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Theatres & Shows in London

A trip to the theatre in London usually means the West End, and there is a proper spread here. The Shaftesbury Theatre, a kilometre or so from the centre, has a big musical plus daytime tours round its Grade II* listed building, while St. Martin's Theatre does The Mousetrap for ages seven and up, the world's longest-running play. Younger children are better served at Shakespeare's Globe, open-air and from £14, where you can get a face painted before the show, or out at Wembley, where Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre takes kids from age three and has a restaurant on site. For seven-plus, Wicked The Musical runs from £25 and lasts nearly three hours, and Les Misérables at the Sondheim is a similar length and age range. Hamilton at the Victoria Palace, from £10, and Six at the Vaudeville, from £19.50, suit a ten-plus crowd better. The Duchess Theatre is strictly for teenagers, ages 14+, with a farcical comedy and a dark, unscripted one-off show. If sitting still for three hours is the worry, start younger and shorter before working up to a full West End run.

12 places 12 upcoming events From £10

What's on: theatres & shows

WED 7 OCT, 19:30 · +103 MORE DATES

Les Misérables

Sondheim Theatre

WED 14 OCT, 13:00

From FOH to Centre Stage

Phoenix Arts Club

From £18

Ornate theatre auditorium filled with audience members watching a performance from multiple levels of seating.

FRI 16 OCT · +15 MORE DATES

Angel's Bone

London Coliseum

From £25

FRI 30 OCT · +42 MORE DATES

Tosca

London Coliseum

From £25

FRI 6 NOV · +8 MORE DATES

Iphigénie en Tauride

London Coliseum

From £25

MON 9 NOV, 19:30

RepresentAsian: An Evening of Asian Talent

Lyric Theatre

From £20

SAT 28 NOV · +14 MORE DATES

Adriana Mater

London Coliseum

From £25

SUN 29 NOV

To Die For [A Comedy]

London Coliseum

From £25

MON 7 DEC, 19:30

A Christmas Carol: Live Reading

Lyric Theatre

From £25

MON 14 DEC, 19:30

West End Musical Christmas

Lyric Theatre

From £20

THU 17 DEC · +24 MORE DATES

Nutcracker

London Coliseum

Historic theatre interior with ornate gilt ceiling, red velvet seats, and an empty stage framed by an elaborate proscenium arch.

THU 28 JAN · +7 MORE DATES

Jaja's African Hair Braiding

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Places for theatres & shows

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Large crowd of spectators with raised arms seated in a theatre auditorium during a performance.

Apollo Victoria Theatre

London

A big West End stage best known for Wicked, with drinks and food you can order straight to your seat.

Five actors performing a comedic scene in an ornate drawing room set, with exaggerated expressions and period costumes.

from £20

Duchess Theatre

London · ages 14+

A West End stage for teenagers, with a farcical comedy and an unscripted one-off show that leans hard into dark themes.

from £50

Gielgud Theatre

London · ages 7+

Oliver! at full West End length, with a proper interval, for kids old enough to sit through nearly three hours of it.

Booking required

from £14

Shakespeare's Globe

London · ages 0+

Open-air Tudor theatre where kids can try on costumes, get their faces painted and watch a proper Shakespeare production.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredCafé+8 more

Sondheim Theatre

London · ages 7+

A full West End staging of Les Misérables, nearly three hours long, best suited to kids seven and up who can sit still.

Booking required

from £19.50

St. Martin's Theatre

London · ages 7+

Take your seven-plus-year-old to see if they can spot the killer in the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap.

Card onlyGift shopFood on siteWi-Fi

Formal gardens with flowering borders and topiary surrounding a cream canvas marquee, with visitors strolling on the lawn and a modern pavilion visible to the left.

The Festival Theatre at Hever Castle

Edenbridge

Open-air shows on the grounds of Hever Castle, with your own picnic and drinks allowed in before the show and at the interval.

Accessible toiletFree parkingPicnics allowedWheelchair accessible

Shaftesbury Theatre illuminated at night with Motown the Musical advertising banners, surrounded by historic architecture and city streets.

from £25

The Shaftesbury Theatre

London · ages 3-99

A big West End stage for a proper musical, plus daytime tours round a Grade II* listed theatre.

Accessible toiletBike parkingHearing loopStep-free access+1 more

Modern theatre building with distinctive yellow, white and grey geometric facade and red illuminated signage.

Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Wembley · ages 3+

A proper theatre trip for kids from age three, with a restaurant and bar on site if you want to make an evening of it.

Accessible toiletLockersRestaurantToilets+1 more

from £19.50

Vaudeville Theatre

London · ages 10+

A West End matinee-or-evening trip for older kids and teens, built around shows like Six that actually suit a 10-plus crowd.

Accessible toiletDog friendlyToiletsWheelchair accessible

from £10

Victoria Palace Theatre

London · ages 10+

A big West End show, currently Hamilton, running just under three hours with a proper interval.

Booking requiredFood on siteWheelchair accessible

from £25

Wicked The Musical

London · ages 7-5

A two-and-three-quarter-hour West End musical at the Apollo Victoria, best for kids who can sit through flashing lights and a proper story.

Booking requiredCard onlyGift shopIndoor seating+1 more

Good to know: theatres & shows in London

What does a paid visit cost?

Paid entry starts from £10 at Victoria Palace Theatre. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.

Whereabouts are they?

You'll find theatres & shows in London, Edenbridge and Wembley. Every place we list is in or around London, and each listing has the full address and directions.