Features

WOS100: The top 100 plays of all time!

Last month you told us your favourite plays and musicals of all time, in this article we announce who came out on top in the plays section

Ben Hewis

09 May 2014

For WOS100 we asked you to name your favourite musical and play of all time. Thousands of you voted and now, following on from Tuesday's announcement of the Top 100 Musicals of All Time, we take a look at the Top 100 Plays of All Time, starting by counting down your top 10.

Where did your favourite play end up? Let us know in the comments below.

10. Blithe Spirit

Angela Lansbury, Charles Edwards, Janie Dee and company in Blithe Spirit at the Gielgud — Angela Lansbury, Charles Edwards, Janie Dee and company in *Blithe Spirit* at the Gielgud
© Johan Persson

9. Jerusalem

Mark Rylance in Jerusalem at the Apollo Theatre — Mark Rylance in *Jerusalem* at the *Apollo Theatre*
© Simon Annand

8. The Woman in Black

Stuart Fox and Gwynfor Jones in The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre — Stuart Fox and Gwynfor Jones in *The Woman in Black* at the Fortune Theatre

7. Arcadia

Ed Stoppard, Dan Stevens and Samantha Bond in Arcadia at Duke of York's Theatre — Ed Stoppard, Dan Stevens and Samantha Bond in *Arcadia* at Duke of York's Theatre
© Catherine Ashmore

6. One Man, Two Guvnors

James Corden in the 2011 production of One Man, Two Guvnors at the Theatre Royal Haymarket — James Corden in the 2011 production of *One Man, Two Guvnors* at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
© Johan Persson

5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Luke Treadaway in the 2013 production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Apollo Theatre — Luke Treadaway in the 2013 production of *The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time* at the Apollo Theatre
© Brinkhoff/Moegenburg

4. Noises Off

Janie Dee, Jamie Glover, Celia Imrie and Jonathan Coy in the Old Vic Theatre production of Noises Off — Janie Dee, Jamie Glover, Celia Imrie and Jonathan Coy in the Old Vic Theatre production of *Noises Off*
© Tristram Kenton

3. Macbeth

Kenneth Branagh in the Manchester International Festival production of Macbeth — Kenneth Branagh in the Manchester International Festival production of *Macbeth*
© MIF

2. War Horse

War Horse at the New London Theatre — *War Horse* at the New London Theatre
© Simon Annand

1. Hamlet

David Tennant in the RSC production of Hamlet — David Tennant in the RSC production of *Hamlet*
© Alastair Muir

11-20

Anna Maxwell Martin and Simon Russell Beale in the National Theatre production of King Lear — Anna Maxwell Martin and Simon Russell Beale in the National Theatre production of *King Lear*

11. The History Boys
12. The 39 Steps
13. A Midsummer Night's Dream
14. The Mousetrap
15. All My Sons
16. Romeo and Juliet
17. King Lear
18. The Importance of Being Earnest
19. Othello
20. The Homecoming

21-30

Helen Mirren in The Audience at the Gielgud Theatre — Helen Mirren in *The Audience* at the Gielgud Theatre
© Johan Persson

21. A Streetcar Named Desire
22. Much Ado About Nothing
23. A Doll's House
24. Angels in America
25. Death of a Salesman
26. Equus
27. The Audience
28. The Crucible
29. Henry V
30. Amadeus

31-40

Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch in the National Theatre production of Frankenstein directed by Danny Boyle — Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch in the National Theatre production of *Frankenstein* directed by Danny Boyle
© Alastair Muir

31. Frankenstein
32. Coriolanus
33. Flare Path
34. An Inspector Calls
35. The Caretaker
36. Mojo
37. Private Lives
38. The Play That Goes Wrong
39. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
40. A View From the Bridge

41-50

Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart in Waiting for Godot at the Theatre Royal Haymarket — Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart in *Waiting for Godot* at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

41. Abigail's Party
42. Beautiful Thing
43. Betrayal
44. Waiting for Godot
45. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
46. The Madness of George III
47. Nicholas Nickleby
48. Bouncers
49. Pygmalion
50. Barking in Essex

51-60

Eddie Redmayne in the Donmar Warehouse production of Richard II — Eddie Redmayne in the Donmar Warehouse production of *Richard II*
© Johan Persson

51. Black Watch
52. Stones in His Pockets
53. Closer
54. Lovesong
55. Richard III
56. A Few Good Men
57. Brief Encounter
58. Taming of the Shrew
59. To Kill a Mockingbird
60. Richard II

61-70

The National Theatre of Scotland production of Let the Right One In at the Royal Court Theatre — The National Theatre of Scotland production of *Let the Right One In* at the Royal Court Theatre
© Alastair Muir

61. Let the Right One In
62. Chimerica
63. Boeing Boeing
64. Calendar Girls
65. August: Osage County
66. As You Like It
67. Festen
68. Hedda Gabler
69. Ghost Stories
70. No Man's Land

71-80

Robert Webb and Mark Heap in Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense at the Duke of York's Theatre — Robert Webb and Mark Heap in *Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense* at the Duke of York's Theatre
© Craig Sugden

71. Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense
72. The Cherry Orchard
73. Long Day's Journey into Night
74. Miss Julie
75. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
76. Steppin' Out
77. Rebecca
78. Relative Values
79. Our Boys
80. Journey's End

81-90

Daniel Radcliffe and Sarah Greene in the Michael Grandage production of The Cripple of Inishmaan at the Noel Coward Theatre — Daniel Radcliffe and Sarah Greene in the Michael Grandage production of *The Cripple of Inishmaan* at the Noel Coward Theatre
© Johan Persson

81. The Cripple of Inishmaan
82. Entertaining Mr Sloane
83. Constellations
84. The Glass Menagerie
85. Twelfth Night
86. The Amen Corner
87. Anthony & Cleopatra
88. The Pride
89. Enron
90. Three Sisters

91-100

The cast of Full Monty the Play at Noel Coward Theatre — The cast of *Full Monty the Play* at Noel Coward Theatre

91. The Full Monty
92. A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
93. Twelve Angry Men
94. When We Are Married
95. Yes Prime Minister
96. The Duck House
97. The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui
98. Death and the Maiden
99. The Lion in Winter
100. Accidental Death of an Anarchist