Female-led West End shows to see for International Women's Day

Celebrate the joy of International Women's Day with West End shows that continue to challenge stereotypes and champion the power of individuality in society.

International Women's Day, celebrated on 8 March, is a celebration of women – from marking their achievements to raising awareness of campaigns for women's rights and fundraising for female-focused charities. It's all about making a collective effort to foster gender equity through positive, impactful change.

International Women's Day was born out of the universal female suffrage movement and the labour movement of the early 20th century. In 1909, the Socialist Party of America organised a National Woman's Day, and the following year, the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen decided to hold such a day every year - with the first one taking place in 1911. International Women's Day became a national holiday in Soviet Russia in 1917 and subsequently in other communist countries, but it wasn't until 1977 that the United Nations recognised it as an official global holiday.

Celebrated on 8 March, International Women's Day has a different theme every year. The campaign theme for 2025 is “Accelerate Action”. According to data from the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity. Accelerate Action, therefore, is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources, and activity that positively impact women's advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation.

If you're looking for ways to celebrate International Women's Day, why not book tickets for a West End show? There are numerous fantastic productions that embody these ideas, and the theatre community has a long history of challenging stereotypes and showing the power of difference.

Wicked

If you're looking for an International Women's Day show that prioritises women and their journeys, then Wicked is a perfect choice. The long-running musical subverts the Wizard of Oz tale, where the Wicked Witch of the West is an irredeemable villain, and instead gives us a version where that witch, Elphaba, is a victim of misunderstanding and discrimination.

Elphaba's green skin immediately marks her as different, and, though she dreams of gaining the Wizard's approval so that she'll finally be accepted, she gradually learns that others see her power as threatening. In contrast, her friend from school Glinda is labelled "good" because she fulfils her expected female role and doesn't challenge the status quo.

Wicked is also radical because the show puts a friendship between two women at the heart of the show. Although there is romance, too, ultimately it's not as important as standing up for what's right, as well as learning from and supporting other women. "Defying Gravity" is the ultimate anthem for International Women's Day. This month, you have your last chance to see Alexia Khadime and Lucy St Louis in the lead roles, the first time that Elphaba and Glinda have both been played by women of colour.

Book Wicked tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Six

What better show to see for International Women's Day than one about six women reclaiming their version of "herstory"? That's what this original pop musical featuring the six wives of Henry VIII is all about. The infamous monarch is nowhere to be seen in this version. Instead, the queens take their rightful place centre stage and sing about what the king put them through and why they deserve their rightful places in the history books.

While at the outset, the musical appears to be about which queen had it the hardest, the overall message is perfect for International Women's Day: there's room for everyone and we're all more powerful when we come together. Plus, you'll get to enjoy some of the catchiest earworms in the West End, with dance numbers, ballads, and hits inspired by modern pop queens like Beyonce, Adele, Lily Allen, Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, and more.

So discover your inner queen, and get tickets to see this empowering pop musical for International Women's Day.

Book Six tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Another woman who seized control of her destiny, musical icon Tina Turner fought to liberate herself from an abusive marriage and started her career from scratch, becoming a rock ‘n’ roll legend at an age when many women (especially women of colour) were being written off by the industry. Turner changed that narrative, and in serious style: no wonder she’s still considered simply the best.

This compelling musical tells her story, from humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, through her time with Ike Turner, and then her new chapter as a solo artist. Along the way, you get to enjoy all of those amazing hits: “River Deep Mountain High”, “Proud Mary”, “Private Dancer”, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” and more. It’s an inspiring story of one woman overcoming countless barriers: perfect for getting you fired up on International Women’s Day, and being inspired to fight on.

Book Tina: The Tina Turner Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Matilda

Young Matilda possesses a brilliant mind and extraordinary imagination – yet she isn’t cherished like other children are and is openly neglected by her philistine parents. In her first number, she’s unpicking the subject of personal and narrative agency: “Nobody else is going to put it right for me / No one but me is going to change my story” – and “Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty” to circumnavigate your circumstances.

Tim Minchin’s musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved novel has delighted audiences of all ages for almost 15 years. Matilda’s determination to pursue her education and seek justice makes her a role model for girls and boys and children and adults alike. No one is too small or insignificant to make a difference – that’s what International Women’s Day is all about.

Book Matilda tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

The Years

Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux’s fearless autobiographical novel is adapted for the stage by Eline Arbo, telling the story of one woman’s life, performed by five actors. The play charts Ernaux’s childhood in the aftermath of World War II, through to experiencing marriage and motherhood and discovering love and activism, punctuated by major historical and political events (of course, the personal is the political). It is harrowing in places, but an unmissable experience.

LondonTheatre.co.uk’s 5-star review explains that “The production showcases the full spectrum of female experience, exposing rarely seen images on stage, such as an older woman enjoying her sexuality”. Together, Deborah Findlay, Romola Garai (to be succeeded by Tuppence Middleton), Gina McKee, Anjli Mohindra, and Harmony Rose-Bremner deliver a “true ensemble effort, with the fluid movement between each version of Ernaux echoing the gentle passage of time”. International Women's Day too is a true multi-generational effort.

Book The Years tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Mrs President

While Abraham Lincoln is regularly exalted by historians as one of the greatest presidents in American history, his wife Mary Todd Lincoln has often been maligned, with her mental health difficulties and openly emotional responses to the tragedies that she experienced dismissed as hysteria.

This play by playwright and historian Jon Ransom Phillips, which explores the often contentious relationship between the First Lady and her photographer Matthew Brady, argues that Mary was in fact ahead of her time in the way in which she fashioned her image and set a precedent for other women in the public eye.

Book Mrs President tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Elektra

The Greek tragedy receives a bracing, punk rock-inspired production by Daniel Fish that, according to LondonTheatre.co.uk’s review, “lands somewhere between theatre, performance art, slam poetry and even a comedy roast”. Oscar winner Brie Larsen (Room) plays Elektra, a damaged young woman from a broken family who is trying to survive while being consumed by grief and filled with a thirst for vengeance. Plus, the formidable Stockard Channing co-stars as Elektra’s mother Clytemnestra.

The way in which “the production thrums with insurgent, female energy” is in no small part due to the adaptation by Anne Carson, a true intellectual and artist who has achieved tremendous acclaim and numerous awards as a poet, essayist, translator, classicist, and professor. A notable woman indeed.

Book Elektra tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Much Ado About Nothing

Shakespeare’s battle-of-the-sexes comedy is swathed in pink confetti in Jamie Lloyd’s ‘90s-themed production – and it’s a true feminist delight. Beatrice is one of Shakespeare’s most enchanting and wittiest heroines who stands up for what she believes in and finds love on her own terms.

Hayley Atwell gives a tremendous performance opposite Tom Hiddleston’s Benedick. According to LondonTheatre’s 5-star review, “Her Beatrice is a quick-witted, passionate, uncompromising force of nature, but she is capable of profound stillness... When she realises that [Benedict] now loves her, and that she might be able to open herself up again, Atwell conjures the most extraordinary sense of wonder as she simply walks down the stage.” Sheer joy.

Check back for tickets to Much Ado About Nothing on LondonTheatre.co.uk.