With several musicals closing in the new year, there’s plenty of empty theatres with stages just waiting for new shows to entertain new audiences, and we already know what some of those shows will be. Here’s four musicals coming to the West End that you absolutely don’t want to miss.
1) Waitress
This show has been captivating Broadway audiences for more than two years now, telling the story of Jenna, a waitress and pie chef who finds herself pregnant with an unwanted child and feels more trapped than ever in a loveless marriage. It’s a beautiful show, full of humanity (and pies), and Sara Bareilles’ music and lyrics are unforgettably gorgeous. I’ve been waiting for a West End transfer of this show since I saw in on Broadway and I already have my tickets for opening night! Casting has yet to be announced, but with any luck we’ll have a Jenna as good as the wonderful actresses who have played the part in the States.
Waitress is currently booking at the Adelphi Theatre, with previews starting February 8th 2019
2) Dear Evan Hansen
It was always a question of when and not if we’d get this little show in London. And when I say ‘little’, I mean in cast and stage size, certainly not in fan following! Second only to Hamilton when it comes to recent Broadway smash hits, Dear Evan Hansen follows Evan’s descent into a spiral of lies after the death of one of his classmates. It doesn’t do the best job of writing teenage female characters, but it goes some way to make up for it when it comes to the mothers. They’re complex and long-suffering but characterised most strongly through love.
Tickets aren’t yet on sale, but you can sign up to be first to know once they are – and you can bet they’ll go fast.
Dear Evan Hansen will soon be booking at the Noel Coward Theatre
3) Eugenius
The only show on this list that isn’t a Broadway transfer, Eugenius is one of those rare British musicals that you hear about sometimes but wonder if they’re really just a myth. It’s had two runs off-West End at The Other Palace Theatre and now it’s finally heading to an official West End Theatre, with a slightly updated cast and a new song on two. I’ve reviewed this show before and I stand by my comments about the female representation being lackluster, but the music is too catchy not to give this one a go. It’s got all the 80s nostalgia and nerdy references your currently Stranger Things-deprived heart could desire, and it’s one of those things that really needs to be seen to understood.
Eugenius is currently booking at the Ambassadors Theatre, with performances starting October 27th
4) Come From Away
This is my favourite musical of all time, so you’ll have to excuse all bias that follows, but if there’s one show you need to book a ticket for, it’s this one. My one complaint with it is that it’s not long enough, at only 100 minutes and one act.
Come From Away tells the story of 9/11, and the following week, from a different perspective. In one of the darkest times in recent memories, there was a light in Gandor, Newfoundland. When they closed the American airspace immediately following the attacks in New York, 38 planes with almost 7,000 people landed in a small town with only 9,000 residents, and they welcome the strangers in with open arms. This musical tells the story of 16,000 people in one act, through a collect of characters who are inspired by real stories and their humanity shines through. The music is beautiful and feels so organic, and the simple staging leaves the story to shine. If you’re still not sure you’ll love it, here’s another video to make sure you do:
Come From Away is currently booking at the Phoenix Theatre, with previews starting January 30th 2019
There’s no shortage of new musicals coming to the West End in the coming months, with more to be announced in the near future. Keep your eye on sites on What’s On Stage or BroadwayWorld to stay up to date with the latest news so you don’t miss any of the much anticipated Broadway transfers or maybe even another entirely new British musical or two…