The West End works so brilliantly because it’s a mix of iconic long-running shows and new arrivals, meaning there’s always something fresh to see as well as the chance to revisit your favourites. But for those new productions to debut, we do have to bid goodbye to other shows.

As there are so many London plays and musicals to keep track of, we’ve put together a handy guide to West End productions with their closing dates, from shows closing in 2024 to those finishing in 2025 and the ones that...

Complete schedule of West End closings

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Learn all about these London shows' closing dates so you can catch them before they go! Get your last-minute tickets to the final performances of West End favourites today.

Mike Bartlett’s new play *Unicorn* will premiere in the West End next year. Performances will begin on 4 February at the Garrick Theatre for a strictly limited run.

Directed by James Macdonald, Bartlett's play follows couple Polly and Nick, who seemingly have it all. But something is missing from their lives, which is needed to add that spark.

The cast will include Nicola Walker (*Unforgotten, The Split*), Stephen Mangan (*The Split, Episodes*), and Erin Doherty (*Death of England: Closing...

Mike Bartlett’s new play 'Unicorn' to premiere in West End in 2025

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Unicorn will reunite James Macdonald, Mike Bartlett, and Kate Horton following their collaboration on the original production of Cock at the Royal Court in 2009.

Paul Mescal will reprise his Olivier Award-winning turn as Stanley in Rebecca Frecknall's production of Tennessee Williams’s *A Streetcar Named Desire* in the West End next year. The play will run for three weeks only from 3-22 February 2025 at the Noël Coward Theatre.

Known for his roles in *Gladiator II, Normal People*, and *All Of Us Strangers*, Mescal will be joined by Patsy Ferran (*Summer & Smoke*) as Blanche, Anjana Vasan (*We Are Lady Parts*) as Stella, and Dwane Walcott (*One Night in...

'A Streetcar Named Desire' starring Paul Mescal to return to the West End for limited run

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Paul Mescal is best known for his roles in *Gladiator II, Normal People*, and *All Of Us Strangers* alongside Andrew Scott. Patsy Ferran will also star.

*101 Dalmatians The Musical* will transfer to the Eventim Apollo in London for a six-week run next summer. 

The musical, which has music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge and a book by Johnny McKnight, was first performed at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2022 and is currently on a UK tour starring Faye Tozer (Glasgow, Edinburgh) and Kerry Ellis (Oxford, Brighton) as Cruella De Vil.

Based on Dodie Smith’s classic book and adapted for the stage by Zinnie Harris (*The Duchess*), *101 Dalmatians*...

'101 Dalmatians' to transfer to London next summer

1200 LT 101 Dalmatians The Musical Tour (Landscape with no title). Photo credit is Oliver Rosser, Feast Creative.

The musical first opened at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2022 and is currently on a UK tour starring Faye Tozer (Glasgow, Edinburgh) and Kerry Ellis (Oxford, Brighton) as Cruella De Vil.

England’s capital city beckons travellers with its vast array of awe-inspiring attractions. London’s countless architectural wonders, cultural institutions, and rich history make the city a popular destination. 

Whether you are building an itinerary for a one-day trip to London Town or are fortunate enough to embark on a longer excursion, there’s plenty to do. We have curated a list of London’s top attractions to make for lasting travel memories. Stroll through the city’s many pristine parks,...

Top attractions in London

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Read our guide to London's top attractions to get tickets to, from Buckingham Palace to the London Tower, Wembley Stadium to Kew Gardens, and more.

Pop the champagne because *The Great Gatsby* is coming to the West End! The new Tony Award-winning musical, which opened on Broadway in April 2024, will arrive at the London Coliseum on 11 April 2025, running until 7 September.

An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, *The Great Gatsby* follows mysterious millionaire, Jay Gatsby, who hosts decadent parties but pines for his former flame Daisy Buchanan. The novel was adapted for the screen in 2013 by Baz Luhrmann, starring Leonardo...

'The Great Gatsby' musical to transfer to the London Coliseum 

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The new musical opened at The Broadway Theatre in April 2024, following a world premiere at Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey in late 2023. 

Help is on the way, dears! Everyone’s favourite Scottish nanny – first inhabited in the 1993 comedy film by Robin Williams, playing a divorced dad who disguises himself as Mrs Doubtfire so he can see his children – is now a West End star.

The inventive, heartfelt and raucously funny stage musical adaptation has become a new audience favourite, packed with gags, big musical numbers, and a touching reflection on how family can come in different forms, as long as there is love.

As you prepare for...

Make a day out of 'Mrs Doubtfire' in London

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Make your family visit to West End musical comedy *Mrs Doubtfire* a sure-fire hit by adding even more fun activities to your London trip.

Further casting has been announced for the Brie Larson-led production of Sophocles’s [*Elektra*,](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/42608-elektra) which begins performances at the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End on 24 January, 2025.

Larson, who is making her West End debut, will be joined by Stockard Channing (*The West Wing, The Good Wife*), Marième Diouf (*Romeo and Juliet*), Greg Hicks (*Grapes of Wrath, Coriolanus*), and Patrick Vaill ([*Stranger Things: The First...

Further casting revealed for Brie Larson-led 'Elektra' in the West End

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Stockard Channing, Marième Diouf, Greg Hicks, and Patrick Vaill will join Brie Larson in Anne Carson's translation of Sophocles's great tragedy.

The full cast has been announced for William Shakespeare's *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*, which opens at the Barbican in London on 3 December, running until 18 January, 2025.

Joining Mathew Baynton (*Ghosts, Wonka*) as Bottom, is Andrew Richardson (*Guys and Dolls*) as Oberon/Theseus and Katherine Pearce (*Waterloo Road*), who returns to the RSC as Puck.

New company members also include Alexander Bellinfantie (Moth), Eliza Smith (Mustardseed), and Natalie Thomas (Peaseblossom).

They join...

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' announces full cast at the Barbican

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Joining Mathew Baynton as Bottom, is Andrew Richardson as Oberon/Theseus and Katherine Pearce as Puck. Eleanor Rhode directs Shakespeare's play about love, magic, appearance, and jealousy.

Lead casting has been announced for new musical *Hercules*, which opens in the West End next summer. Performances will begin at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 6 June, 2025.

Luke Brady will play the title role in the musical next year. His stage credits include *As You Like It* (RSC), *SuperYou* (Lyric Theatre), *Assassins* (Chichester Theatre), *The Prince of Egypt* (Dominion Theatre), *Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice,* and *The Taming of the Shrew* (Shakespeare’s Globe), while on screen he...

'Hercules' reveals lead casting in the West End

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*Hercules* has music by Alan Menken and lyrics by David Zippel, and a new book by Robert Horn and Young Vic outgoing artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah.

The 1999 play, [*Further than the Furthest Thing*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/27149-further-than-the-furthest-thing), will return to London for the first time in over 20 years. *Further than the Furthest Thing* will be revived at the [Young Vic](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/young-vic), with previews from 9 March, an official opening on 16 March, and performances to 29 April. 

Based on real events on the island of Tristan da Cunha and in Southampton, England, *Further than the Furthest Thing* sees a small, typically undisturbed community have their life changed forever when an outsider visits the island. Zinnie Harris was inspired to write the play in honour of her mother's memories, as her mother lived on Tristan.

The cast includes [Jenna Russell](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jenna-russell), Gerald Kyd, Archie Madekwe, Cyril Nri, Kirsty Rider, and Shapla Salique.

Jennifer Tang directs *Further than the Furthest Thing*, with design by Soutra Gilmour, lighting design by Prema Mehta, sound design by George Dennis, composition by Ruth Chan, and movement by Ingrid Mackinnon. 

*Further than the Furthest Thing* is at the Young Vic. 

Book *Further than the Furthest Thing* tickets on London Theatre.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=27149&content_product_id=27149&venue_id=173)

*Photo credit: Further than the Furthest Thing (Photo courtesy of production)*

Zinnie Harris's ‘Further than the Furthest Thing’ to open at the Young Vic

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Genre: Play

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When the modern world rocks a small island, can the inhabitants rally together? Book a one-way trip to Tristan da Cunha, via the Young Vic. 

Zinnie Harris’s *Further than the Furthest Thing* play follows an island community who face up to their past. They’ve lived peacefully for centuries, avoiding modern developments and a way of life that could corrupt their existence. But in 1961, a native outsider disrupts all ties to the land. What could happen when the “H’outside world” take over? 

In a play all about home and community, *Further than the Furthest Thing* shows what it means to support one another. In a [four-star review on London Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/further-than-the-furthest-thing-review-young-vic), "[the play] exists within the context of larger, impersonal forces — colonial misrule, for one thing — that flavours a play that may seem elusive at first but coalesces in the mind after the fact."

Harris was inspired to pen *Further than the Furthest Thing* to keep her mother's memories alive — she lived on Tristan da Cunha. 

The play premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1999, followed by London performances at the National Theatre in 2001. Over two decades later, Jennifer Tang directs the play at the Young Vic, starring Jenna Russell.

## Where is Tristan da Cunha?

Tristan da Cunha is a small island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It’s located approximately 2,000 miles off the coast of South Africa and is part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha. The isolated island boasts a 300-strong population.

Further Than the Furthest Thing - LON - London Theatre

On a remote volcanic island in the middle of the Atlantic, a community lives undisturbed. When an outsider visits the island, their way of life changes forever. Explore Tristan da Cunha via the Young Vic. Learn more about *Further than the Furthest Thing* tickets on London Theatre.

Outsiders weren't the only worry for the community. On 8 Oct. 1961, a large earthquake and landslide saw all 264 islanders and 31 expats sent to Southampton for their safety. As the play develops, you’ll see how lifechanging decisions rock their collective world. 

The isolated island boasts a 300-strong population. It doesn’t show signs of increasing: you can only move there if you have a family connection to the island. For now, you can only visit Tristan da Cunha by seeing *Further than the Furthest Thing* in London.

## What to Watch For: 

- Jenna Russell plays Mill Laverello. The Olivier-winning actress previously starred in the UK premiere of *Fun Home* at the Young Vic.
- Tristan da Cunha is a small island in the South Atlantic Ocean. The only way to visit the island is a six-day trip from South Africa.
-  Did you know they also speak their own dialect. It’s close to British English, but they stress certain sounds differently, notably “H’Outside” instead of “Outside.”


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Buy tickets for Further than the Furthest Thing at the Young Vic in London. Find official theatre tickets to Plays with Box Office.

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Plays rarely get as out there — literally so — as [*Further than the Furthest Thing*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/27149-further-than-the-furthest-thing), the Zinnie Harris theatrical fantasia of sorts which opened in 2000 at the National and was seen off-Broadway, in a separate production, in 2002. Now considered a contemporary classic of sorts, not least for its compelling strangeness, Jennifer Tang revives the play into a prime case of elliptical beauty. 

Tang and a gifted design team, headed by the seemingly ubiquitous Soutra Gilmour here in minimalist mode, stage events in the round, with audiences encircling the action, and actors who sit between scenes in the aisles, directly next to playgoers. 

A deeply moving [Jenna Russell](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jenna-russell), taking a break from her storied musicals career, has the focal role of the islander Mill. We first encounter this sweet-voiced Scotswoman and her husband Bill (Cyril Nri) out in the remote climes of the South Atlantic archipelago of Tristan da Cunha, though the location is never specified in the script. 

The pair have a nephew, Francis (Archie Madekwe), who returns home from travels abroad after he was reviled for his unusual speech. (The islanders speak a distinctive, ungrammatical patois distinguished, amongst other things, by adding the letter H when saying things like “H’outside”.) Francis has a girlfriend, Rebecca (an impassioned Kirsty Rider), who is pregnant by someone else and who would quite like not to have the baby girl whose birth is evocatively depicted at the close of the first act. 

It’s 1961, and a volcanic eruption displaces this remote populace to the comparative bustle of Southampton, where we find ourselves after the interval — an incident that actually happened to this one-time British dependency. What transpires is an empathically imagined investigation into what we mean by “home”, folded into an often-grim parable of acculturation. 

The Anglo-Bangladeshi vocalist Shapla Salique adds to the play’s aural allure. 
Mill finds herself puzzling out “puddings” as if the very meaning of that British mainstay were somehow alien to her sense of self. The self-appointed chaplain of the island from which he has been evacuated, Bill gets tested in his own way — subsumed by grief and guilt as he and his wife discover a land of umbrellas and royalty, not seaweed seeping over one’s shoes. 

The play features a conjurer-villain of sorts in Gerald Kyd’s Mr. Hansen, a South African factory owner who is revealed to be less charming than first thought. A jar manufacturer, Mr. Hansen exists to upend tradition, bringing with him the promise of money which isn’t enough for such stalwarts as Mill, who exists in mourning for a vanished, and vanishing, way of life. 

The quintet on view is gradually seen to exist within the context of larger, impersonal forces — colonial misrule, for one thing — that flavours a play that may seem elusive at first but coalesces in the mind after the fact. 

That’s especially true of a staging as alert as this one to the imaginative reach of a text that unapologetically makes demands upon its audience: quite a few spectators disappeared at the interval, though those who stayed proffered a rousing response at the bows. Gilmour’s turntable design proffers an amphitheatre given shape and depth by Prema Mehta’s lighting and George Dennis’s sound design: joint contributors to the arresting otherness of the occasion. 

Ian William Galloway’s video design ramps up the atmospherics of a play that seems to have sprung from Harris in defiance of the time-honoured dictum to write what you know: the author on this occasion has been emboldened by inspiration and invention, not direct experience. 

Her play benefits no end from a cast who seem visibly affected by the tale they are telling: Russell, in particular, looked appropriately misty-eyed following a ravishing monologue to find musicality of an altogether different kind in the verbal idiosyncrasies at work here. This performer is given brief passages of song for those wanting a reminder of the career that has brought her to this place, to which she responds with a deeply visceral connection that finds meaning in the mysterious. Stick with it, and you may well, too.

*Further than the Furthest Thing* is at the Young Vic through 29 April. Book *Further than the Furthest Thing* tickets on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=27149&content_product_id=27149&venue_id=173)

*Photo credit: Jenna Russell (centre), Gerald Kyd, Archie Madekwe and Cyril Nri in Further than the Furthest Thing at Young Vic (Photo by Marc Brenner)*

'Further than the Furthest Thing' review — a deeply visceral play finds meaning in the mysterious

Read our four-star review of Zinnie Harris's *Further than the Furthest Thing* starring Jenna Russell at the Young Vic, with performances through 29 April.

Born in London in 1967, the Olivier Award-winning actress Jenna Russell is best known for her critically-acclaimed performances in *Sunday in the Park with George*, *[Merrily We Roll Along](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/merrily-we-roll-along)* and *[Fun Home](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/fun-home)*. 

Growing up in Dundee, Russell went on to attend the Sylvia Young Theatre School, one of the country’s leading performing arts schools for school-age children. Pursuing a career in the theatre, Russell went on to appear as Young Sally in *Follies* at the [Shaftesbury Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/shaftesbury-theatre) in 1987 and *Martin Guerre* at the [Prince Edward Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/prince-edward-theatre) in 1988. She then joined the company of *[Les Miserables](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/les-miserables)* at the [Palace Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/palace-theatre), understudying the roles of Fantine and Eponine, before taking over the role of Fantine. In the 1990s, she also joined the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/royal-shakespeare-company), starring in productions of *The Beggar’s Opera* and *Wildest Dreams*, both staged at the [Barbican](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/barbican). 

Her West End breakthrough came in 2005, when she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical as Sally Brown in *Guys and Dolls*. But, Russell won her first Olivier in 2007, taking the award for best actress in a musical for her performance as Dot in *Sunday in the Park with George*. She later reprised the role of Dot on Broadway in the musical’s limited four-month engagement, with Russell receiving a Tony Award nomination.

Russell’s considered to be one of the finest West End actresses working. Her theatre CV includes *Amy's View* alongside [Felicity Kendal](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/felicity-kendal) and two productions of *Into the Woods*, playing Cinderella at the Donmar and the Baker’s Wife at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. She’s also given an Olivier Award-nominated performance as Mary in *Merrily We Roll Along*, originally revived at the [Menier Chocolate Factory](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/menier-chocolate-factory) and later transferring to the [Harold Pinter Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/harold-pinter-theatre). In recent years, she’s starred in *Fun Home* at the [Young Vic](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/young-vic), *The Bridges of Madison Count*y at the Menier and played Penelope Pennywise in *Urinetown*.

As well as a glittering theatrical career, Russell is no stranger to the small screen either. She’s perhaps best known for taking over the role of Michelle Fowler in BBC’s *Eastenders* from 2016 to 2018, but she’s also had a leading role in the BBC’s nineties comedy *On the Up*, a British farce written by *Good Life* writer Bob Larbey. In summer 2021, she played Edith Piaf in *Piaf* at Nottingham Playhouse.

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Born in London in 1967, the Olivier Award-winning actress Jenna Russell is best known for her critically-acclaimed performances in Sunday in the Park with George, Merrily We Roll Along and Fun Home.

Jenna Russell - Stars on Stage | London Theatre

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The Homecoming

Olivier-nominated Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story) directs a bold, spare refocusing of Harold Pinter’s powerful masterpiece.

The Young Vic (Main House) theatre is a renowned performing arts venue in London that boasts a rich heritage and an eclectic mix of performances each year. Known for its creative and innovative approach to theatre, it is committed to producing high-quality shows that take a fresh look at classics while also showcasing new talent and creative voices. With a focus on accessibility and community, the Young Vic (Main House) theatre is a vibrant hub for culture and community in the heart of London. The Main House, with an adjustable auditorium, provides an intimate, immersive viewing experience, making each performance uniquely engaging. 

**How to get to the venue**:

The Young Vic is located at 66 The Cut, London, SE1 8LZ. It is easily accessible by public transport. The nearest Underground station is Waterloo, which is just approximately 10 minutes by foot. Alternatively, the Southwark and Lambeth North Underground stations are also close by. Buses frequently run in and around the area with main bus routes serviced being the 1, 68, 168, 171, 172, 176, and 188. There's a Santander Cycle Hire station located a minute away on Waterloo Road for those who prefer to bike, and several local parking lots in the vicinity for individuals driving to the theatre.

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Young Vic (Main House)

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The Young Vic opened on 11 Sept. 1970, and was the first residence of the [National Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/national-theatre) under Laurence Olivier. The Young Vic was conceived as a theatre to stage high-quality productions at affordable prices. The theatre was rebuilt from 2004 - 2006, with the Young Vic co-producing 22 shows over 22 months with 20 international companies. Now, the Young Vic features a main house, as well as two studios: Maria and Clare. 

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The Young Vic, opened in 1970, was the National Theatre's first residence, producing affordable high-quality shows. It was rebuilt from 2004-2006.

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The Young Vic (Main House) is a globally famed theatre in London known for innovative performances and community-focused ethos.

Zinnie Harris's ‘Further than the Furthest Thing’ to open at the Young Vic

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