When visiting London you can't miss out on a huge slice of our capital's culture - Theatre Land. Here's our guide to the best productions out now.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers Olivier Theatre, National Theatre
This much anticipated adaptation of journalist Katherine Boo's award winning reportage of the three years she spent in a Mumbai slum has lived up to all expectations. With a huge cast of 34 and a colourful depiction of the terrible slum conditions suffered by its inhabitants, this play is an eye-opening glimpse of a world we seldom see.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Gielgud Theatre
This groundbreaking play, based on the novel of the same name by Mark Haddon, is still viewed as one of the best contemporary dramas in London. It follows the curious incidents (surprise surprise) experienced by an autistic boy in the run up to and after his neighbour's dog is found speared with a garden fork. A fantastic representation of the world of autism, and visually magnificent.
Matilda The Musical Cambridge Theatre
Roald Dahl is a British legend, with every school kid since the 1970s relishing his huge repertoire of fantastical stories - many of which have already been made into films, most notably The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Matilda was also made into a successful film, and now, thanks to the incredible talent of Tim Minchin, it has become one of the most successful musicals on stage. It follows the story of an extraordinary young lady called Matilda and her troubling home and school life. Charming and humorous fun for all the family.
Gypsy Savoy Theatre
The British institution that is Imelda Staunton takes on the main role in this burlesque-based musical set in 1950s America. It is often described as the best American musical and this particular production has already been heralded as an unmissable triumph. Based on the memoirs of a legendary burlesque entertainer, it follows the travels of Gypsy Rose Lee and her two daughters as they take their family vaudeville act across America. A moving and poignant play.
Cats London Palladium Theatre
This is a classic, one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s finest musical masterpieces and surely a right of passage for anyone coming to London as a visitor.
Golem Trafalgar Studios (Studio)
14 April – 22 May
It’s being hailed as the most original show in London and described a “Kafka meets Little Shop of Horrors” so you can expect the unexpected with this production created by the ever imaginative Young Vic Theatre Company. It has been brought to the West End stage due to popular demand so get your tickets quick. Combining original animation, entrancing music and live performance, this production explores the ever-unsettling question of whether we control technology or it controls us!