Must See Theatre Shows 2022

Looking for the best West End Theatre shows in 2022? Need to know which stars are coming to London’s glittering Theatreland? It’s time to chase away Blue Monday and start filling your feelgood theatre calendar with these Must See Theatre Shows 2022!

And just for fun, look out for some top theatre trivia along the way…

Cinderella

The belle of the ball is back! After a brief hiatus, Andrew Lloyd’s Webbers kickass, grown-up fairy-tale returns to the Gillian Lynne Theatre on 3^rd Feb 2022. This is a great sign for the West End – it’s like we’re feeling the first warmth of spring as this gem of a musical rises like a phoenix from the cinders! Stars Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Find tickets for Cinderella from £23.40

DID YOU KNOW? The book for Cinderella is written by BAFTA© and Academy Award© winner Emerald Fennell. Emerald is no stranger to fairy-tale princesses, having played Camilla Parker Bowles in Netflix series The Crown.

Mary Poppins

Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp star as Mary Poppins and Bert the loveable chimney-sweep in this musical family favourite. The stage version of the classic PL Travers story has a book by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) and music by the Sherman Brothers (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang). With additional songs by Olivier Award winners George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Honk!), this magical family musical is practically perfect in every way.

Find tickets for Mary Poppins from £24.00

DID YOU KNOW? Zizi Strallen (Mary Poppins) comes from British theatre royalty. Sisters Scarlett, Summer and Saskia are all actresses and Zizi’s aunt is West End legend Bonnie Langford.

Dirty Dancing

“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” Admit it – your heart melted when Patrick Swayze uttered that unforgettable line in the movie, right? Now you can relive all those iconic 1987 moments in one of the greatest feel-good must see theatre shows of 2022. Dirty Dancing returns to the West End at the Dominion Theatre from 2nd February.

Find tickets for Dirty Dancing from £24.00

DID YOU KNOW? Val Kilmer was offered the role of Johnny, but turned it down. Now, it’s just impossible to imagine anyone but Patrick Swayze in those iconic dances.

Grease

Not only does the Dominion Theatre play host to Dirty Dancing in 2022, but also another classic stage to screen musical, Grease. There are more co-incidences – as well as starring in Dirty Dancing on film, Patrick Swayze also played Grease hunk Danny Zuko on Broadway! With choreography by Arlene Phillips (Strictly Come Dancing) and direction by Nikolai Foster (Leicester Curve), this stunning new production is the one that I want!

Find tickets for Grease from £18.00

DID YOU KNOW? “Hopelessly Devoted To You” didn’t feature in the original stage production of Grease, in fact it wasn’t even written until the movie was half way completed. Of course, it’s now in the show and was even nominated for an Oscar!

Saturday Night Fever

Coupled with Grease, it’s time to go retro again! As well as a stint as Danny Duko in the 1970s, John Travolta famously strutted his stuff as snake-hipped Tony Manero. Tony spends his weekends escaping his working-class life on the dance floors of the local disco. Coupled with an iconic Bee Gees soundtrack and stunning choreography from Bill Deamer, it would be a Tragedy to miss this Disco Inferno!

Find tickets for Saturday Night Fever from £20.70

DID YOU KNOW? Firstly, the movie Saturday Night Fever was due to be directed by John G Avildsen, who directed Rocky. Secondly, Avildsen was replaced by John Badham. But the Rocky connection didn’t end there because finally, Sylvester Stallone directed the sequel, Stayin’ Alive!

The Choir of Man

Described by many audiences as ‘one of the best things we’ve ever seen’. The Choir of Man will lift your heart, not to mention have you wishing you could jump up on stage and join in too. Featuring the songs of Guns’N’Roses, Adele, Paul Simon, Sia and many more, these boys sing the pants off every other West End show! Secondly, where else can you join a lock-in party that won’t risk Boris Johnson turning up?

Find tickets for The Choir of Man from £18.00

& Juliet

What would happen in Juliet didn’t die at the end of Romeo & Juliet? How about she decided he just wasn’t worth it? What if Juliet was a fierce, independent woman who went medieval to the greatest pop soundtrack of the past 25 years? This multi award-winning show has a genius comic script from David West-Read (Schitt’s Creek) and a score by Max Martin (Baby One More Time, Confident, Roar, Larger Than Life). So much more than a jukebox show – this is theatre at it’s platinum-selling best! Stars Miriam-Teak Lee, Oliver Tompsett and Cassidy Janson.

Find tickets for & Juliet from £24.60

DID YOU KNOW? Life really does imitate art. Not only did & Juliet pause during a pandemic, but also, Shakespeare’s theatres themselves were twice closed down due to plagues in The Bard’s lifetime. A plague on both your houses!

SIX the Musical

Speaking of strong independent Renaissance women…if you’re looking for inspiration, look no further than SIX the Musical! Before they “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived”, six amazing women occupied the English throne. Meet the wives of Henry VIII as you’ve never seen them before. The ultimate girl-power musical has taken the world by storm – see the fabulous original London production right here, right now!

Find tickets for SIX the Musical from £19.55

DID YOU KNOW? On 28th July 2019, writer Toby Marlow stepped into the role of Catherine Parr for two performances when illness struck the cast. Six was also one of the first West End shows to bounce back after Coronavirus. Renaissance women are fierce!

Anything Goes

When the SS American sailed onto the Barbican stage in 2021 it set toes tapping and pulses racing. A musical theatre lover’s dream, this Cole Porter classic returns to once again weigh anchor. Stow away with Billy Crocker, Reno Sweeney and a 50 strong cast for the return of the show the Telegraph called “pure class”. Cast to be announced.

Find tickets for Anything Goes from £35.40

DID YOU KNOW? The idea for Anything Goes allegedly originally came to American producer Vinton Freedley while he was living on a boat in Panama. He had fled there to hide from his creditors after his show, Pardon My English, flopped.

My Fair Lady

Barlett Sher’s Lincoln Center revival of Lerner and Loewe’s classic musical transfers to the London Coliseum for a summer season. Who will play Eliza Doolittle is still to be announced, but expect a top notch cast for this rags to riches tale. It’s the ultimate Covent Garden flower girl makeover.

Find tickets for My Fair Lady from £24.00

DID YOU KNOW? The film version of My Fair Lady famously starred Audrey Hepburn. Julie Andrews narrowly missed out despite originating the role on stage. Julie had the last laugh when she was cast in Mary Poppins instead – and went on to win the Oscar!

Shen Yun

Experience the beauty of 5,000 years of China before communism. This stunning visual display of dance and live performance is truly awe-inspiring. Tao divinity and modern technology combine to entertain and thrill. Witness a culture reborn.

Find tickets for Shen Yun from £74.40

DID YOU KNOW? Western Ballet can be traced back around 500 years, but ancient statues and carvings have shown that Chinese dance was deeply embedded in at least 5,000 years of Eastern culture.

Back to the Future

This thrilling new musical will take your breath away. Who wouldn’t want a time travelling DeLorean to fast forward through the last couple of years? Strap in for the best special effects ever seen on a West End stage and a fantastic original score by multiple Grammy Award winners Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard. This show will blow your mind! Utterly spectacular. Stars Olly Dobson.

Find tickets for Back to the Future from £23.46

DID YOU KNOW? The Back to the Future script was rejected 40 times before Universal eventually bought it. The rest is history!