Shakespeare plays to see in London

Discover all the Shakespeare plays taking place in London this year, including four exciting offerings at Shakespeare's Globe.

There wouldn’t be theatre as we know it without William Shakespeare. The author of dozens of plays, plus sonnets and narrative poems, he created innumerable words and phrases that have become mainstays in the English language. His work is an indispensable staple of theatre programming and endlessly open to interpretation. It’s highly unlikely that there’s ever been a time since the Restoration when there hasn’t been a selection of Shakespeare plays playing in London.

Shakespeare’s Globe is a replica of an Elizabethan-era playhouse that was constructed in 1997 and delights thousands of visitors each year with its colourful productions. Thankfully, behaviour is rather less rowdy than it was in Shakespeare’s day! And the West End attracts star names and bold interpretations. His influence is everywhere – The Lion King, after all, is inspired by Hamlet.

Here is a guide to the Shakespeare plays that you can currently book in London – all ought to be as entertaining as they are edifying.

Richard II (Bridge Theatre)

Bridgerton and Wicked star Jonathan Bailey plays the troubled titular monarch in this contemporary-set production directed by Nicholas Hytner that features echoes of TV’s Succession. According to LondonTheatre.co.uk’s review, Bailey “reveals and revels in all facets of this magnetic king… There is no question that Bailey’s star-casting will draw in audiences new to Shakespeare. But with his talent, and that of Richard II’s wider cast and creative team, it is likely they will become fans of the Bard, too.”

Book Richard II tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Much Ado About Nothing (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane)

Jamie Lloyd’s production of the battle of the sexes comedy is a hot-pink extravaganza led by the star casting of Hayley Atwell and Tom Hiddleston as Beatrice and Benedick. The streamlined production hones in on the two love stories, with some meta winks to Hiddleston and Atwell’s other lives as Marvel stars. To quote LondonTheatre.co.uk’s 5-star review, the show makes for “a full-on banquet of both blissful comedy and ecstatic romance.”

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

Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Globe)

The Globe’s 2025 season opens with the star-crossed lovers – this time set in the Wild West, rather than fair Verona. With saloon brawls and gunfights, it’s the final frontier for an ancient grudge. Sean Holmes directs.

Book Romeo and Juliet tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare's Globe)

One of Shakespeare’s most broadly comic plays – the rascally Sir John Falstaff visits the prim and proper town of Windsor and chaos erupts. Sean Holmes directs his second production of the season, which promises to explore the play’s “wild, mythic, and daring underbelly”.

Book The Merry Wives of Windsor tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Twelfth Night (Shakespeare’s Globe)

Following last year’s new play Princess Essex, Robin Belfield returns to the Globe with Shakespeare’s madcap tragicomedy about love, self-expression, and midsummer madness. Belfield and composer Simon Slater have worked together over a decade – music is a key aspect of the play, so that ought to be a highlight.

Book Twelfth Night tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Troilus and Cressida (Shakespeare’s Globe)

Director Owen Horsley makes his Globe debut with this lesser-known satirical tragedy. Forget the tales of glamour and heroism that surround the Trojan War – after eight years of fighting, there’s no resolution in sight. What happens when the heroes we worship, and the stories that drive us, can no longer live up to their mythic narratives?

Book Troilus and Cressida tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bridge Theatre)

Nicholas Hytner’s semi-immersive production of Shakespeare’s sylvan comedy returns to the Bridge Theatre this autumn, six years after it was first performed. The seating is wrapped around the stage, or you can follow the action on foot. The cast includes JJ Field as Oberon/Theseus, Susannah Fielding as Titania/Hippolyta, Emmanuel Akwafo as Botton, and David Moorst, who reprises his role as Puck/Philostrate.

Check back for A Midsummer Night’s Dream tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Photo: Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare's Globe, 2024