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30 June 2021

July Theatre Guide: 70+ New London Shows

The summer of theatre continues with more than 70 new shows arriving in London in July!

As the summer holidays begin there are plenty of kid-friendly shows to keep children entertained including stage adaptations of What the Ladybird Heard and the Tiger who Came to Tea. Major new and returning musicals such as Anything Goes and The Prince of Egypt also open their doors over the next month.

There's also poetry and spoken word, thrilling shows inspired by true stories, opera, and plays about everything from stolen identities and revenge, to unlikely friends and kindred spirits.

Take a look at the curated list below and see what the world of London theatre has in store for you in July...

High-Energy Shows

If you love shows with big stories, big voices and even bigger energy ...

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Begins 12 July)
kid-friendly • musical • biblical times • faith & spirituality • family

Anything Goes (Begins 23 July)
musical • 1920s • farce • opposites attract • romantic

Carousel (Begins 31 July)
musical • classic • dark • outdoor • parenthood • romantic • unlikely friends

Wonderful Town (Begins 1 July)
musical • 1930s • family • New York City • romantic

The Prince of Egypt (Begins 1 July)
musical • screen to stage • Ancient Egypt • faith & spirituality • historical • magical • royalty & rulers • secrets

Romantic

If you're in the mood for a tragic love story, an against-the-odds romance, or a magical Shakespearean fantasy ...

South Pacific (Begins 5 July)
musical • 1940s • romantic • war & military

The Phantom of the Opera (Begins 27 July)
musical • mystery • spectacle • atmospheric • classic • romantic • unlikely friends

Pretty Woman (Begins 8 July)
musical • screen to stage • feel-good • Los Angeles • opposites attract • romantic

A Midsummer Night's Dream (Begins 28 July)
play • Shakespeare • atmospheric • fantasy • farce • magical • mistaken identity • romantic

Singin' in the Rain (Begins 30 July)
dance • musical • screen to stage • romantic

The Red Side of the Moon (Begins 12 July)
ambition • fame • folk • heart-warming • music • romantic

Inspired by Real Events

If you're interested in real-life stories of politics, deception, or the kindness of strangers ...

Come From Away (Begins 22 July)
musical • true story • community • feel-good • friendship • high-energy • inspiring • Olivier Award Winner

Anna X (Begins 10 July)
play • true crime • true story • ambition • identity • justice • secrets

Crisis? What Crisis? (Begins 20 July)
immersive • interactive • play • 1970s • Britain • politics

Jersey Boys (Begins 28 July)
biographical • musical • friendship • Olivier Award Winner • Tony Award Winner

Operation Mincemeat (Begins 23 July)
musical • true story • 1940s • Britain • farce • Germany • high-energy • war & military

Copenhagen (Begins 20 July)
mystery • play • 1940s • friendship • Germany • historical • science & technology • secrets • Tony Award Winner

Kid-friendly

If you're looking for exciting summer holiday adventures ...

Anansi the Spider (7 July)
kid-friendly • retelling • animals

What the Ladybird Heard (Begins 15 July)
kid-friendly • page to stage • adventure • animals

The Tiger Who Came to Tea (Begins 12 July)
kid-friendly • page to stage • adventure • animals • family • music

Billionaire Boy (Begins 17 July)
kid-friendly • musical • page to stage • friendship • heartfelt

Spectacular (Begins 24 July)
kid-friendly • magic • musical • puppetry • family • friendship • heart-warming • high-energy

Poetry and Spoken Word

If you like to lose yourself in haunting, historical, or heartfelt poetry and spoken word ...

Carmina Burana (7 July only)
music • orchestral • poetry

Changing Destiny (Begins 9 July)
retelling • migration & displacement • poetry • royalty & rulers

Eating the Copper Apple (Begins 9 July)
LGBTQ • solo show • spoken word • culture & heritage • identity • philosophical • poetry • politics

Wilde Without the Boy (Begins 2 July)
LGBTQ • play • solo show • poetry • prison • romantic

Rising of the Black Sheep (Begins 22 July)
LGBTQ • solo show • spoken word • art & artists • Black history & experience • Germany • identity

Blud (29 July only)
solo show • spoken word • Black history & experience • coming-of-age • poetry • survival

Timely Tales

Keep your finger on the pulse with these timely tales of environmental crisis, making sense of an upside-down world, and verbatim stories about identity ...

Big Big Sky (Begins 30 July)
play • environmental • heartfelt • nature & sustainability

Fitter (Begins 26 July)
biographical • play • hard-hitting • interview • witty

Hotter (Begins 26 July)
dance • play • dating & sex • imaginative • witty

Eighteen (Begins 23 July)
true story • autobiographical • coming-of-age • heartfelt

The War of the Worlds (Begins 28 July )
page to stage • play • retelling • science fiction • science & technology • thrilling

Under the Mask (Begins 21 July)
immersive • true story • autobiographical • grief • hard-hitting • heart-breaking • medicine & care

Feel-good

Forget your worries with a night of farce, magic and illusion, or bright and bold show tunes ...

The Best of the West End (21 July only)
concert • musical • art & artists

The Comeback (Begins 7 July)
play • farce • feel-good • friendship • heart-warming • laugh-out-loud • mistaken identity • nostalgic

Twelfth Night (Begins 29 July)
Shakespeare • farce • mistaken identity • romantic

The Three Musketeers: A Comedy Adventure (Begins 16 July)
play • adventure • ambition • friendship • Paris • revenge • romantic • slapstick

Wonderville Magic and Illusion (Begins 16 July)
magic • spectacle • visually-striking

Inspiring Women

If you like stories with strong female leads, tributes to beloved female authors, or showcases of female collaboration and creativity ...

Tina (Begins 28 July)
biographical • musical • art & artists • inspiring women

Scream Fire (for the Revolution) (21 July only)
play • provocative • self-doubt • unapologetic

Through this Mist (Begins 15 July)
art & artists • ensemble • inspiring women • music

Civilisation (Begins 27 July)
dance • play • grief • heart-breaking • imaginative • tragic • witty

Louisa & Jo (& Me) (Begins 6 July)
page to stage • solo show • tribute • coming-of-age • family • music • nostalgic

The Darker Side of Life

If you're in the mood for an evening of dark surrealism, a political thriller, or tales of misspent youth ...

Oleanna (Begins 21 July)
play • dark • dating & sex • revenge • school & university

Nightfall (Begins 6 July)
play • coming-of-age • dark • dating & sex • kindred spirits • school & university • unlikely friends

Punk Rock (24 July only)
play • mental health • school & university

The Dumb Waiter (Begins 7 July)
play • dark • farce • psychological • surreal • unpredictable

The Invisible Hand (Begins 1 July)
play • politics • prison • thrilling

Medea on the Beach (Begins 22 July)
play • ancient times • family • migration & displacement • psychological • royalty & rulers • thrilling

Solo Shows

If you like to delve into intimate and personal tales shared between artists and audience ...

Hash (Begins 15 July)
play • solo show • mental health • philosophical

Sweet William (Begins 30 July)
biographical • solo show • 1950s • acting & performance • Ireland

On Arriving (Begins 13 July)
play • solo show • migration & displacement • poetic

Elton John: It's a Little Bit Funny (12 July only)
biographical • true story • art & artists • music

Lava (Begins 9 July)
play • 1990s • Africa • Black history & experience • hard-hitting • poetic • witty

Shoes to Fill (Begins 5 July)
play • solo show • spoken word • Caribbean • culture & heritage • family • Ireland • music

Opera

If you enjoy spending the evening immersed in the sounds of an orchestra ...

Gustav Holst the Idea (Begins 1 July)
classical music • kid-friendly • musical • orchestral • surreal

Don Giovanni (Begins 5 July)
classical music • opera • anti-hero • tragic • visually-striking

L'amico Fritz (Begins 16 July)
opera • feel-good • romantic • witty

The Cunning Little Vixen (Begins 13 July)
opera • animals • heart-warming • music • nature & sustainability • philosophical

Friendship

Explore the nature of friendship in all its forms: false friends, frenemies, and friends forever ...

Hymn (Begins 16 July)
play • dark • family • friendship • mental health

Bagdad Cafe (Begins 17 July)
magic • play • screen to stage • adventure • community • friendship • music

My Night with Reg (Begins 7 July)
LGBTQ • play • 1980s • friendship • hard-hitting • London • tragic • witty

Last Easter (Begins 3 July)
play • faith & spirituality • friendship

The Wind in the Willows (Begins 24 July)
interactive • kid-friendly • page to stage • adventure • animals • cheerful • music

Every Seven Years (Begins 20 July)
play • coming-of-age • friendship • hard-hitting • kindred spirits • mental health • witty

Family, Relationships & Married Life

If you're intrigued by shows with relationships at their core: married life, sibling bonds, and being part of a community ...

When Sarah Arrives (Begins 13 July)
atmospheric • community • poetic • poetry • secrets

John & Jen (Begins 28 July)
spoken word • atmospheric • poetry

All That (Begins 27 July)
LGBTQ • play • dating & sex • witty

Wolves are Coming for You (Begins 6 July)
mystery • animals • community • heartfelt • magical

The Two Character Play (Begins 17 July)
play • solo show • Paris • poetry • romantic

From Here (Begins 1 July)
musical • family • heartfelt • romantic • witty

Discover hundreds of shows to see in London