Summer has finished and while we typically faced a drought of new theatre, September is sure to make up for that with a bumper load of new shows opening in the West End and around the UK. It's been hard to narrow them down as we are spoiled for choice this month but here are 30 shows I am most excited for opening in September:
KINKY BOOTS (New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich/Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch)
September 1st - October 22nd
The regional premiere of the award winning musical returns to the UK in this new production directed by Tim Jackson. Kicking off in Ipswich from September 1st - 24th, it then moves to Hornchurch from September 28th. Tickets from www.wolseytheatre.co.uk and www.queens-theatre.co.uk
SILENCE (Donmar Warehouse)
September 1st - 17th
A new play adapted from Kavita Puri’s Partition Voices: Untold British Stories, it marks 75 years since the partition of India. Tickets from donmarwarehouse.com
REHAB (Playground Theatre)
September 1st - 17th
Keith Allen, Jonny Labey, Gloria Onitiri and John Barr star in this new British musical. A rock-bottom-to-redemption journey of the soul filled with thumpingly memorable songs. Tickets from www.theplaygroundtheatre.london
MRS DOUBTFIRE (Manchester Opera House)
September 2nd - October 1st
Helloooooo Manchester. The musical adaptation of the classic debuts in the UK following a far too short Broadway run. Starring Gabriel Vick, don't be surprised if a West End run follows. Tickets from www.mrsdoubtfiremusical.co.uk
ANTIGONE (Open Air Theatre)
September 3rd - September 24th
A contemporary retelling of Sophocles’s epic story by Inua Ellams, this closes the 90th anniversay season at Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. Tickets from openairtheatre.com
JOHN OWEN-JONES (UK Tour)
September 4th, 11th & 18th
The legendary star of Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables plays a short UK tour over the course of three Sundays, playing headline shows in Lancashire and Leeds before returning to his former home of Her Majesty's Theatre. If you ask him nicely, he might even sing 'Bring Him Home'. Tickets from www.cuffeandtaylor.com
HELP! WE ARE STILL ALIVE (Seven Dials Playhouse)
September 5th - October 15th
Elijah Ferreira and Jade Johnson star in the world premiere of this hilarious, gig-style queer, comedy musical about keeping the romance alive when everything else is dead as a doornail. Tickets from www.sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk
THE CHERRY ORCHARD (The Yard Theatre)
September 5th -October 22nd
Vinay Patel reimagines Chekhov’s bittersweet play for 2022 and beyond, in a world premiere production directed by James Macdonald. Tickets from https://theyardtheatre.co.uk/
EUREKA DAY (Old Vic)
September 6th - October 31st
Kirsten Foster, Mark McKinney, Ben Schnetzer and Susan Kelechi Watson join Academy, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Helen Hunt in this sature on the quest for consenus. Set against the backdrop of a mumps outbreak at a progressive private elementary school in California in 2017, it asks the central question of ‘to vaccinate’ or ‘not to vaccinate’. Tickets from oldvictheatre.com
WALKING WITH GHOSTS (Apollo Theatre)
September 6th - 17th
Master storyteller and Hollywood star Gabriel Byrne will make his West End debut in his acclaimed solo show adapted from his best-selling memoir. In London for just 2 weeks before heading to America, tickets from www.withghosts.co.uk
WHO KILLED MY FATHER (Young Vic)
September 7th - 24th
This UK premiere is adapted and directed by the award-winning Ivo van Hove from the anger-soaked, internationally acclaimed book by Édouard Louis. Tickets from https://www.youngvic.org
THE SNAIL HOUSE (Hampstead Theatre)
September 7th - October 15th
Written and directed by Richard Eyre, this world premiere sees a government medical advisor who became familiar to millions during the pandemic having a lavish birthday party where his family are at eachothers throats. Tickets from https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com
THE FEELING (Union Theatre)
September 8th - 17th
This dark comedy drama play sees 8 friends embark on a journey through alcoholism, co-dependency, love, lust, manipulation, lies, murder and betrayal of the worst kind. Tickets from http://uniontheatre.biz/show/the-feeling/
HANDBAGGED (Kiln Theatre)
September 9th - October 22nd
Indhu Rubasingham directs the timely return of Moira Buffini’s wickedly funny hit-comedy that imagines what the world’s most powerful women Margaret Thatcher and Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II, talked about behind closed palace doors. Tickets from www.KilnTheatre.com
THE COLOR PURPLE (UK Tour)
September 13th - November 5th
Curve Leicester and Birmingham Hippodromes co-production of this classic kicks off a UK tour in Birmingham before heading to Plymouth, Northampton, Salford, Cardiff, Southampton and Norwich. Starring Me’sha Bryan, Bree Smith, Aaliyah Zhané and Ahmed Hamad, tickets from www.birminghamhippodrome.com
THE CRUCIBLE (National Theatre)
September 14th - November 5th
A gripping parable of power and its abuse, this urgent new staging of Arthur Millers play stars Brendan Cowell and Erin Doherty. Tickets from nationaltheatre.org.uk
THE PRINCE (Southwark Playhouse)
September 15th – October 8th
Abigail Thorn writes and stars in this fascinating and insightful exploration of identity. Tickets from www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-large/the-prince
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
September 16th - October 15th
Anthony Neilson’s poignant and comical delve into the nature of mental illness stars Leah Harvey and asks What would you do if you lost an hour from your day? How far would you go to rescue what you’ve lost? Tickets from www.stratfordeast.com
THE BOOK THIEF (Bolton Octagon)
September 17th - October 15th
The world premiere of the musical adaptation of this beloved novel follows courageous young orphan Liesel as she enters a dangerous game of book thievery in 1930s Nazi-Germany. Tickets from https://octagonbolton.co.uk/
BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY (National Theatre)
September 20th - November 5th
Lynette Linton directs this extraordinary play by Pearl Cleage, set during the Harlem Renaissance. With a cast including , Giles Terera and Orange Is The New Black star Samira Wiley, tickets from https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/blues-for-an-alabama-sky
NOISES OFF (UK Tour)
September 21st - October 29th
The 40th anniversary production of this classic farce stars Felicity Kendal, Matthew Kelly and Tracy-Ann Oberman. Kicking off at Theatre Royal Bath on September 21st, it then heads to Richmond, Brighton and Cambridge. Tickets from theatreroyal.org.uk
THE UPSTART CROW (Apollo Theatre)
September 23rd - December 3rd
Following a short lived West End run in February 2020 (Need I say more?) David Mitchells stage version of the BBC comedy returns for a limited 10 week run. Written by Ben Elton, David will don the bald wig as he channels Shakespeare. Tickets from UpstartCrowTheComedy.com
THE BAND'S VISIT (Donmar Warehouse)
September 24th - December 3rd
The multi-Tony award winning musical from David Yazbek and Itamar Moses’ makes its European premiere. Tickets from donmarwarehouse.com
JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN (Bridge Theatre)
September 24th - November 26th
Simon Russell Beale plays the title role in this new version of Henrik Ibsens classic by Lucinda Coxon. Tickets from www.bridgetheatre.co.uk
THE COMMITMENTS (UK Tour)
From September 24th
After being delayed a number of years, the new production of Roddy Doyles musical kicks off a 9 month tour in Bromley. Starring Nigel Pivaro as 'Da', tickets from https://thecommitmentsontour.co.uk/tour/
AUDRA McDONALD (London Palladium)
September 25th
The Emmy, Grammy and six-time Tony Award winning Broadway sensation will be joined by the forty-piece London Musical Theatre Orchestra to sing The Great American Songbook and Broadway’s greatest hits. Tickets from www.audra-london.com
IPHIGENIA IN SPLOTT (Lyric Hammersmith)
September 26th - October 22nd
The heart-wrenching story of Effie, a young, unemployed woman living in Splott, an area of Cardiff decimated by years of austerity sees Sophie Melville reprise the role she has already won awards for. Tickets from www.lyric.co.uk
THE DOCTOR (Duke of York's Theatre)
September 29th - December 11th
The sell-out Almeida production of Robert Ickes play heads to the West End following a short UK tour. Starring Juliet Stevenson, you can also catch it in Brighton, Bath and Richmond. Tickets from www.thedoctorwestend.co.uk
THE TIME TRAVELLER'S WIFE (Storyhouse Chester)
September 30th - October 15th
David Hunter and Joanna Woodward star in this world premiere musical adaptation of the novel from Audrey Niffenegger. With music from Dave Stewart and Joss Stone, this plays a limited engagement of 2 weeks before a planned West End run. Tickets from https://www.storyhouse.com/event/the-time-travellers-wife.
GOOD LUCK, STUDIO (UK Tour)
September 30th - November 12th
Mercury and Wiltshire Creative present the world premiere of this dark comedy from Mischief. Kicking off at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester, it then heads to Salisbury and Guildford. Tickets from www.goodluckstudio.co.uk
Looks like September is going to be a fantastic month for theatre. Look out for reviews from me for a lot of these throughout the month.
If you have or know of any shows opening in October, feel free to contact me on any of my socials or send me an email before September 19th to get them included in the next preview.
Let me know in the comments, on twitter or instagram what you're looking forward to seeing this month - and hopefully see you in the theatre.