To say that William Shakespeare bestrides our culture like a colossus is to undersell him. Over 400 years since his death, the playwright is uncontested as the greatest writer of English who has ever lived. Even if you’re not a fan of sixteenth century blank verse – and if not, why not? – his influence over our culture goes far beyond that of any other writer. He invented words, phrases, plots, characters, stories that are still vividly alive today; his history plays utterly shaped our understanding of our own past as a nation.
And unsurpisingly he is inescapable in London. The iconic Elizabethan recreation Shakespeare’s Globe theatre is his temple, with a year-round programme that’s about three-quarters his works. Although based in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Company regularly visit the capital, most frequently the Barbican Centre. And Shakespeare plays can be found… almost anywhere else, from the National Theatre – where they invariably run in the huge Olivier venue – to tiny fringe productions and outdoor version that pop up everywhere come the warmer months.
This page is simple: we tell you what Shakespeare plays are on in town this month (the answer is pretty much always ‘at least one’). We we tell you which of his works you can see coming up in the future. No other playwright is staged nearly enough to get his own page. But for William Shakespeare, it’s essential.
What is it? Following an exceptionally bleak indoor production this winter, it’s a much more joyful Midsummer Night’s Dream that opens the Globe’s summer season. Emily Lim’s production is an ebulliant explosion of audience interaction and all-round good vibes.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
What is it? Starting its run just in time for actual Midsummer, here comes Shakespeare’s ultimate crowd-pleaser, as directed by Atri Bannerjee. Though it’s another cheery take on the play, a confusing barrage of voguish but conflicting ideas stop it being nearly as enjoyable as the Globe’s concurrently running take.
Where is it? Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
What is it? Chelsea Walker’s loveable take on ultimate romcom Much Ado makes the mistake of blatantly cribbing a couple of moves from Jamie Lloyd’s superlative take of last year, but leads Pippa Nixon and Ken Nwosu are so delightful you’ll hardly notice a few bumps.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
What is it? Love’s Labour’s Lost belongs to that club of rarely peformed Shakespeare plays where the name is more famous than the actual story. This summer, though, it gets its biggest Globe – and indeed, London – production in over 20 years, with a lavish revival headed up by director Indiana Lown-Collins. We don’t know a lot about casting, but we do know that the cast is being put through a flamenco bootcamp, the better to take on this Spain-set drama about four lords who forswear women in order to better focus on their studies and general manliness.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
What is it? This summer in London is fairly light on big splashy productions of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. But if you’re in the market, fear not: the Australian Shakespeare Company – summer relgulars at Kew Gardens – will be calling in with a streamlined two-hour production that would seem to push Sir Toby Belch as the driving force behind the story’s various plots and revelations. Obviousloy no setting is more picture perfect for all this than a darkening Kew.
Where is it? Kew Gardens.
What is it? The Orange Tree Theatre will be shutting its doors for a refurb this summer and autumn. But rather than going dark it’s going travelling, with a two-part outdoor Shakespeare rep season in the gardens of Thomas’ College on Richmond Hill. Tom Littler’s brace of productions will be exploring the theory that Much Ado About Nothing is in fact the real identity of Shakespeare’s ‘lost’ play Love’s Labour’s Won – so it’ll be staged as a sequel, with each play set either side of the Second World War.
Where is it? Thomas’ College, Richmond Hill.
What is it? The Globe’s 2026 summer season is pretty heavy on rowd pleasers, but we’d put a small amount of money on this production of the beloved As You Like It being something a little weirder than the usual. Clue one: it’s not on for that long. Clue two: it’s directed by Globe deputy Sean Holmes and playwright Charlie Joseph, who also stars in the role of Orlando. Maybe not screeching avant-garde, but expect and arch and probably somewhat queer version from the long-term collaborators. Lola Shalam will co-star as Rosalind.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
What is it? Debuting at Manchester’s Factory International last year, this RSC show – directed by Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett – does indeed combine Thom Yorke’s specially rearranged score of tracks from Radiohead’s sixth album Hail to the Thief, with a very edited version of (duh) Hamlet. With a live band – not Radiohead – playing the rearranged songs (the most famous which is the top five hit ‘There There’), it’s a short, gloomy, strange take on the play with moments of spine-tingling magic when songs and story do hit mesh perfectly.
Where is it? Barbican Centre.
What is it? Though the days when he directed a production of Measure for Measure in which the set entirely consisted of sex dolls are probably in the past (more’s the pity) Joe Hill-Gibbins is one of British theatre’s most consistently entertaining leftfield directors and it’ll be fascinating to see what he does with Shakespeare’s all-time classic Julius Caesar in the 26/27 indoor winter season. We know nothing about the production beyond its director, but that’s really enough to make it worth booking if you enjoy left-of-centre takes on the classics.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
What is it? Eighty-seven-year-old Sir Ian McKellen lends his star power to the reopening season of the Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick with a new adaptation of King Lear, but also – it seems – McKellen’s life and thoughts, by playwright Simon Stephens, Yard boss Jay Miller, with contributions (naturally) from McKellen himself.
Where is it? Yard Theatre.
What is it? Shakespeare’s history play about the troubled John ‘Magna Carta guy’ Lackland is one of his deepest cuts, little performed thanks to its odd mix of pageantry, convoluted politicking, and a subject who simply isn’t very famous these days. The Globe has only tackled it once before in the modern era and this production will be its Wanamaker debut. It’ll also be the Globe debut for its director Jaz Woodcock-Smith, whose history of imaginitive lo-fi productions suggests a quirky approach to all the royal pomp notionally baked into the play.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
What is it? London has had a drought of celebrity Hamlets lately, but that all ends in 2027 as star of Happy Valley, McMafia and the new season of House of the Dragon James Norton has a go at the ennui-engulfed Danish prince. The wildcard is the revered German director Thomas Ostermeier, whose irreverent Barlin production still runs in rep at the Schaubuhne – it’ll be fascinating to see what provocations this fresh take on the play involves.
Where is it? A West End theatre TBC, in autumb 2027.
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