‘The hit children’s show CoComelon is on tour and is set to hit the West End this summer!
The Youtube Children’s Show is a hit amongst families and is currently on a world tour. The channel is the 2nd most watched channel on Youtube with more than 4 billion monthly views online. You can now take your family to see the magic of theatre with their favourite characters on stage. CoComelon Sing-A-Long Live will feature some of your little one’s favourite hits such as Animal Dance, If You’re Happy and You Know It and my personal favourite, Wheels on the Bus.
Produced by Round Room Live and Lambert Jackson in partnership with Moonbug Entertainment, the show is suitable for the whole family, with an age guidance of 0 to 4 years. What’s more, children 12 months and younger do not need a ticket. The show will only run for an hour and 15 minutes so will be a great first experience of theatre for children.
The show invites families to play, sing and dance together. It is interactive and set to be an engaging and magical experience for families who go to watch the live West End show.
The 2025 West End Flea Market took place this weekend and raised a whopping £110,000 for charity! The event took place on Saturday 17th May at St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden. The fundraiser is in it’s 5th Year of running. This amount of money wildly surpassed their goals and last years total of £74,000.
The West End Flea Market raises money for charity Acting For Others. They provide financial and emotional support to all theatre workers in times of need, whether they are backstage, on stage, front of house, or creatives, anyone who’s contributed to the workings of the theatre.
To raise money at the event, many West End Productions got involved by selling merchandise, carnival games and donating items for an online auction which you can get involved in until 23rd May! The items available include props from the musicals Hadestown and Wicked. There’s also a lot of signed merchandise from these productions. This is as well as a limited edition jacket from The Phantom Of The Opera.
There were stalls from the cast of Mean Girls, Mamma Mia, Six and Tina to name a few. However, The Book of Mormon stole the show! They were crowned this year’s Best Dressed Stall, in the competition judged by national stars Christopher Biggins and Arlene Phillips.
The West End Flea Market also sported an autograph tent. This included many West End Stars such as Luke Bayer (Titanique), Clare Foster (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Simon Lipkin (Oliver) to name a few. You could also grab writer autographs including the writer of The hit musical Six, Toby Marlowe.
You can book cheap tickets for many of the shows which took part in The West End Flea Market here at LSBO.
‘What are the Best Theatre Shows in London?’ is the question we get asked most here at LSBO. The answer always is, “it depends who you ask!’. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure truly is the case when it comes to London’s West End. We like to think our staff here, however, know what they’re talking about. Between all of our box office staff, they have decades of experience working both here and within the London Theatre scene. We’ve asked them what their favourite shows in London are and why.
Helen’s Pick – Hadestown – Worked at LSBO for 2 years
“I love the beautiful music in Hadestown. The show is sad but uplifting. It’s great for young adults or anyone who loves classics – it’s also great if you want a love story that isn’t focused on romance.”
I think it’s safe to say, Helen is passionate about the show as she has in fact watched it 6 times in the short time it has been on at The Lyric Theatre! As far as she is concerned this is undoubtedly one of the best theatre shows in London.
Hadestown opened in the West End in February 2024 and is now booking until February 2026!
It is a modern retelling of the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice told alongside the story of Hades and Persephone. The show also features famous names from Greek mythology, such as Hermes and the Fates.
Gideon’s Pick – Les Miserables – Worked at LSBO for 24 years
“It’s well good, innit.”
A man of many words, but a recommendation none the less! Les Miserables is the longest running musical in the West End so it is certainly considered one of the best theatre shows in London by many. Gideon loves an opera and this musical is entirely sung through so would be great if you also like operas.
This epic musical is set in France during the french revolution. It follows the Victor Hugo novel of the same name. Les Miserables tells the story of a French peasant, and his desire for redemption. Having been released after serving nineteen years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread, he decides to start a new life but a police inspector refuses to let him escape justice. Alongside this, a group of young idealists attempt to overthrow the government at a street barricade in Paris.
Book in advance for the best prices or, head to our box office in Leicester Square. If you’re lucky, you can get discounted tickets for this production!
Julia’s Pick – Hamilton – Worked at LSBO for 3 months
“It’s a very young, fresh and different show. Also it’s a really fun way to learn about history! It wouldn’t be a great choice though if English was your second language as they rap really quickly!”
Julia has chosen Hamilton as her choice for the Best Theatre shows in London. She may have only been with us here at LSBO for a short time but she didn’t want to be throwing away her shot to recommend this musical.
Hamilton is in its 7th year of performances on the West End and recently announced another cast change. It is written by Lin Manual Miranda who also wrote the music for Disney’s Encanto and Moana. His music has a unique sound and packs a punch when you hear it live. The show is a biography of American Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was an immigrant who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. The score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway – the story of America then, as told by America now.
“I like that it’s a high energy musical that’s diverse within its styles of songs. It’s really fun and short too. I also like that its can be eductional, it tells you a story that the history books don’t.”
Saarangan isn’t the only one who likes this show. The fact that the show sells out almost every night speaks volumes that many consider Six one of The Best Theatre Shows In London. Also, Six has fans who love the songs so much, they even do sing-a-long performances. Details on those performances can be shown here.
The show is about Henry VIII’s ex-wives as they rewrite her-story to tell their stories which are so often forgotten about. Audiences experience the Tudor Wives’ lives as they turn back the clock and take to the stage to reclaim their crowns and retell their stories of love, loss and the infamous ex they all have in common.
Six is created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Each queen is an homage to a pop icon. They inspired the characteristics and vocal styles of each one. This adds to the concert feel that Six is going for. Furthermore it runs at an hour and a half with no interval adding to that gigging vibe.
“I love a homegrown British musical and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is no different. The heartfelt and timeless tale is brought to life by a small cast of actor musicians and is absolutely mesmerising start to finish. An incredible new musical that you have to catch if you’re in town!”
Both Hannah and the Olivier Awards agree that this show is one of the Best Theatre Shows in London. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button won the 2025 Olivier Award for The Best New Musical. What’s more, the show won the award for best actor in a musical and for an outstanding contribution to music.
The show is based on the iconic short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and is reimagined in a Cornish fishing village. It follows the story of Benjamin Button who is born old and is bound to the fate of growing younger each day. Benjamin wants nothing more than to live a little life. It follows the relationship between him and a woman called Elowen as she grows older whilst he grows younger.
Varun’s Pick – The Lion King – Worked at LSBO for 6 months
“It’s world famous for a reason! All of my friends told me I had to watch this show when I moved here, it is definitely one of the best theatre shows in London.”
The Lion King is now in its 26th year at The Lyceum Theatre. The musical is a reimagining of Disney’s beloved film that will redefine your expectation of theatre. With Elton John’s original score, the production utilises beautiful and imaginative puppetry to bring the wild animals to life.
The show follows the same story of the much loved Disney animation. When loveable lion cub Simba is forced into exile from his kingdom by his envious uncle, he meets the hilarious meerkat named Timon and his warm-hearted warthog pal, Pumba. Soon after, Simba adopts his carefree lifestyle of “Hakuna Matata,” until he realizes his true identity and returns to claim his throne from his evil uncle.
Hannah’s Pick – Wicked – Worked at LSBO for 2 years
“The show is so powerful, from the opening number the music washes over you! Although the show is nearly 18 years old, it’s themes are both timeless and timely. It is the original villain origin story and great for a variety of ages.”
This is undoubtedly the best theatre show in London and I’ve seen it 6 times. First, at age 12 with my school and then my family who were equally impressed with it. I saw it for the 6th time just recently with their new cast and it was just as good as I remember. It follows the untold story of the witches of Oz. Its themes of acceptance, division and propaganda are so poignant. The show portrays a complex world in which Glinda the good witch and Elphaba the Wicked Witch gained their titles.
Audiences love the musical so much in fact that it has been turned into a 2 part film starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The second part will premiere in November this year.
The Live Aid Musical, Just For One Day has started performances on the West End! Last night was the shows first performance at The Shaftesbury Theatre. Social media has shown a full house giving a standing ovation following the performance.
Just For One Day is a Jukebox musical and is also known as the Live Aid Musical. It follows the story of the historic event that was Live Aid. A musical fundraiser that took place simultaneously in London and Phillidelphia where 70 artists performed for free, raising $127 million for famine relief. After learning about the famine in Ethiopia, Bob Geldof created the event.
Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical features songs by some of the artists who performed at the fundraiser 40 years ago. This includes songs by Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2 and Queen. As well as The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, The Pretenders, Bryan Adams, Diana Ross to name a few! The story follows the run up to the event and the event itself, told through the perspective of the people who attended it.
The cast includes Julie Atherton, Ashley Campbell, Jackie Clune and Craige Els. James Hameed, Naomi Katiyo, Hope Kenna, Freddie Love, Emily Ooi and Rhys Wilkinson are also starring in the show . They are joined by Jason Battersby, Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong, Olly Dobson, Joe Edgar, Kerry Enright, Jo Foster, Collette Guitart and Eddie Mann. Lastly, completing the Live aid musical cast is AJ Lewis, Joel Montague, Rachel Moran, Abiona Omonua, Jack Shalloo, Danielle Steers, Tamara Tare and Dyd Wynford.
Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical is now booking at The Shaftesbury Theatre until 10th January 2026. What’s more, 10% of all ticket sales are going towards the Band Aid Charitable Trust.
Tina is Closing on the West End this September! The producers of the hit show announced the news on Tuesday. Here at LSBO, we are sad to see the production rolling out of The Aldwych Theatre. So, grab your cheap tickets now before it’s too late!
Only last month, the show announced that star Fleur East would play the role of Tina in this popular musical. Currently, she is still scheduled for performances over the summer. Regarding East’s upcoming performances, producer Tali Pelman said, “this will be a summer of celebration, led by our glorious duo of Karis Anderson and Fleur East in our final West End cast.”
When the producers announced that Tina is closing on 13th September they said that:
“The decision to close our West End production has been extremely difficult. Celebrating and sharing Tina’s legacy has meant so much to all of us... We are proud to have fulfilled Tina’s dream for the musical, which was to serve not only as a reminder of her work but as the beating heart of her empowering message… Courage, indomitable spirit, and an eternal optimism in what is possible. We are grateful to our exceptional authors and creatives, to the many extraordinary women who have played this phenomenal role on the Aldwych stage, to the casts, musicians, production and backstage teams and to the countless others who have dedicated themselves to the London production over the past ten years.”
When Tina Closes on the West End, it will be in the Top 10 longest running musicals in the West End. In fact, it is already the longest running show at The Aldwych Theatre.
Book discounted tickets now for your last chance to watch Tina in the West End. Tina is closing on 13th September 2025.
50 First Dates: The Musical will open at the Other Palace in the West End! It is a brand-new musical getting it’s world premiere in London. This news is hot off the press so here’s what we know so far:
The show is staring previews on Sunday 14th September with the official opening night on 24th September. Playing the lead characters are Georgina Castle (Mean Girls) and Josh St. Clair (Wicked). The remaining casting is yet to be announced. David Rossmer and Steve Rosen (The Other Josh Cohen) have written this adaptation. The direction and choreography will be by multi-Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (Mean Girls, The Book of Mormon).
50 First Dates: The Musical is based on the hit film starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. It is the heart warming story of a woman called Lucy with short term memory loss. The character Henry meets her and realises that each day he sees her she forgets him. Henry’s falling for her every day—she’s forgetting him every night. He thinks he’s finally found “the one”. Until the next morning when she wakes up with no memory of their first date. Henry takes it upon himself to find a way to make him fall in love with her every day.
The show will be packed with infectious songs and laugh-out-loud moments. What’s more, 50 First Dates: The Musical takes place in Hawaii so is perfect for beating those post summer blues when it opens in September. It promises to bring the heart, hilarity and tropical sunshine of the iconic rom-com to the stage for the first time ever.
We’ve compiled a list to help you find the best London musical for every occasion. From date nights, girls nights to family nights we have something for everyone. We hope that after reading this blog, you might have a better idea of what show is right for you.
Best London Musical for Date Nights – Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is the best musical for a date night, especially if you want to impress your date. The elaborate scenery and sensual costumes make you feel like you really have entered the Moulin Rouge in Paris. What’s more, the romantic story line and familiar pop songs will simultaneously pull at the heart strings and get you in the mood for dancing.
The musical is based on the Baz Luhrmann film starring Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman. It follows the hopeless bohemian romantic writer Christian as he falls in love with Satine, the Diamond of the Moulin Rouge. Its soundtrack is a mixture of songs from the original film and new pop songs we all know and love. The musical is a theatrical celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and above all, love.
The show plays at The Piccadilly Theatre Mondays – Saturdays. For the best prices on this show we’d recommend going for a mid-week date Monday – Thursday. If you MUST do your date night on a Friday or Saturday our biggest tip is to book in advance to get the cheapest tickets.
This is easily the best London musical for families. Not only is it great for young children but the quality of the puppetry blows away audiences of all ages. It is great for families because many people have already watched the Disney animated movie that it is based on. Also, the age recommendation is quite inclusive. The recommendation on this show is for ages 6+. There is no admittance into the venue of children under the age of 3 – which includes babes in arms. Furthermore, all persons entering the theatre, regardless of age, must have their own ticket. Due to its lower age recommendation, it means broader family groups can go.
Based on the Disney Film, The Lion King has songs written by Elton John. It takes place on the beautiful Serengeti plains. The story follows wide-eyed cub Simba as he journeys to his destiny: becoming the King of the Pridelands.
The show is in its 26th year at The Lyceum Theatre in London. This is another show which is good to book in advance. Where you can, go to an evening performance and outside of school holidays. This will ensure you get the best value for money on this show.
Not only is this show entertaining, it’s great for students as it can link into class. It is based on the classic Roald Dahl novel of the same name. Therefore, it can be tied in to both Drama and English Lessons for students at a variety of levels.
The musical follows Matilda, a clever determined young girl. Matilda uses her extraordinary intelligence and telekinetic powers to stand up to her neglectful parents and tyrannical headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. The show has a cast of both children and adults which makes it extremely empowering and engaging for young people. Matilda has music by comedian Tim Minchin so it blends dark humor with uplifting themes such as empowerment and resilience.
Hadestown is a beautiful musical based on Greek mythology, thus making it great for those of you who are scholarly minded. You don’t have to know the original stories as it is simply a modern retelling. However, fans of classic Greek literature and mythology will appreciate this show on a greater level.
The musical retells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. The fated musician who travels to the underworld to bring his wife Eurydice back to the land of the living with him. The story is intertwined with that of Hades and Persephone. It also features the famous fates from many a Greek tale.
Hadestown is an extremely popular show which was originally released as a concept album. It went on to be a record breaking Tony Award winner from it’s Broadway opening.
The show opened in the West End in February 2024 and is currently booking until 15th February 2026 at The Lyric Theatre.
Best Musical If English Is Your Second Language – Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is the the Best London Musical for anyone who speaks English as a second language. The show features some of ABBA’s greatest hits which are known globally. Worldwide, the only band to have sold more albums than ABBA is The Beatles. So the odds are that you can take a chance on being familiar with at least one of the songs in this show.
The musical has also been turned into a film starring Meryll Streep and Pierce Brosnan. Again, millions of people are estimated to have seen the film, if they haven’t, its a great idea to watch it before you go. If you don’t, the story is simple enough to follow. On the run up to her wedding, Sophie invites 3 of her mothers ex lovers to work out which one of them is her father. Set in sunny Greece with such a banging soundtrack, toes will be tapping no matter what your native language is. The show is popular with locals and tourists alike and is currently celebrating over 26 years in the West End.
Mamma Mia! is another one that prices go up for quite significantly over a weekend and holiday periods so book early where you can.
Okay it’s technically not a musical but that is not a crime.
Conceived and directed by Channing Tatum, Magic Mike Live is an unforgettably fun night of sizzling, 360-degree entertainment based on the hit movies. The show is equal parts empowering and exhilarating. The 90-minute show is punctuated by unexpected, temperature-raising acts from a thrilling range of acrobatic and musical talent. The cast is made up of professionally trained dancers and has been in the West End for 6 years now.
It is really important if you book this show that every member of your party brings a valid photo ID and be over 18. The venue is in The Hippodrome Casino and as such they are extremely strict on their entrance policy. Nothing spoils a girls night out like one of the girls crying because they can’t get in. Even if you bring your grandma in her 80s with you for your hen do, she’ll need ID too.
Titanique is officially the best musical for a laugh as it won the 2025 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy or Entertainment Show just last month.
What’s more, Layton Williams won his first ever Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his role in this show. It is a role that he will remember for a lifetime, the ship stopping role of… The Iceberg. Having just announced a new cast and extension, the show is a hilarious triumph at The Criterion Theatre. The show is so funny that comedians Alan Carr and Tom Allen recently recommended it in the shows latest promo videos.
Titanique is a parody of the hit 90’s film Titanic. The musical subverts the heartbreaking love story into a side splitting musical. It features Celine Dion’s hit songs such as ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and ‘All By Myself’. The story is retold through ‘Celine’ and has the audiences in stitches night after night.
The New Hamilton Cast has just been unveiled! The new cast members are getting to work, starting performances next month on 16th June.
Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit musical has been wowing audiences since it opened at The Victoria Palace Theatre in 2017. Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton, an American Founding Father, inspired the show. The show uses rap and songs to tell the story which gives the show a fresh, modern take on musical theatre.
The current actors who are staying on with the New Hamilton Cast in leading roles are Alex Sawyer as Alexander Hamilton and Jay Perry as Aaron Burr. With Emily-Mae as Angelica Schuyler and Jordan Castle as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison. Also staying on is Jordan Benjamin as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton and Daniel Boys as King George III.
The company members who are also remaining are Richard Appiah-Sarpong, Turrell Barrett-Wallace and Roxanne Couch. Also Nicola Espallardo, Manaia Glassey-Ohlson, Jack Harrison-Cooper, Nicolais-Andre Kerry, Ella Kora and Paulo Teixeira.
The New Hamilton Cast welcomes Bente Mulan as Eliza Hamilton, with Jonathan Andrew Hume as George Washington and Yeukayi Ushe as Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson. This is as well as Jasmine Jia Yung Shen as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds.
The new additions to the ensemble are Yuki Abe, Zera Aitken, Joshua Clemetson, Luca Dinardo and Olivia Kate Holding. This is alongside Sergi Ibenez, Lily Laight, Aiden Nightingale, Tim Nutt, Joshian Angelo Omaña, Kiran Patel, Liam Raven, Aharon Rayner, Daisy Ward and Natasha Wilde.
The role of Hamilton will be played by Adam J. Bernard at certain performances.
New production images of the Matilda West End Cast have been released! The show recently celebrated their 5000th performance. These images mark the arrival of the new young performers who joined the show in March. The musical is in it’s 14th year of performances in London. What’s more, it is now the 15th longest running show in West End history.
Matilda is based on Roald Dahl’s classic novel of the same name. The story follows a brave and extraordinary little girl who stands up to her neglectful parents and evil head mistress. With an excellent score written by Tim Minchin, it is an empowering story for all ages.
The West End young performers Suki Hillier, Mia Rogers, Angelica Scott and Alexis Whitehead are sharing the lead role of Matilda.
This is as well as new young performers Janai Bartlett, Alexander Beaumont, Kobe Champion-Norville, William Gurney, Arietta Hall, Annabelle Haverson, Chase King, Reuben Laming, Lexi Lancaster, Elsie Laslett, Maxwell McGetrick, Theo Oh, Myla Park, Josh Pegler, Drew Reilly, Harry Relf, Isabella Rummery, Ashley Taylor, Khit Thakhin and Aisha Ugurhan, alongside Joseph Burrows, Pasquale Folivi AD, Joey Grady, Adam Hussain and Isabelle McLatchie. Between them, they play Bruce, Lavendar, Nigel and the remainder of Matilda’s classmates.
The current Matilda West End adult cast includes Tiffany Graves as Mrs Wormwood and Kieran Hill as Miss Trunchbull. Also featuring in the adult cast is Neil McDermott as Mr Wormwood, and Eve Norris as Miss Honey.
The ensemble is completed by Esme Bacalla-Hayes, Pearce Barron, Alex Louize Bird, Reece Budin, Ronan Burns, Dan Cooke, William Elijah-Lewis, Karina Hind, Issy Khogali, Sam Lips, Sam Jeffrey Parkes, Jak Skelly, Gabrielle Davina Smith, Deborah Tracey, Ralph Watts, and Dawn Williams.
Meet the New Titanique Cast! The producers recently announced who is staying in the cast and who is stepping on board at The Criterion Theatre. The new cast will begin performances on 10th June.
Titanique is proving to be an extremely popular West End show since it officially opened at The Criterion Theatre on 9th January 2025. It is so popular in fact that it won 2 Olivier Awards this year. One for The Best New Comedy or Entertainment show. The second, went to Layton Williams for his role as The Iceberg.
Staying on in the current cast is leading lady Lauren Drew (Les Misérables, Six) as diva Celine Dion. Also staying is Darren Bennett as Victor Garber / Luigi (Grease, The Mousetrap) and Charlotte Wakefield (Mamma Mia, Spring Awakening) as Molly Brown.
The new cast includes Luke Bayer (Les Misérables) as Jack and Hiba Elchikhe (The Time Traveller’s Wife) as Rose. Also joining the show is Richard Carson (Wicked) as Cal and Carl Mullaney (Les Misérables) as Ruth. Lastly, Tosh Wanogho-Maud (The Book of Mormon) completes the New Titanique Cast as The Iceberg.
On-stage background vocalists are Adrianne Langley, Madison Swan and Rodney Vubya. Lastly the offstage understudies are Caitlin Tipping and Freddie King.
Titanique is co-written by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli. Tye Blue is also the director of the prodution with choreography by Ellenore Scott.
The show is a parody of the hit 90’s film and features some of Celine Dion’s greatest hits. It turns one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterical musical fantasia.
Regarding the new Titanique cast, producers Eva Price and Michael Harrison said in a statement: “We’re so thrilled by the incredible response Titanique has received from UK audiences. We’re delighted to welcome these brilliant triple threat performers aboard this Summer to bring their extraordinary talent and humour to our unsinkable team!”
