I have seen over 120 shows so far in 2026. While we are not at the end of the year just yet, August, with its focus on Fringe festivals, feels an apt time to pause and reflect on what I have seen so far.
This week, I am presenting my Top 50 of the year so far! These are the shows that have either stuck with me or have been memorable productions.*
*It does not necessarily correlate to review rating!
20. The Oresteia
Aeschylus’s towering family tragedy gets a blistering, modern-day reimagining, staged on an incredible revolving set. David Morrissey and Mary-Louise Parker lead an exceptional cast in Simon Stone’s five-star masterpiece, despite its lengthy runtime. Check out my review here.
19. The P Word
An asylum seeker and a British Pakistani native navigated the friction of identity and the bureaucracy of border control. Waleed Akhtar’s powerful gay romcom returned for a crucial five-star revival. Check out my review here.
18. Are You Watching?
Consent, digital trauma, and the commodification of intimacy combined in Georgie Dettmer’s provocative debut play. A chilling 65-minute interrogation of online exploitation and algorithmic violence. Check out my review here.
17. Firebird
Mollie Milne delivered a captivating, devastating lead performance in Firebird. A harrowing, unforgettable piece of theatre about the stark and brutal consequences of grooming gangs and the stories which shocked Britain. Check out my review here.
16. Heart Wall
Kit Withington’s raw new work at Bush Theatre combined karaoke with grief in this poignant character study of how life can stagnate after unimaginable loss. Check out my review here.
15. Care
Alexander Zeldin’s raw, uninterrupted two-hour drama exposed the fractures within a cash-strapped care system. A remarkable Linda Bassett led a formidable ensemble in a searing interrogation of age, isolation, and neglect. Check out my review here.
14. Miles.
Benjamin Akintuyosi was electric in fringe hit Miles. at Southwark Playhouse Borough. A stylish jazz biopic exploring the genius and ghosts of Miles Davis. Check out my review here.
13. Consumed
Karis Kelly’s darkly gripping play at Park Theatre explored four generations of familial trauma in this tightly written Northern Irish drama. The wit was supported by its dark and shocking undertones, which led to a stunningly evocative conclusion. Check out my review here.
12. Redcliffe
A forgotten piece of 18th-century British queer history is brought to light in this devastating new musical. Jordan Luke Gage and Daniel Krikler led a production which interrogated historical bigotry and the high stakes of a criminalised romance that could have fatal consequences. Check out my review here.
11. Equus
A visceral, physically charged revival of Peter Shaffer’s classic psychological thriller. Toby Stephens and Noah Valentine locked horns in Lindsay Posner’s gorgeously directed, disturbing, exploration of religious obsession, psychiatric morality, and repressed desire. Check out my review here.
