Discover sci-fi and fantasy worlds on stage in London's West End

From Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to Stranger Things, find out which shows in London's West End will transport you to an entirely different world.

It’s an exciting time for fans of sci-fi and fantasy – and of theatre. We’ve got some big franchises joining the London stage, including Stranger Things, Minority Report and, just announced, The Hunger Games. The latter is being adapted into a stage show for 2024, directed by Matthew Dunster.

These productions join plenty of others that are already gracing the West End, transporting audiences with their fascinating characters and spellbinding tales – from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

These genres are a wonderful match for theatre, a medium which is all about using your imagination to conjure up another world. It’s even more magical seeing something like Harry Potter spells done live on stage in front of you, and it gives you a chance to become part of the story.

Follow our guide to the best sci-fi and fantasy stage shows in London that you can book for now.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow

There’s huge excitement for the first ever theatrical spin-off of Netflix’s hit sci-fi series Stranger Things. The plot details are under wraps, but we know it’s a prequel, set in Hawkins, Indiana, but in the 1950s, so we’ll see characters like Joyce, Hopper and new villain Henry Creel/Vecna as teenagers.

The cast is led by Isabella Pappas, Christopher Buckley, Oscar Lloyd and Louis McCartney, and the show has been created by Jack Thorne and Kate Trefy. Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry directs, with illusions and visual effects by Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher. It’s unmissable for Stranger Things fans and curious newcomers alike.

Book tickets for Stranger Things: The First Shadow on London Theatre.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The National Theatre’s hit adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel continues to thrill West End audiences. It features a young boy who teams up with his mysterious spell-casting neighbours to battle an otherworldly creature – and to tackle a trauma closer to home too.

Katy Rudd’s extraordinary production plunges you into this fight, from the evocative design with its tangled thorns and surreal twist on a family home, to the vast puppets and unforgettable sound world. But the fantasy elements are beautifully balanced with relatable emotion. This one will captivate audiences of all ages.

Book The Ocean at the End of the Lane tickets on London Theatre.

Back to the Future: The Musical

The 80s sci-fi film favourite has become a smash-hit West End spectacle. Join time-travelling teenager Marty McFly as he tries to figure out how to get back to the future and save his family – with the help of eccentric scientist Doc Brown, and a DeLorean. It’s 1.21 gigawatts of epic adventure.

Part of the fun of the stage adaptation is seeing how they handle all the time travel elements, and even make the DeLorean fly, with jaw-dropping special effects. Add in a rocking new score, plus iconic songs from the movie like “The Power of Love” and “Johnny B Goode”, and it’s an 88mph thrill ride.

Book Back to the Future: The Musical tickets on London Theatre.

My Neighbour Totoro

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2022 stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli film My Neighbour Totoro was a mammoth success, breaking Barbican box office records and winning six Olivier Awards. The utterly magical show is now back by popular demand.

The story features two young girls, who move to the countryside with their father while their mother is in hospital. They soon encounter the spirits of the natural world surrounding them, including the amazing titular creature represented by a giant puppet built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. It’s breath-taking theatre.

Buy My Neighbour Totoro tickets on London Theatre.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

J. K. Rowling’s boy wizard is all grown up, and it’s now his son who’s getting into scrapes at Hogwarts. But when an old evil resurfaces, Harry, Ron and Hermione must get back together to save the day once more – along with the new generation.

The blockbuster two-part production of Cursed Child is a West End wonder precisely because it uses theatrical magic to tell the story: illusions, lighting tricks and incredible reveals that will make viewers of all ages gasp in amazement. It really feels like you’re witnessing magic.

Buy Harry Potter and the Cursed Child tickets on London Theatre.

The Witches

Something wicked this way comes… There’s a new Roald Dahl musical in town, with the National Theatre staging this highly anticipated adaptation of The Witches, written by Tony nominee Dave Malloy and Olivier winner Lucy Kirkwood.

It’s just Luke and his Gran who can foil the dastardly plans of the witches, led by Katherine Kingsley’s Grand High Witch. The cast also features Daniel Rigby and Sally Ann Triplett. Could this be the next Matilda – only scarier? We’ll soon find out!

Book The Witches tickets on London Theatre.

The Time Traveller’s Wife

We’ve seen film and TV versions of Audrey Niffenegger’s best-selling novel – now, the stirring fantastical tale is told anew in a major West End stage musical. American playwright Lauren Gunderson supplies the book, and the score is the powerhouse duo of Joss Stone and Dave Stewart.

The show comes to London following a successful premiere run in Chester, and its two leads are back. David Hunter plays inadvertent time-traveller Henry and Joanna Woodward is Clare, his soulmate. The pair are frequently torn apart – but can love conquer all?

Book The Time Traveller’s Wife tickets on London Theatre.

The Enfield Haunting

Fact or fiction, real or fantasy? You can decide for yourself when you see this theatrical telling of a peculiar true story: The Enfield Haunting. An ordinary family living in on a north London council estate claimed to be terrorised by a poltergeist, and a ghost hunter went to investigate.

Catherine Tate stars in this new West End play, written by Paul Unwin, as Peggy Hodgson, the single mum trying to protect her children from an angry spirit. David Threlfall is the paranormal expert who comes to believe in the haunting. Expect an engrossing drama with plenty of spooky scares.

Book The Enfield Haunting tickets on London Theatre.

Minority Report

Phillip K Dick’s classic tale became a hit Tom Cruise-starring sci-fi film in 2002, directed by Steven Spielberg. Now this futuristic thriller comes to the stage, once again featuring an elite Pre-Crime unit that detains people before they’ve even committed a crime.

This time, the protagonist who is trapped by their own system is a woman, neuroscientist Dame Julia Anderton, and she’ll be chased through London in 2050. Life of Pi director Max Webster helms this new venture, and the production will use cutting-edge technology to create a unique theatrical experience.

Book Minority Report tickets on London Theatre.

Wicked

Finally, we can’t do a round-up of London’s weird and wonderful, scary and spellbinding, without including the West End’s resident fantastical duo: witches Elphaba and Glinda in Stephen Schwartz’s long-running musical Wicked.

This titanic, astonishingly designed production gives you a whole new perspective on the world of Oz, from its flying monkeys and fraudster wizard to the supposedly “Wicked” green-skinned witch. It really does defy gravity – and makes the imagination soar.

Book Wicked tickets on London Theatre.