What’s closing in London theatres this month? (May 2024)
Posted on 25 April 2024
We’re treated to not one, but two Bank Holidays this month! But how are you going to spend these precious days off? Step away from the DIY (you’ve already left it a few years, what’s a few more days!), and step into the glorious world of theatreland! With a host of award-winning musicals and punchy new plays set to close this month, make the most out of our spring spectacular and see the very best at the very best prices, before it’s too late!
Red Pitch | Exclusive Prices (4 May)
Winner of every major Best Debut Play award, Red Pitch is theatre goals. Starring Sex Education’s Kedar Williams-Stirling, alongside Emeka Sesay (The Power) and Francis Lovehall (Small Axe), this “energetic, artfully staged production” (Evening Standard) about brotherhood, ambition, girls, community, is in a (premiere) league of its own.
Three lifelong friends dream of football stardom, however beyond their community pitch, local shops are closing, old flats are being demolished, and new flats rise. Now the small patch of grass is under threat, and the trio scream ‘foul play’. They quickly engage the crumbling community to tackle this new attack.
This fast-paced and sharp-edged play by Tyrell Williams (winner of Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards and Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards) tells a powerful story of gentrification, regeneration, and the impact of rapid change on London’s communities.
The Picture of Dorian Gray | Exclusive Prices (11 May)
Succession star, Sarah Snook, took home the Best Actress Olivier award for incredible, tour-de-force turn in this one-woman adaptation. Apt for a play cantered on vanity, Oscar Wilde’s classic gets a drastic makeover in this visionary, award-winning production, which sees Snook take on all 26 characters.
Adapted and directed by multi award-winning Kip Williams, this “astonishing piece of theatre” (Financial Times) delivers an explosive interplay of live performance and video in an astonishing collision of form.
First published in 1890, Wilde's novel centres on Gray, a young man who makes a deal to retain his youth and beauty, while a painted portrait of him begins to age instead. Williams’ innovative use of screens, and selfie filters highlights, (and contours), the play's themes of self-admiration and envy, as Snook manipulate her image live on screen. Pinching and pulling at her digital skin, until the doctored image is unrecognisable. This is a thrilling, must see theatrical event.
Opening Night | Save up to 53% (18 May)
‘An extraordinary theatrical mash-up’ (Daily Mail), Opening Night mixes stage and cinema to deliver a unique adaptation of John Cassavetes' legendary film. Starring Olivier, BAFTA, WhatsOnStage and Critics' Circle Theatre Award winner Sheridan Smith, in a breathtaking turn as Myrtle Gordon, this pulse-pounding production will have you on the edge of your seat.
The musical, featuring songs by Rufus Wainwright, follows a dysfunctional theatre company in the build up to the opening night of The Second Woman. Tensions rise as its leading lady, Myrtle, has trouble sticking to the script and staying away from the bottle. When an encounter with a deranged fan sends Myrtle into a deeper spiral, everyone must deliver the performance of their lives.
Theatregoers can expect an intimate and intense theatrical experience, as onstage cameras film all the actors’ movements in extreme close-up, projecting them on to the wall behind. It’s a bold and daring take on the classic musical.
Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical | Save up to 53% (19 May)
With over 40 5-star and 4-star reviews, any moron can see that Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical is a killer show! The Daily Star Sunday hailed the production 'Very funny, very sexy, and very entertaining' Time Out agreed, calling it 'Pure nostalgic fun. Deliciously sly. Laugh-out-loud funny’.
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the cult film, this sexy jukebox musical features the very best artists from the 90s, including Boyz II Men, *NSYNC, TLC and R.E.M. Selected as The Times No. 1 Critics Choice – Show of the Week and Sunday Times and Time Out – Critic’s Choice, the sizzling show follows stepsiblings Sebastian and Kathryn as they engage in a cruel bet. The manipulative monsters, flushed with their own sexual prowess, make a competition out of the headmaster’s daughter’s virginity. Weaving a web of secrets and temptation, the two set out to destroy an innocent girl — and anyone who gets in their way…
Also closing in London Theatres this month
Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 3 closes at the Park Theatre on 4 May 2024
The Glass Menagerie closes at Alexandra Palace Theatre on 4 May 2024
Harry Clarke closes at the Ambassadors Theatre on 11 May 2024
The Opera Locos closes at the Peacock Theatre on 11 May 2024
Power of Sail closes at Menier Chocolate Factory on 12 May 2024
Lucie Jones in Concert closes at Cadogan Hall on 12 May 2024
The Ballard of Hattie and James closes at the Kiln Theatre on 18 May 2024
Minority Report closes at the Lyric Hammersmith on 18 May 2024
Ushers: The Front of House Musical closes at the Other Palace Studio on 19 May 2024
Scottish Ballet - A Streetcar Named Desire closes at Sadler’s Wells on 19 May 2024
Queen by Candlelight closes at the Adelphi Theatre on 21 May 2024
Jon Robyns in Concert closes at His Majesty’s Theatre on 26 May 2024
