music, written by eclectic composer and conductor Tom Fowkes, with powerful drama, this intimate new work brings us face to face with three generations of women: grandmother, mother, and daughter. In their lives, and in Marilyn’s, one question lingers: what does it cost to become a dream for everyone but yourself?
Churchill’s Urinal – King’s Head Theatre (13 May – 6 Jun)
Freshly installed in 11 Downing Street, a fearless female Chancellor of the Exchequer is determined to get rid of the ancient urinal in her grace-and-favour en-suite. Intrigue overflows into outrage when it transpires that the porcelain was first tinkled on by that undying icon of Britishness, Winston Churchill. Soon, the whole nation has a view on this storm in a pisspot. Join us for this rambunctious romp through the corridors of power and discover whether our fearless Chancellor’s grip on her Budget red box can survive the clamour for her Whitehall washroom to be awarded a Blue Plaque. Chortle award-winner Rosie Holt shares the world premiere of her new play, first seen in a reading at Shedinburgh last year, directed by Daniel Clarkson.
StarKid: The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals – Apollo Theatre (14 – 30 May)
From viral sensation StarKid, this horror-comedy musical follows Paul Matthews, an ordinary guy, whose life is forever changed when the crash landing of an alien entity turns his tiny town of Hatchetfield into the most horrifying nightmare he can imagine… a fully staged musical.
The Harder They Come – Stratford East (16 May – 4 Jul)
Based on the cult classic film that brought reggae to the world, The Harder They Come tells the story of Ivan, an aspiring singer who arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, determined to live out his dreams on his own terms and make it as a music superstar. After cutting a record deal with a manipulative music mogul, Ivan learns that the game is rigged and becomes increasingly defiant. As his star rises, he finds himself topping the charts and the most-wanted list of criminals. This unmissable show transports audiences to 1970s Jamaica and asks us the question: “What is the personal cost of fighting against systemic injustice?” Directed by Matthew Xia and including hits by Jimmy Cliff.
Black Comedy – Orange Tree Theatre (16 May – 11 Jul)
Young sculptor Brindsley Miller is on the brink of success. He is expecting a visit from an influential art collector, whose approval could secure his future, and he is determined to present himself as sophisticated and successful. The problem? His flat is sparsely furnished, most of the contents borrowed without permission from his neighbour – but when a sudden power cut plunges the building into darkness, Brindsley sees an opportunity. In the absence of light, he believes his deception will go unnoticed. Unbeknownst to him, the audience can see everything. By Peter Shaffer and directed by Caroline Steinbeis.
War Horse – National Theatre (16 May – 30 Jul)
At the outbreak of the First World War, young Albert’s beloved horse Joey is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. Too young to enlist, Albert refuses to forget him, embarking on an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of wartime France – determined to bring Joey home. Based on Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel, War Horse is a timeless story of love, courage and friendship, brought to life by astonishing life-sized horses from Handspring Puppet Company and a stirring musical score. It is a show that has to be seen to be believed.
Dark of the Moon – Charing Cross Theatre (18 May – 8 Aug)
Dark of the Moon, by Jonathan Prince, Lindy Robbins, Dave Bassett and Steve Robson is a supernatural tale of powerful witchcraft, small-town prejudices and the power of love. 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. Directed by Georgie Rankcom and starring Glenn Adamson and Lauren Jones.
High Society – Barbican (19 May – 11 Jul)
Helen George and Felicity Kendall invite you to the most swell party of the year as this summer’s eagerly anticipated production of Cole Porter’s work delivers another glorious dose of Golden Age music theatre escapism.
The Name – White Bear Theatre (19 May – 6 Jun)
A family house by the sea. A young pregnant woman sits on a sofa. Her partner enters. Her sister returns. Then her mother. Then the father…
What should be a simple family gathering becomes something quietly unsettling. Questions circle. Silence lingers. The unborn child waits at the centre of the room. The question of its name is never answered. The question of its origin arises.
Beetlejuice – Prince Edward Theatre (20 May – 17 Apr 27)
Transferring from Broadway, and based on Tim Burton’s beloved movie classic, this wildly funny – and weirdly life-affirming – musical tells the tale of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager sharing her home with a pair of newly-deads and the demonic ghost with the most, Beetlejuice. He’s dead trouble, but if you really want to feel alive, just say his name three times…
We, The Women Wild – Old Red Lion Pub and Playhouse (26 May – 30 May)
Rayah (Grace Hey) is content with life in the commune. Rovin (Emma Cavell King) longs for more. When their mothers deny them answers on what lies beyond the borders, the girls clash. The outside, however, proves to be even more confusing and dangerous than they first thought, when they encounter a man for the first time.
Redcliffe – Southwark Playhouse Borough (22 May – 4 Jul)
Set against the backdrop of 18th-century England, the new musical is based on the haunting true story of William Critchard and Richard Arnold in Redcliffe, Bristol and is an epic tale of forbidden love during the persecution people faced for hundreds of years.
The P Word – Bush Theatre (28 May – 27 Jun)
Zafar flees homophobic persecution in Pakistan to seek asylum in the UK. Londoner Bilal (self-styled as ‘Billy’) is ground down by years of Grindr and the complexity of being a brown gay man. Their worlds are about to change forever. Moving through casual hook-ups to the UK’s hostile environment, Waleed Akhtar’s sharp-witted and devastating play charts the parallel lives of two gay Pakistani men. Directed by Theatre503 Artistic Director Anthony Simpson-Pike, original cast members Esh Alladi and Waleed Akhtar return.
Are You Watching? – Royal Court (29 May – 4 Jul)
Deepfakes. Disappearing girls. A journalist wired to a machine. A mother’s grief sold for clicks. As the lines blur between entertainment and abuse, technology and sex, violence and voyeurism – who’s complicit and who is in control? And are you watching?
We Had A World – Hampstead Theatre (29 May – 4 Jul)
Joshua Harmon’s deeply personal and searingly funny play brings to theatrical life his New York childhood, caught between his hilariously eccentric but indomitable grandmother and his mother. His grandmother’s influence shapes him as both a person and an artist, but as he traces the family’s relationships, he uncovers their secrets, revealing thirty years of family fights, monstrous behaviour, enormous cruelty and enduring love.
