Top theatre to see in London in April
Find out which shows to see in London in April 2022.
Sophie Thomas
March 30, 2022 08:59
Spring is almost in the air — apart from the few days of biting-cold weather and April showers which will inevitably happen in the coming weeks. There’s also a palpable feeling in the air that comes every spring as Olivier Awards buzz takes over the capital. The West End’s biggest night in the London theatre calendar takes place on 10 April 2022. Find out more about the Olivier Awards here.
Beyond the glitziest night in town, which celebrates theatre over the past 12 months, there’s plenty of new London theatre opening in April 2022 to enjoy. Off-West End theatres will host world premieres and UK premieres, including Anyone Can Whistle and Scandaltown. Meanwhile, in the heart of the West End, Jerusalem makes its comeback at the Apollo Theatre. With historical plays, Broadway shows, and new stories to learn, there’s something for everyone in April 2022.
Here are our top picks for what to see in London this April.
Anyone Can Whistle
Stephen Sondheim’s lesser-performed musical Anyone Can Whistle marches into London this April. The 1964 musical — newly updated for a modern audience — follows a controversial mayoress who tries to control everything around her while saving her community at the same time. And we’re not one to assume a political situation, but a show where one person tries to do it all and save face feels pretty relevant for the times we’re living in.
Alex Young plays Cora Hoover Hooper in Anyone Can Whistle. Find out more about Stephen Sondheim musicals in London.
Southwark Playhouse, from 1 April.
Book Anyone Can Whistle tickets on London Theatre.
Scandaltown
In March 2022, two Mike Bartlett plays opened in London: COCK and The 47th. Now, there’s a third Mike Bartlett play coming to the capital. See the world premiere of Scandaltown, a Restoration-inspired comedy that uncovers sex, power, and control in society.
Rather than a traditional 17th-century storyline as expected in a Restoration comedy, Scandaltown follows Phoebe Virtue, who learns that her brother is ruining his status via Instagram. Slide into the DMs of someone you know and book tickets to Scandaltown in London in April. Find out more about Mike Bartlett’s London plays..
Lyric Hammersmith, from 7 April.
Book Scandaltown tickets on London Theatre.
Musicals by Candlelight
Some musical theatre songs make us laugh. Other songs make us cry. And some songs have the power to move us emotionally. Experience musical theatre songs in a new state of mind at Musicals by Candlelight, performed by City String Quartet. Listen to songs from Les Misérables, Wicked, My Fair Lady, and more in a 60-minute concert. Did we mention there’s a sea of candles? Pack the tissues for Musicals by Candlelight. Find out more about Musicals by Candlelight in London.
The Actor’s Church, from 20 April.
Book Musicals by Candlelight tickets on London Theatre.
Much Ado About Nothing
There’s a theatrical celebration taking place on the Southbank this year, as Shakespeare’s Globe turns 25! And what better way to kick off a season of Shakespearean entertainment than with Much Ado About Nothing? Lucy Bailey directs the Globe Ensemble in the latest adaptation of the Bard’s raucous comedy. Find out more about Shakespeare shows in London.
Shakespeare’s Globe, from April 22.
Book Much Ado About Nothing tickets on London Theatre.
Prima Facie
The Harold Pinter Theatre is the place for West End star spotting. February saw James McAvoy in Cyrano de Bergerac. March saw Ruth Wilson in The Human Voice. Now, in April, Killing Eve star Jodie Comer makes her West End debut in Prima Facie.
Comer plays Tessa, a high-flying barrister who must stand up for her beliefs when her career is shaken with a controversial case. Prima Facie is a two-word Latin phrase which translates to “at first sight,” and we’re pretty sure that as soon as you see Comer walk out on stage, you’ll be in for an enthralling evening of theatre.
Harold Pinter Theatre, from April 15.
Sign up for more information on Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
Jerusalem
The Rooster is back. No, you won’t be woken up by a “cock-a-doodle-doo” as the sun rises. Instead, the West End welcomes the return of Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth’s multi-Olivier-winning play. Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook reprise the roles of Johnny “Rooster” Byron and Ginger in this titan of a play. Jerusalem tickets are pretty hard to come by now, but keep an eye out and see one of the greatest plays of the 21st century.
Apollo Theatre, from April 16.
Sign up for more information on Jerusalem starring Mark Rylance at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
The Corn is Green
They say the grass is greener on the other side, but what about the corn? In this 20th-century Welsh drama, discovering a new world with limitless possibilities requires a few life lessons along the way.
The Corn is Green follows Lily Moffat, an English schoolteacher sent to north Wales to educate young miners. There’s a culture discrepancy, though, as the locals don’t want to listen to her. But one young man, Morgan Evans, decides to see what’s possible. Nicola Walker stars in Emlyn Williams’s semi-autobiographical play, which runs in the Lyttelton Theatre in spring 2022.
National Theatre, from April 7.
Sign up for more information on The Corn is Green at the National Theatre.
Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical
This world will remember the tales of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, two American thieves who stole from banks and eventually stole our hearts. Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical’s West End journey began earlier this year with a series of Bonnie and Clyde concerts at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Now Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical gets a long-awaited West End premiere, with Jordan Luke Gage and Frances Mayli McCann as the criminal masterminds. Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical plays a limited engagement at the Arts Theatre before Bad Jews.
Arts Theatre, from April 9.
Sign up for more information on Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical at the Arts Theatre.
Marys Seacole
You may know of Mary Seacole, the Jamaican nurse who treated soldiers during the Crimean War. After the war, the historical narrative discounted her story, favouring the tales of Florence Nightingale instead. But now, Marys Seacole illuminates just how important her life was and what she did to treat soldiers in Crimea.
A 2019 review of Marys Seacole on New York Theatre Guide reads, “There is more than one Mary Seacole to meet the eye in Marys Seacole. It is a majestic piece of work that takes no prisoners. This is the style of the play and the lasting echo that follows you out the door.” Get ready for a history lesson at Marys Seacole in London.
Donmar Warehouse, from April 15.
Sign up for more information on Marys Seacole at the Donmar Warehouse.
Oklahoma!
There’s a bright golden haze on the Young Vic, as Oklahoma! is back in London in April. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was seminal in the development of “book musicals,” and it’s likely to be a crucial part of your London theatregoing this month.
Oklahoma! sees farm girl Laurey Williams caught in a love triangle between cowboy Curly and fellow farmhand Jud. There’s a starry Oklahoma! cast too, including Arthur Darvill as Curly, Marisha Wallace as Ado Annie, and Broadway Oklahoma! cast member Patrick Valli reprising the role of Jud.
Young Vic, from 26 April.
Sign up for more information on Oklahoma! at the Young Vic.
Middle
All stories should have a beginning, a middle and an end. But what if a trilogy of plays were named after each state? Following Beginning, David Eldridge returns with a new play conveniently titled Middle at the National Theatre in April.
Middle follows a married couple who struggle to connect with one another after small situations escalate and reach boiling point. The scalding drama will be packed with hot conversations. But more importantly, will there be an End?
National Theatre, from 27 April.
Sign up for more information on Middle at the National Theatre.
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