In the mood for a show? London’s West End is thriving and with so much to see we know how difficult it is to choose. There are classics aplenty currently wowing audiences – Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables aren’t far off celebrating their 40th years, while new takes on old favourites like Cabaret and Starlight Express continue to draw crowds.
But if you’d like to see something totally fresh, then the following might just pique your interest. And it’s not just the West End that is alive with new musicals. There are brilliant world premiere productions taking place elsewhere in the UK, too.
So, take your seats as we run through the seven hottest new tickets in town(s)…
Alfred Hitchcock Presents – The Musical
22 March-12 April 2025
Theatre Royal, Bath
Music by Steven Lutvak; Book by Jay Dyer
Based on the classic TV anthology series, this brand-new production is set to be a memorable distillation of Alfred Hitchcock’s thrilling storytelling style, duplicitous characters and wicked humour. Directed by Tony Award-winner John Doyle, and featuring original music by Steven Lutvak, the show has a cast of theatre stars, including the effervescent Scarlett Strallen (Mary Poppins) and the brilliant Sally Ann Triplett (Chicago).
While it is likely it will move to the West End at some point, a date is yet to be confirmed. Alfred Hitchcock Presents – The Musical receives its World Premiere run at Bath’s beautiful Theatre Royal from 22 March-12 April.
Clueless, A New Musical
until 27 Sept 2025
Trafalgar Theatre, London
Music by KT Tunstall; Lyrics by Glenn Slater; Book by Amy Heckerling
Amy Heckerling’s 1995 film, itself a modern take on Jane Austen’s Emma, has become something of a cult classic. And it is Heckerling herself who has penned this stage reimagining of the story of a Beverly Hills High School matchmaker. Featuring original songs by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, with lyrics by the great Glenn Slater (Tangled, Sister Act: The Musical), Clueless is already turning heads in the West End and is currently booking until late September.
The Great Gatsby
11 Apr-7 Sept 2025
London Coliseum
Music by Jason Howland and Nathan Tyree; Book by Kait Kerrigan
It’s a case of ‘all round to Jay Gatsby’s’ as audiences are invited to a roaring ’20s party like no other… F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel has spawned a couple of great movie iterations, but this musical take is set to be one of the West End’s most glamourous affairs when it lands there in April, following its Tony Award-winning Broadway run.
Set during the Jazz Age on New York’s Long Island, the show features a toe-tapping pop/jazz score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tyree. Expect great costumes, big numbers and flowing champagne. A spectacle!
The Greatest Showman
Spring 2026
Bristol Hippodrome
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul; Book by Tim Federle
The 2017 film musical starring Hugh Jackman as PT Barnum has become a global favourite, so it’s no surprise that Disney have seen fit to adapt it for the stage. Composing team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen) have crafted new songs for the show, but fans needn’t worry as all the hits from the film will be present and correct, from ‘This Is Me’ to ‘A Million Dreams’.
Directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winning Casey Nicholow (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin and Hercules), the cast for The Greatest Showman is yet to be announced. The show’s hotly anticipated world premiere run will take place at the Bristol Hippodrome next spring, a lucky venue for Disney, who premiered the stage version of Mary Poppins there back in the day.
Hercules
June 2025-January 2026
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London
Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by David Zippel; Book by Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah
Another Disney adaptation, this time of the studio’s 1997 animated feature based on Greek mythology. Academy Award winning composer Alan Menken returns, along with original lyricist David Zippel, for this expanded stage version of the story of Zeus’s heroic offspring…
Audiences at Drury Lane can expect the usual high-gloss production, following Disney’s mega-popular adaptations of Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King, not to mention some great songs like ‘Zero to Hero’ and ‘Go the Distance’. June preview performances of Hercules are booking now, with the run currently expected to go into early 2026.
A Knight’s Tale – The Musical
11 Apr-10 May 2025
Manchester Opera House
Music by Various Artists and Simon Hale; Written by Brona C. Titley
The late Heath Ledger starred in Brian Helgeland’s 2001 film A Knight’s Tale, about a young man masquerading as a heroic Knight… all to the tune of a ’70s soundtrack. This stage version from the producers of 2:22 A Ghost Story, Newsies and Girl from the North Country receives its World Premiere run at the Manchester Opera House from 11 Apr-10 May.
A Knight’s Tale is a ‘jukebox’ musical, so utilises existing songs to tell its story (in the same way as & Juliet and Mamma Mia), so you can expect expect sword wielding and such to hits by David Bowie, Destiny’s Child and Queen.
Titanique
until June 2025
Criterion Theatre, London
Music by Various Artists; Written by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue
This hilarious show caused quite the stir on Broadway and is already winning many fans in the West End, where it has been running for a little while already. Currently scheduled to end its run in June, Titanique is a musical comedy voyage on the RMS Titanic, albeit the film version of the ill-fated ship.
The show’s tagline reads ‘Nothing on earth could come between Jack and Rose. Except Celine Dion.’, so that gives you some idea of what to expect… Indeed, the doomed lovers from James Cameron’s 1997 smash hit movie encounter the Canadian songstress aboard ship and Dion’s songs are the soundtrack to their love story. It’s camp, ridiculous and unforgettable.