A whole host of theatrical delights are set to illuminate London’s stages once again, with shows returning to the capital later this spring.
What a year it’s been. Since the West End first went dark last March, we’ve seen theatre creatives valiantly trying to make the best of a very difficult situation. Outdoor spaces have been utilised more, with a successful concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre last summer and smaller-scale productions at venues including Vauxhall’s Garden Theatre. With indoor theatres, however, it’s been very stop-start, with a handful of shows opening either in the autumn or during the run up to Christmas, and then having their runs cut short due to lockdowns.
In line with the current roadmap, a number of theatres have made announcements over the last week, with plans to bring some big name shows to light up the currently-dormant West End stages. We’re super excited to see the return of musical Six at the Lyric Theatre as of 21 May. The fabulously camp pop tribute to the wives of Henry VIII will initially open at 50% capacity and will require the safety measures we’ve now all become accustomed to including face masks, track and trace, and contactless ticketing.
Also reopening soon, the feel-good LGBTQ+ musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will return to The Apollo from 20 May. We can’t wait to see this again on the stage – and of course we’re looking forward to the film adaptation due later this year. Another of our favourite musicals, Come From Away will return to the Phoenix Theatre from 21 June. Based on the true story of the planes grounded following the 9/11 attacks, it tells a heartwarming tale about the stranded passengers becoming part of the local community in a small Canadian town.
It’s not all just re-openings however – lots of new shows will be debuting in London in 2021. A major new production of Anything Goes will be debuting at The Barbican from 23 July, starring Megan Mullaly and Robert Lindsay, which will feature a company of 50 including a full orchestra. The anticipated Back to the Future: The Musical, meanwhile, will have its London premiere at the Adelphi Theatre from 20 August – it briefly ran at Manchester’s Opera House in spring 2020 before having its run cut short due to the pandemic.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s reinvention of Cinderella, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher, will open at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from from 25 June. Finally, later this summer – we’re expecting August, but date still to be confirmed – Disney’s much-anticipated Frozen: The Musical will open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. All of these openings are of course contingent on lockdown restrictions being eased in line with the guidance as it currently stands, but we’re feeling cautiously optimistic about being able to see our favourite shows again. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have some plans back in the diary eh?
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