Drama in London
London is packed with world-class productions of theatrical dramas. Serious or "straight" plays as opposed to musicals or comedies make up many of the 18,000 theatrical productions that take place in London each year.
Popular London dramas include murder mysteries like The Mousetrap, thrillers like The Woman in Black and period dramas like War Horse. Many of Shakespeare's finest plays, particularly his tragedies and histories, feature in this category. London is also bursting with drama productions written by modern and contemporary playwrights.
You can browse and book London plays from the list below.
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The Amen Corner at the National Theatre
Drama
From to
National Theatre SE1 9PX [map]
Rufus Norris directs Marianne Jean-Baptiste as the uncompromising pastor of a Harlem church in The Amen Corner, with a gospel choir giving full voice on the National Theatre's Olivier stage.
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The Cripple of Inishmaan at the Noel Coward Theatre
Drama
From to
Noel Coward Theatre WC2N 4AU [map]
Set on the remote island of Inishmaan off the west coast of Ireland, word arrives that a Hollywood film is being made on the neighboring island of Inishmore. The one person who wants to be in the film more than anybody is young Cripple Billy, if only to break away from the bitter tedium of his daily life.
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Henry V at the Noel Coward Theatre
Drama
From to
Noel Coward Theatre WC2N 4AU [map]
See Jude Law star as the eponymous hero in Shakespeare's classic historic tale of nationhood.
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Liola at the National Theatre
Drama
From to
National Theatre SE1 9PX [map]
See Luigi Pirandello's rarely performed masterpiece, Liola, in a new version by Tanya Ronder at the National Theatre this summer.
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Othello at the National Theatre
Drama
From to
National Theatre SE1 9PX [map]
See Shakespeare's tragedy of jealousy at the National Theatre this spring.
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Private Lives at the Gielgud Theatre
Drama
From to
Gielgud Theatre W1D 6AR [map]
See Private Lives starring Toby Stephens and Anna Chancellor at the Gielgud Theatre this summer.
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Strange Interlude at the National Theatre
Drama
From to
National Theatre SE1 9PX [map]
Anne-Marie Duff plays Nina in Eugene O'Neill's audacious epic, Strange Interlude, one of the great masterpieces of American theatre.
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A Doll's House at The Duke Of York's
Drama
From to
Duke Of York Theatre WC2N 4BG [map]
Henrik Ibsen's classic drama on morals, translated by Simon Stephens.
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Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap
Drama
Recurring event
St Martins Theatre WC2H 9NZ [map]
Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap is the longest running play in the world. Who's the murderer? Come and find out!
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Apollo Theatre
Drama
From to
Apollo Theatre W1D 6NA [map]
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time transfers to the West End's Apollo Theatre from 1 March for a 12 week run.
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Fences at the Duchess Theatre
Drama
From to
Duchess Theatre WC2B 5LA [map]
Following his triumphant performance as Othello in the West End, Lenny Henry takes on one of the 20th century's most poignant characters.
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Passion Play at Duke of York's Theatre
Drama
From to
Duke Of York Theatre WC2N 4BG [map]
Multi Olivier Award-winner Zoë Wanamaker returns to the West End in Passion Play, Peter Nichols' celebrated black comedy about love and infidelity.
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Rutherford & Son at the St James Theatre
Drama
From to
St James Theatre SW1E 5JA [map]
The highly acclaimed Northern Broadsides brings Githa Sowerby's classic Edwardian drama set in the north of England to the London stage under the direction of renowned theatre director Jonathan Miller.
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Sweet Bird of Youth at the Old Vic
Drama
From to
The Old Vic SE1 8NB [map]
Marianne Elliott directs Kim Cattrall as a fading Hollywood legend ravaged by the bitterness of failure and despair, in Tennessee Williams' powerful and poetic, Sweet Bird of Youth.
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War Horse at the New London Theatre
Drama
From to
New London Theatre WC2B 5SU [map]
The National Theatre's award-winning production of War Horse continues to wow audiences in London's West End. At the outbreak of World War I, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France.
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The Winter's Tale at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Kids Theatre
From to
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre NW1 4NU [map]
Shakespeare's classic tale of jealousy, separation and reconciliation is re-imagined for a family audience at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.
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The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre
Drama
From to
Fortune Theatre WC2B 5HH [map]
Catch the terrifying The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre in London... if you dare! Arthur Kipps is a solicitor obsessed with a curse that he believes has been cast over him and his family by a ghostly Woman in Black from his past.
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The American Plan at St James Theatre
Drama
From to
St James Theatre SW1E 5JA [map]
A tangle of ravaged dreams, broken souls, twisted motives and deceit, The American Plan takes place against a backdrop of the Catskill Mountains during a 1960s summer.
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Happy New at Trafalgar Studios
Drama
From to
Trafalgar Studios SW1A 2DY [map]
'People don't really accept chickens, which is wrong, 'cos we invented the pecking order.' Following a sensational sell-out run at the Old Red Lion Theatre in 2012, extended to an unprecedented eight weeks, Happy New proudly transfers to Trafalgar Studio 2.
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Mary Queen Of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off at King's Head, Islington
Drama
From to
The Kings Head Theatre N1 1QN [map]
Exploring the rivalry and mutual fascination between Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I, Liz Lochhead’s Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off re-tells this murky tale of political and sexual intrigue with ferocious wit and innovation and examines Mary's legacy through the eyes of Corbie, a carrion crow who is her unseen attendant through life and death.
