Disney’s animated classic Hercules the musical is heading to the West End stage next year and we can’t wait!

The musical is based on the 1997 animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. The story is loosely based on the legandary hero known by his Roman name as Hercules, a son of Zeus in Greek mythology. It follows the young demigod who realises his incredible strength and must become a true hero to earn back his godhood and his place in Mount Olympus. All the while his evil uncle Hades plots his demise and he falls in love with a mortal named Meg.

The stage version has been in the works for many years, with the musical first premiering in the US in 2019 outdoors in New York, followed by a 2023 production in New Jersey, both directed by Lear DeBessonet. Hercules then opened in Hamburg, Germany earlier this year directed and co-choreographed by Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon/ Aladdin). Nicholaw is set to do the same for the West End production.

The production has music and lyrics by Alan Menken and David Zippel, a brand-new book by Robert Horn and Kwame Kei-Armah and co-choreography by Tanisha Scott. Hercules will include many of the songs made famous by the film such as ‘Go the Distance’, ‘Zero to Hero’ and ‘I Won’t Say (I’m In Love)’. The original film earned an Academy Award nomination for the song ‘Go the Distance’.

Hercules is set to open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in summer 2025. Specific dates, cast announcements and further details with be announced in due course. We’re sure it will ‘go the distance’!

Theatre Royal Drury Lane is currently home to Disney’s Frozen, which is closing on 8 September. Book your Frozen tickets here on the LSBO website or visit our box office in Leicester Square.

The award-winning comedy The 39 Steps is returning to the West End this Summer! Here’s everything you need to know about the comedy play.

The 39 Steps is a parody play, adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. The original concept and stage production premiered in 1996 and was written by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon. This four-actor version of the story sees the entirety of the original film performed by a cast of only four. One actor plays the hero, one actor plays the three women he is romantically involved with and two actors play every other character in the show. Between the four actors, they take on a ridiculous number of 139 roles.

The first version of the play was seen before an audience of 90 people at the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond, North Yorkshire before touring village halls across the north of England. Then in 2005, the script was re-written by Patrick Barlow and this re-adaptation premiered at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in June 2005. The play then went on to premiere in London at the Tricycle Theatre in August 2006 titled John Buchan’s The 39 Steps.

The production then transferred to the Criterion Theatre in London’s West End in September 2006. The 39 Steps played at this theatre until 5 September 2015 after a 9-year run in the West End, making it the fifth longest-running play in West End history. The play went on to win the 2007 Olivier and WhatsOnStage Awards for Best Comedy and then went on to win two Tony Awards the following year on Broadway.

The 39 Steps is currently on tour until 3 August and then the production is set to transfer to the West End this August. The cast for the West End run will remain the same as the touring cast. The cast will include Tom Byrne as Richard Hannay, Safeena Ladha as Annabella Schmidt / Pamela / Margaret, Eugene McCoy as Clown 1, and Maddie Rice as Clown 2 (the first time this production has cast a female-identifying actor as one of the Clowns), with Jacob Daniels and Hannah Parker as the understudies.

The 39 Steps opens at the Trafalgar Theatre on 16 August 2024 and will play until 28 September 2024. The 39 Steps tickets are on sale now.

On 8 June 2024 The Phantom of the Opera celebrated its 15,000th performance in the West End.

The Phantom of the Opera first opened in London’s West End at Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1986. Originally choreographed by Gillian Lynne and starring Michael Crawford as The Phantom and Sarah Brightman as Christine. It is the second longest-running musical in West End history behind Les Miserables and the third longest running show overall behind The Mousetrap.

Based on the novel Le Fantôme de l’Opera by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart and a book by Richard Stilgoe. The show has played to over 160 million people, in 46 countries and 195 cities in 21 languages.

The musical score includes some of musical theatres greatest songs such as Music of the Night, All I Ask of You, Masquerade, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again and the iconic title song.

The Phantom of the Opera theatre tickets are available now.

The West End cast currently stars Jon Robyns as The Phantom, Lily Kerhoas as Christine Daaé and Joe Griffiths-Brown as Raoul, alongside Kelly Glyptis as Carlotta Giudicell, Matt Harrop as Monsieur Firmin, Adam Linstead as Monsieur André, David Kristopher-Brown as Ubaldo Piangi, Francesca Ellis as Madame Giry and Maiya Hikasa as Meg Giry. At certain performances, the role of Chistine Daaé is performed by Chumisa Dornford-May.

The company is completed by Hollie Aires, Federica Basile, Corina Clark, Michael Colbourne, Leonard Cook, Colleen Rose Curran, Lily De-La-Haye, Hywel Dowsell, Connor Ewing, Serina Faull, Florence Fowler, James Gant, Eilish Harmon-Beglan, Yukina Hasebe, Samuel Haughton, Thomas Holdsworth, Jacob Hughes, Grace Hume, Janet Mooney, Tim Morgan, Eve Shanu-Wilson, Tim Southgate, Zoë Soleil Vallée, Jasmine Wallis, Victoria Ward, Ralph Watts, Simon Whitaker, and Andrew York.

Book now to see the West End’s most haunting love story! Now booking until 29 March 2025. Currently playing at the recently renamed His Majesty’s Theatre. Book your Phantom of the Opera tickets now.

The creators of the smash-hit musical Six are back with their new musical Why Am I So Single.

Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss are best known for their groundbreaking muiscal Six, which tells the untold story of the six wives of Henry VIII through pop music. Why Am I So Single follows the story of two friends trying to write a new musical while reflecting on their dating dilemas and the nature of being single.

As already announced leading the show will be Jo Foster (& Juliet, Just For One Day), who will return from the show’s early workshop. They will star alongside Leesa Tulley (Six, Kin) and Noah Thomas (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) in a supporting role. The alternate leads are Jordan Cambridge-Taylor (Schwartz at 75) and Collette Guitart (Just For One Day).

The ensemble cast is made up of Jemima Brown, Josh Butler (Bronco Billy), Natasha Leaver (Hamilton), Ran Marner (Jack and the Beanstalk), Joshian Angelo Omaña (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Natasha Wilde (42 Balloons), Rhys Wilkinson (Just For One Day) and Jamel Matthias and Olivia O’Connor in their professional and West End debuts.

The swings are Callum Bell (Guys and Dolls), Owen McHugh (Clueless the Musical) and Caitlin Redpath in her West End debut, and Ebony Clarke (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) who is also the resident choreographer.

The creative team behind Why Am I So Single also includes choreographer Ellen Kane, orchestrator and vocal arranger Joe Beighton, musical supervisor Joe Beighton, set designer Moi Tran, costume designer Max Johns, lighting designer Jai Morjaria, and sound designer Paul Gatehouse.

Why Am I So Single opens at the Garrick Theatre on 27 August 2024 and is currently booking until 13 February 2024. Keep an eye out for further announcements!