Say I do to these wedding-themed London theatre shows

Grab a big hat and a handful of confetti: from Till the Stars Come Down to Fiddler on the Roof, it's all about the nuptials this summer.

Marianka Swain
Written byMarianka Swain

It’s wedding season – on stage as well as off! This summer, in between attending stag and hen parties, watching the happy couple walk down the aisle, and boogieing to ABBA at the disco, you can also see plenty of “I dos" in a range of theatre shows.

It’s no wonder so many writers love including a wedding in their story: it gathers all the characters together at a big, high-stakes, emotional event, creating instant drama – and occasional comedy too. Nuptials are a staple of everything from Shakespeare plays to musicals, such as the new adaptation of Muriel’s Wedding.

On London stages, weddings are central to the plots of productions like Till the Stars Come Down, Fiddler on the Roof, Shucked and more. So RSVP yes and get your confetti ready for a summer of love in theatre.

Photo credit: Till the Stars Come Down (Photo by Manuel Harlan)

Clueless the Musical

Marriage Material

Hamilton

Mamma Mia!

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Shucked

Fiddler on the Roof

Till the Stars Come Down

Till the Stars Come Down

Play
Must see
Comedy

Beth Steel’s phenomenal family drama all takes place at a wedding. Sylvia is getting married to Marek, but when her sprawling working-class clan is brought together, tensions between them rise to the surface – including wider social concerns triggered by her choice of groom, a Polish immigrant.

Steel’s beautifully detailed and frequently laugh-out-loud play makes use of every part of the big day, from the girls getting ready together, trading barbs over hair straighteners and buck’s fizz, to the unforgettable wedding dinner. It’s a treat to have the National Theatre’s Olivier-nominated hit in the West End to keep the party going.

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Till the Stars Come Down

Fiddler on the Roof

Musical
Olivier Award winning
Iconic

This classic musical, set in 1905, is all about courtship and marriage – and of course tradition! Tevye the milkman has very fixed views on the kind of man his daughters should wed (as does the village’s resident matchmaker), but they each challenge his ideas in different ways when they fall in love.

The exquisitely poignant midpoint of the show centres on a wedding, featuring the number “Sunrise, Sunset”, and is followed by the iconic bottle dance. Jordan Fein’s electrifying revival, which now plays at the Barbican following a run at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre last year, finds fresh resonance in this heartfelt work.

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Fiddler on the Roof

Shucked

Musical
Tony Award winning
Comedy

They clearly can’t get enough of weddings in Regent’s Park (well, it is an idyllic venue for them!). The opening show of this year’s season, the fabulously corny American musical Shucked, also hinges on a trip down the aisle – in fact, it’s the very opening scene of the show, as Maizy prepares to tie the knot with Beau.

But when the town’s corn starts inexplicably dying, Maizy ventures into the outside world to find a solution, to Beau’s consternation. She also finds a potential new love interest, charlatan Gordy, although Maizy’s cousin Lulu isn’t buying his act. It’s a brilliantly tangled tale, told with knockout country-style songs like “Somebody Will” and “Independently Owned”.

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Shucked

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Shakespeare
Immersive
Comedy

Marriage fuels most of the action in Shakespeare’s gorgeous romp of a comedy. The story begins with Theseus discussing his upcoming wedding to Hippolyta, before we’re introduced to the tangled quartet of lovers, warring fairy spouses Oberon and Titania, and the mechanicals whose hilariously terrible play is meant to celebrate Theseus’s nuptials.

The Bridge Theatre’s thrilling, immersive staging invites the whole audience to join the wedding party, with performers flying overhead via acrobatic aerial silks, and there are standing tickets if you want to be really in the thick of the magical action. JJ Feild, Susannah Fielding and Emmanuel Akwafo lead this year’s production.

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A Midsummer Night's Dream

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The Breakfast Club

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Mamma Mia!

Musical
Popular
ABBA

Another union sparks all kinds of wonderful ABBA-scored drama and hijinks in the West End’s blissful wedding musical set on a fantasy Greek island. Bride-to-be Sophie really wants her dad to walk her down the aisle, so she invites along three possible candidates – to mum Donna’s utter horror.

As the big day approaches, Donna reckons with her past and Sophie figures out her future, leading to a very happy, but surprising, climactic “I do”. It’s buoyed by songs that are staples of any good wedding disco, like “Dancing Queen”, “Super Trouper”, “Lay All Your Love on Me” and “Thank You for the Music”.

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Mamma Mia!

Hamilton

Musical
Must see
Iconic

There is both joy and heartbreak at the memorable wedding in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s sensational hip-hop musical Hamilton. Our titular hero plans to marry a wealthy Schuyler sister – but which one? Eliza falls in love with him, as she recounts in the sweet R&B track “Helpless”, but we soon discover that there’s another side to the story.

In the jaw-dropping number “Satisfied”, Eliza’s sister Angelica begins a wedding toast to the happy couple, then rewinds the action to show us the courtship from her perspective – and confesses her own feelings for Hamilton. It’s an extraordinary moment of theatre, setting up a history-making love triangle.

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Hamilton

Marriage Material

New play
Popular
Romance

Based on journalist Sathnam Sanghera’s acclaimed novel, this rich family saga sees cultural tradition clash with modern life for the British-Sikh Bains family. Sisters Kamaljit and Surinder work in their father’s corner shop, and their mother is determined to arrange their marriages, but the next generation might have different dreams.

Iqbal Khan’s vivid, energetic production honours all those opposing voices, examining marriage as the product of both love and duty, and there is an amazing representation of a huge, vibrant Indian wedding, costumed with unforgettable panache by Good Teeth.

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Marriage Material

Clueless the Musical

Musical
Iconic
Comedy

You’ll be, like, totally buggin’ at this 90s-tastic stage musical adaptation of Amy Heckerling’s beloved teen movie. Based on Jane Austen’s Emma, it centres on Beverley Hills princess and devoted matchmaker Cher, who can’t stop meddling in people’s lives – and she’s determined to find the perfect guy for new girl Tai.

This warm-hearted, vividly funny show has all the iconic scenes, lines and costumes from the original film, plus catchy retro-style songs by KT Tunstall. Will Cher miss out on love herself while she’s busy fixing everyone else? As if! There are wedding bells for one happy couple as we near the Hollywood ending.

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Clueless the Musical