Theatre shows to see in London this summer 2024
Summer in London brings the opening of several theatre shows and the return of favourites like the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Expect Shakespeare adaptations, contemporary autobiographical productions, and notable actor and director debuts. Here is our selection of theatre shows to watch out for in London this summer.
The Bleeding Tree

#FLODown: In a small town, a mother and her daughters face the aftermath of shooting a man dead after enduring years of abuse. The Bleeding Tree explores their struggle for survival and the community's quest for justice. Directed by Sophie Drake, this UK premiere production offers dark humour and intimate storytelling, delving into themes of resilience and complicity.
Date: 29 May – 22June 2024. Location: Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London, SE16BD. Price: form £16. Concessions available. Book now.
Black is the Color of My Voice

Black is the Color of My Voice. Bristol Old Vic Photo by Geraint Lewis.ewis.
#FLODown: Black is the Color of My Voice by Apphia Campbell is a poignant play portraying the life of a successful singer and civil rights activist. The story delves into her quest for redemption following her father's passing, tracing her evolution from a gifted pianist with a future in church service to a celebrated jazz vocalist at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement. Drawing inspiration from Nina Simone's life, the production features live performances of Simone's iconic songs. Having garnered acclaim, the show has toured nationally in the UK, received standing ovations, and enjoyed sold-out runs in Shanghai, New York, Edinburgh, and London's West End.
Date: 11-15 June 2024. Location: Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, Theatre Square, London E15 1BN. Price: £10 - £37.50. Book now.
Much Ado About Nothing

#FLODown: One of many Shakespeare classics that will be on show at the Globe Theatre this summer, Much Ado About Nothing delves into the lives of Claudio, Hero, Beatrice, and Benedick. Amidst playful antics and romantic twists, love becomes the central theme as the characters navigate the complexities of relationships in this captivating story.
Click here for our review.
Date: 25 April – 24 August 2024. Location: Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London, SE1 9DT. Price: from £10 (standing). From £25 (seated). Book now.
The Dao of Unrepresentative British Chinese Experience

The Dao of Unrepresentative British Chinese Experience.
#FLODown: Daniel York Loh's explosive gig-theatre production delves into the stereotype of the 'model minority' often associated with being British Chinese. Through a blend of disruptive music, multimedia, and various performance styles, Daniel and collaborator An-Ting 安婷 guide audiences on a hilarious yet poignant journey. The show explores Daniel's personal struggles with drug addiction, his journey through rehabilitation, and his emergence onto the stage. With wit and depth, the production raises questions about identity, belonging, and the path to recovery, blending humour with touching moments of introspection and activism.
Date: 19 June – 13 July 2024. Location: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3N. Price: from £12. Book now.
Being Mr Wickham

Being Mr Wickham to open at the Jermyn Street Theatre.
#FLODown: Adrian Lukis, renowned for his role in BBC's Pride and Prejudice, presents Being Mr Wickham at Jermyn Street Theatre. Lukis stars as Mr Wickham in this one-man play, exploring the character's life thirty years after Austen's novel. Directed by Guy Unsworth and produced by Original Theatre, the production offers fresh insights into Wickham's relationships and encounters with historical events. With Lukis's talent and Original Theatre's reputation for excellence, Being Mr Wickham promises to be a delightful theatrical experience, inviting audiences to rediscover this beloved character.
Date: 5-22 June 2024. Location: Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6ST. Price: From £35. concessions available. Book now.
The Secret Garden

Secret Garden at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Photo by Veronica Reverse.
#FLODown: Regent's Park Open Air Theatre will present The Secret Garden, a new adaptation by Holly Robinson and Anna Himali Howard. This adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic tale follows 10-year-old Mary Lennox, who is sent from India to live with her uncle in Yorkshire. At Misselthwaite Manor, Mary discovers a neglected garden and, through her efforts to revive it and make new friends, she begins to heal herself and those around her. The cast includes Hannah Khalique-Brown as Mary Lennox and Jack Humphrey as Archibald Craven, among others.
Date: 15 June – 20 July 2024. Location: Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, The Regent's Park, Inner Cir, London NW1 4NU. Price: from £15. Book now.
The Taming of the Shrew

#FLODown: This summer, director Jude Christian makes her Globe Theatre debut with an inventive take on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, transforming the Globe into an absurd carnival. As audiences step inside, they encounter a vicious comedy where Lucentio vies for the hand of the beautiful Bianca, only to find himself entangled in a competition to tame Bianca's fiercely independent sister, Katherina. The larger-than-life Petruchio emerges as the front runner in this battle of wills, but with Katherina's pride at stake, it will require shocking levels of manipulation to secure her as his bride.
Date: 6 June - 26 October 2024. Location: Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT. Price: Galleries (Seating) £75-£25 seated, Standing £10, £5. Book now.
Pioneering choreographer Merce Cunningham’s work will “forever” be revered. The Van Cleef & Arpels Dance Reflections festival has brought two of his works back to life performed by the Lyon Opera Ballet at Sadlers’ Wells…
Born in 1937 in what is now West Bengal, Arpita Singh is one of India’s pioneering post-independence artists. Remembering marks her first institutional solo exhibition outside India, featuring key works from her prolific six-decade long career…
Tate Modern’s 25th anniversary will be marked with a free four-day celebration in May 2025, featuring art displays, live performances, music, workshops, and family activities….
There were two compelling reasons to attend this performance: the venue itself and the cutting-edge artist collective known as (LA) HORDE. Sadler’s Wells’ newest state-of-the-art venue is a welcome addition to Stratford, boasting rehearsal studios…
Gabriele Beveridge is known for her sculptural and conceptual practice that combines materials as diverse as hand-blown glass, photo chemicals, and found images…
The legacy company of the pioneering American choreographer Trisha Brown opened the Van Cleef & Arpels Dance Reflections Festival at Sadler’s Wells with a striking performance…
Design and Disability will showcase the radical contributions of Disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent designers, exploring accessibility, innovation, and identity through 170 objects spanning fashion, art, architecture, and technology…
Robyn Orlin is a South African dancer and choreographer born in Johannesburg. Nicknamed in South Africa "a permanent irritation", she is well known for reflecting the difficult and complex realities in her country. Robyn integrates different media into her work (text, video, plastic arts) to she investigates a certain theatrical reality which has enabled her to find her unique choreographic vocabulary…
Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles · The Flowers of Yves Saint Laurent · Collective Joy – Learning Flamboyance! · The People of the North · Corps et âmes · Louvre Couture: Art and Fashion—Statement Pieces · David Hockney 25 · Paris Noir · Olga de Amaral · Azzedine Alaïa / Thierry Mugler: 1980-1990 – Two Decades of Artistic Affinities
Katrina Palmer, an artist known for exploring materiality, absence, and dislocation, recently spoke to us following her year-long residency at the National Gallery about her exhibition The Touch Report…
The British Pavilion at the 2025 Architecture Biennale in Venice will explore the role of architecture in addressing the legacy of colonial geological extraction through innovative, earth-based repair practices in a UK-Kenya collaboration…
Lola Young at O2 Forum Kentish Town · British Pie Week · Romeo and Juliet at The Royal Opera House · Weather Girl at Soho Theatre · Czech Philharmonic with Sheku Kanneh-Mason · Jasmin Vardimon: NOW at Sadler’s Wells East · Mitsuko Uchida · Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2025 · Jorge Jobim: Fantastical Autonomy · Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300‒1350· Art After Dark…
Leigh Bowery (1961-1994) packed more into his brief life than most would manage in two lifetimes. He passed away from an AIDS-related illness in 1994, at the age of just 33….
For the first time in the UK, the Royal Academy of Arts will present an exhibition exploring the lasting influence of Vincent van Gogh on Anselm Kiefer Hon RA. Running from 28 June to 26 October 2025…
AllBright’s Step Forward Summit · Firebird & Friends with Savannah Hagendijk · Art Exhibitions Celebrating Female Artists · Art After Dark · Marylebone Village Celebrates Female Founders · International Women’s Day Dinner at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu · WOW at 15 with Angela Davis · Boxcar Bar & Grill x Sara Dongiovanni · International Women’s Day Art of Self-Connection Workshop…
Arments Pie and Mash · Holborn Dining Room at Rosewood London · The 411 · The Audley Public House · The Devonshire · St John · Three Cheers Pubs · The Georgian at Harrods · The Marksman · The Connaught Grill · Quo Vadis…
The British Council has announced that Lubaina Himid CBE RA will represent Great Britain at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2026…
Enej Gala is an artist who splits his time primarily between London and his hometown of Nova Gorica, Slovenia. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice and the Royal Academy Schools (2023), Gala first gained our attention with Neighbour’s Harvest, an installation that cleverly combined puppetry and conceptual art…
Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art (Goldsmiths CCA), located on the campus of Goldsmiths, University of London, has announced its exciting exhibition programme for 2025. From immersive digital worlds to poignant reflections on the female experience…
babirye bukilwa’s debut play is an unflinching expose of psychosis and manic depression, and the impact it can have on our relationships, love and identity…
Collect Art Fair · Flavour&Some X Control Room A · Highsnobiety’s Not In London · Paavo Järvi Conducts Stravinsky’s The Firebird · Young Barbican Takeover Festival 2025 · Winter Sculpture Park · Leigh Bowery! · Claudia Pagès Rabal · Ella Kruglyanskaya · Dada Khanyisa · The Arts Society…
Feel the Sound, a new multi-sensory exhibition opening at the Barbican Centre in May 2025, will feature 11 installations, including six new commissions, and a new club space in the Centre’s car park…
The timing of this exhibition could not be better. At the end of a long winter, and egging on London’s reluctant spring, the Saatchi Gallery brings us FLOWERS in full bloom…
Little Simz, one of the UK’s most innovative and celebrated artists, has been announced as the curator for the 30th edition of the Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival, set to take place in June 2025…
David Ottone is a Founding Member of Award-winning Spanish theatre company Yllana and has been the Artistic Director of the company since 1991. David has created and directed many theatrical productions which have been seen by more than two million spectators across 44 countries…
Darren Appiagyei is a London-based woodturner whose practice embraces the intrinsic beauty of wood, including its knots, cracks, bark, and grain. Highly inspired by Ghanaian wood carving, Darren explores raw textures and new woods in his work…
Huimin Zhang is an artist specialising in 22K gold, known for her innovative craftsmanship. She combines various cultural techniques, including filigree, engraving, and European gold and silver thread embroidery, to create unique works…
Photo London returns to Somerset House from 15-18 May 2025 to celebrate its tenth anniversary with a special edition that honours both London and its long-standing photographic traditions…
babirye bukilwa’s debut play is an unflinching expose of psychosis and manic depression, and the impact it can have on our relationships, love and identity…
Late at Tate: 80s Valentine’s Special · Valentine’s Day at the Natural History Museum · A Royal Valentine at the Queen’s House · St Valentine’s Day at the National Gallery · Twilight Tour at Sir John Soane’s Museum · Saatchi Lates: FLOWERS – Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture
