If you think of comedy plays currently running in the West End, *The Play That Goes Wrong* probably comes to mind. Mischief Theatre, a British comedy acting troupe, is the mastermind behind these West End hits. They’re not just one trick ponies though — their improvisational shows and TV series have garnered critical acclaim. 

[*The Play That Goes Wrong*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/345-play-that-goes-wrong-tickets) is Mischief Theatre’s smash-hit play. Since the first performance in...

A complete guide to Mischief Theatre shows in the West End

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Find out more about the leading British drama troupe, the brains behind hilarious shows like *The Play That Goes Wrong* and *The Comedy About a Bank Robbery.* 

Are you a Traitor or a Faithful? *The Traitors: Live Experience*, a stage production inspired by the BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning TV series, is set to open in the West End in spring 2025. A theatre and dates have yet to be announced.

In *The Traitors* TV show, which premiered in the U.K. in 2022, contestants are split into two groups: Traitors and Faithfuls. Via various challenges and games, must try to find out and eliminate the members of the other group to win a prize.

At *The Traitors:...

'The Traitors: Live Experience' to open in the West End this spring

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The interactive stage show inspired by the hit reality TV series will allow audience members to compete with other theatregoers in various challenges.

Mischief have announced their next West End show *The Comedy About Spies*, which opens at the Noël Coward Theatre next year. Performances begin on 14 April 2025.

Written by original Mischief company members Henry Lewis and Henry Shields, and directed by Matt Di Carlo, *The Comedy about Spies* is set in 1960s London, and follows a British agent who steals plans for a top-secret new weapon. 

When spies from the CIA and the KGB come together at London’s Piccadilly Hotel to track down the stolen...

Mischief's 'The Comedy About Spies' to open in the West End in 2025

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Written by Mischief company members Henry Lewis and Henry Shields, *The Comedy about Spies* follows a British agent who steals plans for a top-secret new weapon. 

*Back to the Future* has been a family favourite since the film starring Michael J Fox as Marty McFly came out in 1985 – and now there’s a musical version! With a rocking score plus all the beloved songs from the film, it’s a rollicking adventure with spectacular visual effects and lovable performances. 

Read our guide to all the activities you can make time for that will make your day all the more thrilling. See you at the clock tower!

Book [*Back to the Future: The Musical*...

Make a day out of 'Back to the Future: The Musical' in London

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We can't promise time travel, but there's never a dull moment with all these exciting attractions in London! 

Mark Rosenblatt’s new play *Giant*, starring Tony winner John Lithgow, will transfer to the West End's Harold Pinter Theatre next year, following a run at the Royal Court this September. The play will run from 26 April 2025 – 2 August 2025.

Directed by Nicholas Hytner (*[Guys & Dolls](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25504-guys-and-dolls-tickets), Straight Line Crazy, La Belle Sauvage*) and designed by Bob Crowley, the play follows the acclaimed children's author Roald Dahl over the course...

John Lithgow-led 'Giant' to transfer to the West End in 2025

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The play follows the acclaimed children's author Roald Dahl over the course of a single afternoon, in the wake of scandal caused by an explicitly antisemitic article. 

Do you hear the people sing? You will do soon if you’ve booked a trip to one of the West End’s longest-running and most popular musicals, *[Les Misérables](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/300-les-miserables-tickets)*. Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s show, adapted from Victor Hugo’s novel, is a revolutionary epic packed with unforgettable songs like “I Dreamed A Dream” and “Bring Him Home”.

Make your *Les Misérables* outing even more incredible by adding other activities to your...

Make a day out of 'Les Misérables' in London

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Make your trip to the West End's revolutionary musical even more memorable by adding visits to an historic London pub, a French restaurant, and a museum full of historic treasures.

You can-can-can have an unforgettable night of bohemian entertainment in the West End now that Baz Luhrmann’s legendary movie *[Moulin Rouge!](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/23350-moulin-rouge-the-musical-tickets)* has become an equally spectacular stage musical. Like the film, it juxtaposes a romance set in 19th-century Paris between cabaret star Satine and aspiring composer Christian with modern pop music – in fact, the show boasts more than 70 songs in total!

Make your trip even better...

Make a day out of 'Moulin Rouge!' in London

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Make your trip to this spectacular West End musical even more memorable by adding in a trip to a world-famous art gallery, an airborne adventure, and a delicious French meal.

For the first few performances of a West End show, the show is typically in previews. The preview period allows the show to be performed in front of an audience to help spread the word of a new production, as well as allow the actors and creatives to continue working on reaching the show’s finishing point. 

Once the preview period finishes, West End shows typically invite reviewers for the official opening night. Shortly after, theatre critics publish their reviews, allowing the general public...

Book tickets to the best-reviewed West End shows

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Discover five-star West End shows to see in London right now, including *Guys & Dolls* and *Six*. Get tickets to hit musicals and plays on London Theatre. 

In December 1997, a group of United Nations delegates at the Kyoto Conference Centre had just hours left to agree a climate deal that might save the world. That’s the riveting subject for the explosive political thriller *[Kyoto](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/42734-kyoto)*, which is hitting the West End in spring 2025 following its acclaimed premiere earlier this year.

The show is written by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, the powerhouse duo behind the award-winning play *The Jungle*,...

Learn all about the real history behind 'Kyoto'

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The gripping political thriller set during the vital 1997 UN climate conference is coming to @sohoplace in the West End. Ahead of your trip, find out what really happened!

Neither Alexander Hamilton nor Aaron Burr, the protagonists of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical phenomenon, ever came to London. Thomas Jefferson, the Act II antagonist, visited for six weeks in spring 1786. He described the architecture as “in the most wretched stile I ever saw” and "both town and country fell short of my expectations." Ouch. However, Jefferson certainly made the most of the entertainments and shopping the city had to offer. 

On the other hand, Benjamin Franklin, who first visited...

Make a day out of 'Hamilton' in London

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Explore some fascinating Anglo-American ties, including the Benjamin Franklin House, Kew Palace, and two historical churches.

*Eastenders* and *Doctor Who* actor Tracy-Ann Oberman will star in *The Merchant of Venice 1936*, as it transfers to London’s West End. The show opens at the Criterion Theatre on 15 February.

Oberman is set to reprise her portrayal of Shylock, the play’s principal villain, and is the first British actress to take on the role. She is joined by Raymond Coulthard as Antonio and Arragon, Hannah Morrish as Portia, Gavin Fowler as Bassanio, Jessica Dennis as Mary and Nerissa, Grainne Dromgoole as Jessica, Xavier Starr as Gratiano, Alex Zur as Yuval/The Duke/Balthasar/Blackshirt (member of the British Union of Fascists), and Nancy Farino as Stefania/Blackshirt. 

In this reimagining, London is on the brink of political unrest, with fascism sweeping across Europe and Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists threatening a paramilitary march through the Jewish East End. Strong-willed single mother Shylock runs a pawnbroking business from her house in Cable Street, where Mosley is planning to march. But when charismatic, antisemitic aristocrat Antonio comes to her for a loan, a deal is struck. Will Shylock take her revenge, and who will pay the ultimate price? 

“It has been a lifelong cherished dream of mine to bring this play to the stage in a new way, reimagining Shylock as one of the tough, no-nonsense Jewish matriarchs I grew up around,” said Oberman of the role. “The love we have experienced from theatre audiences around the country for the way that this story is told has propelled us into the West End. I’m delighted that my dream has touched hearts and minds along the way. This transfer to the Criterion – which could not be more timely – will continue to spread the message that we are stronger together.”

The play is directed and adapted by Brigid Larmour and runs at the Criterion until 23 March.

Check back for more information on London Theatre.

*Photo credit: Oberman and the cast of The Merchant of Venice 1936. (Photo by Marc Brenner)*


The Merchant of Venice 1936 to transfer to the West End, starring Tracy-Ann Oberman

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Genre: Play

The Merchant of Venice 1936

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Production image of The Merchant of Venice in London, featuring Tracy Ann Oberman as Shylock with ensemble cast.

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Production image of The Merchant of Venice in London, featuring Tracy Ann Oberman as Shylock with supporting ensemble member.

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Production image of The Merchant of Venice in London, featuring Tracy Ann Oberman as Shylock.

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Production image of The Merchant of Venice in London, featuring Hannah Morrish as Portia.

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Production image of The Merchant of Venice in London, featuring Priyank Morjaria as Lorenzo.

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Production image of The Merchant of Venice in London, featuring Jessica Dennis as Mary.

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Sometimes a production feels urgently of the moment, and that is definitely the case with this electrifying adaptation of Shakespeare’s play. Starring Tracy-Ann Oberman as Shylock, and with the action moved to 1930s east London, it’s a timely indictment of antisemitism and a must-see event – so make sure you book The Merchant of Venice 1936 tickets on London Theatre now.

Shakespeare’s drama sees the Jewish moneylender Shylock demanding a pound of flesh from merchant Antonio, only to have the tables turned during a climactic trial in which religious discrimination is baked into this society’s form of justice.

Debate has long raged over whether Shakespeare’s text is itself antisemitic or not, but certainly this riveting new version, *The Merchant of Venice 1936*, is extremely clear in how it uses a real-life setting to reframe the story – and to speak to today through the prism of recent history.

Directed by Brigid Larmour, the production creates a female, East End Shylock whose business is situated on Cable Street – where, in 1936, there really were battles between Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts and anti-fascist protesters. Here, Shylock and her family are under attack right from the start.

Following its critically acclaimed and hugely impactful UK tour, as well as a run at the Criterion Theatre earlier this year, *The Merchant of Venice 1936* returns to the West End for an encore run.

Oberman reprises her pioneering performance of Shylock as a formidable Jewish matriarch fighting for her rights – and her family. It’s the latest in a long line of impressive performances on stage and screen from Oberman, whose past work includes *Doctor Who, Friday Night Dinner, Boeing-Boeing, EastEnders, Toast of London,* and *Noises Off*.

Don’t miss the most talked-about show in town. Book *The Merchant of Venice 1936* tickets on London Theatre today.


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This adaptation completely transforms Shakespeare’s familiar play through this new framing, and this is also a rare chance to see a female Shylock. For her ground-breaking performance, Tracy-Ann Oberman has said she drew on the no-nonsense Jewish matriarchs that she grew up around.

Oberman has long been an acclaimed and impressively versatile actress on stage and screen, excelling in everything from sci-fi drama like *Doctor Who*, soap operas such as *EastEnders*, comedies like *Friday Night Dinner* and *Toast of London*, and theatre productions like *Boeing-Boeing* and *Noises Off*. But this is her most personal project yet.

She is reprising her role in the West End run of *The Merchant of Venice 1936*, as are her fellow cast members Raymond Coulthard, Hannah Morrish, Gavin Fowler, Jessica Dennis, Grainne Dromgoole, Xavier Starr, Alex Zur, and Nancy Farino.

It’s a production that is bound to spark spirited debate, with its potent story that travels from Shakespearean England through our recent social history and all the way to a complex present day. This is the play of the moment – and you won’t want to miss the chance to form your own view after experiencing its affecting drama.

## What to watch for
●  	*The Merchant of Venice*, which was written somewhere between 1596 and 1598, appears in Shakespeare’s First Folio as a comedy, although its mix of tones mean it sometimes feels more like a drama. See how that combination works for this new reading of the play: the levity could make the serious moments more impactful.
●  	Does Shakespeare want us to sympathise with Shylock or not? That’s the big question of the play. *The Merchant of Venice 1936* adds new context that makes Shylock a clear victim, however you’ll spot plenty of evidence that Shakespeare feels for the character too: watch out for the famous “Hath not a Jew eyes?” speech.
●  	Oswald Mosley’s party, the British Union of Fascists, sought to make alliances with Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. His followers became known as “Blackshirts” because they based their look on the Italian fascists. See if you can spot their uniform and armbands with the BUF symbol in the production.
●  	*The Merchant of Venice 1936* also makes a big class distinction between the humble moneylender Shylock and her posh clients. There were, in fact, fascist sympathies among some upper-class Brits at the time – you might spot similarities between this version of Portia and Mosley’s aristocratic wife, Diana Mitford.


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Ambition, power and political unrest explode onto the stage in __*The Merchant of Venice 1936*__, direct from the RSC. Starring __Tracy-Ann Oberman__ (*Eastenders, Doctor Who*) as Shylock, Shakespeare’s classic is transported to 1930s Britain in this “striking and impactful” (Guardian) new production that “makes theatre history” (The Telegraph), from acclaimed director __Brigid Larmour__.

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Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

A new British musical from writers Jim Barne and Kit Buchan.

The Criterion Theatre is a gem of Victorian architecture located in the bustling heart of London, nestled within the world-famous Piccadilly Circus. Hidden away underground, this grand and storied venue brims with rich history and elegance. Built in 1874 by architect Thomas Verity, and designed in a striking Italian Renaissance style, the theatre seats 588 people across three levels. Notably, it is constructed predominantly from concrete, a characteristic unusual for its time. The theatre's magnificent gilded interior and treasured Criterion Bar sublimely enhance the overall patron experience.

Over the years, the Criterion Theatre has been the host to a variety of productions spanning several genres, including comedies, dramas, thrillers, musical concerts, and matinees. Its 'Criterion New Writing Programme' reflects its commitment towards nurturing potential playwrights and encouraging new work.

### How to Get There

The Criterion Theatre is conveniently served by several modes of public transportation. The nearest Tube station is Piccadilly Circus, served by the Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines, a mere two-minute walk away. Numerous bus routes run along Piccadilly, Regent Street, and Shaftesbury Avenue, making the venue easily accessible. However, due to its central location, parking is limited and it's advisable to use public transportation if possible. The venue is within London’s Congestion Charge Zone, and for those choosing to drive, nearby parking is available at Q Park Chinatown in Newport Place.

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Criterion Theatre

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When the Criterion Theatre first opened in 1873, the space was designed as a concert hall. The Criterion Theatre is the only West End theatre to be situated almost entirely underground — even the Upper Circle is not at street level. 

The Criterion Theatre housed comic opera in its early years, including works by W. S. Gilbert and George Grossmith. A decade after opening, the theatre had to be renovated to meet the Metropolitan Board of Works standards for ventilation. This work also saw the installation of electricity to the theatre. The building surrounding the theatre was extensively rebuilt between 1989 and 1992, but the Victorian auditorium was well-preserved and still stands today. 

Notable shows at the Criterion Theatre include *The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)* by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, the long-running play *The 39 Steps* and Mischief Theatre's *The Comedy About A Bank Robbery*.

## Criterion Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has three levels – Stalls, Dress Circle and Upper Circle.

The front rows of the Stalls offers good views of the stage, though the seating is not raked steeply. 

The Dress Circle has specifically designated ‘restricted view’ seats due to the number of pillars supporting the Upper Circle in Row C.

The Upper Circle offers unrestricted theatre views.

Criterion Theatre - London Theatre

The Criterion Theatre, opened in 1873, situated underground, had comic operas in early years. Later renovated with installed electricity, preserved Victorian auditorium remains. Notable shows include Shakespeare's works.

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The Criterion Theatre is a historic Victorian theatre in London's Piccadilly Circus, easily accessible by tube and bus services.

Oberman will reprise the role of Shylock in this reimagining of William Shakespeare’s classic play, which transports the action to east London in the 1930s.

The Merchant of Venice 1936 to transfer to the West End, starring Tracy-Ann Oberman

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