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Top 10 shows to see this Halloween

There’s a lot of scare-filled theatre this Halloween – here’s our top picks

Alice Fearns in Wicked
Alice Fearns in Wicked
© Matt Crockett

10. Wicked

Apollo Victoria Theatre, West End

There's only one witch ruling the roost in the West End, and she's down in the magical land of Oz. With a stellar cast and one of the most iconic soundtracks in recent memory, Wicked would certainly make for a fun Halloween treat. The cast now includes Sophie Evans and Alice Fearn (assuming the mantle of the woman in green).

See our interview with the most recent cast of Wicked, who spill their naughtiest secrets in front of the camera.


Elizabeth McCafferty's Jekyll
Elizabeth McCafferty's Jekyll
© Nobby Clark

9. Jekyll and Hyde

Ambassadors Theatre, West End

The National Youth Theatre brings a spooky twist on a classic to the Ambassadors Theatre with Evan Placey's Jekyll and Hyde. In some ways a sequel (with equally gory murders) and in other ways a complete departure from the original, this shocking play is brought into the West End just in time for Halloween. The show is directed by JMK Award-winner Roy Alexander Weise, who is also lined up to direct Nine Night at the National next year.

Read our review of Jekyll and Hyde here.


Catherine Steadman and Jack McMullen
Catherine Steadman and Jack McMullen
© Idil Sukan

8. Witness for the Prosecution

London County Hall, Westminster

There's been a murder, and now it's up to the audience to work out who the culprit is…Agatha Christie's classic novella-turned-play is a tense thriller based on a grisly death, here set inside the grand site-specific venue of London's County Hall. Audiences sit inside a genuine courtroom, hearing accounts of the death and pleas for the defence, all to determine whether or not the accused is sentenced to hang…

See the show's full casting announcement here.


The Soulless Ones
The Soulless Ones
© Hammer House

7. The Soulless Ones

Hoxton Hall, Hoxton

Hoxton Hall hosts a spooky immersive show entitled The Soulless Ones, courtesy of Hammer House, a film company dabbling in theatre. A vampiric masquerade takes a deadly turn as audience members are lured into a satanic and dangerous ritual, all within one of London's most decadent venues. As the show itself teases, don't dare go in alone – you may not make it back out again in one piece!


Tea Break Theatre in Dracula
Tea Break Theatre in Dracula
© John Wilson

6. Dracula

Sutton House, Homerton

Continuing the theme of vampires, Tea Break Theatre company present something equally spooky and immersive with their adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, within the National Trust site Sutton House, a Tudor house in Homerton. As is to be expected from Tea Break, this will be a visceral show that takes you way back in time, among the creaky floorboards and cobwebbed beams of an ageing house.


The cast of The Addams Family
The cast of The Addams Family
© Matt Martin

5. The Addams Family

UK Tour

The Addams Family is a kooky classic, with the original TV show and subsequent films becoming cult sensations for generations since the '70s. The whole clan, including the likes of Wednesday and Uncle Fester (played by Les Dennis), has been touring across the UK since May. The musical also has an all-star cast including Carrie Hope Fletcher, Samantha Womack and Cameron Blakeley.

Watch the cast of The Addams Family in rehearsals and singing a piece from the show.


Old Red Lion
Old Red Lion

4. London Horror Festival

The Old Red Lion Theatre

Why have one horror show when you can have a whole festival of them? That's what the Old Red Lion in Islington has been doing this month, as they host the London Horror Festival. Shows include a reworking of Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven, a few nights from the Underground Clown Club and a double-bill from comedian James Hamilton.


Hadley Fraser in Young Frankenstein
Hadley Fraser in Young Frankenstein

© Manuel Harlan

3. Young Frankenstein

Garrick Theatre, West End

The stage adaptation of Mel Brooks' legendary 1974 film opened to a raft of rave reviews last week, including the full five stars from WhatsOnStage. Hadley Fraser, Ross Noble and Summer Strallen star in the gag-stuffed musical, tracing the adventures of Frederick Frankenstein, Victor's grandson. Due to demand the show has just extended its booking through to September next year, but what better time to see it than Halloween…

See our interview with the cast of Young Frankenstein.


James Byng as 'The Actor' in The Woman in Black
James Byng as 'The Actor' in The Woman in Black
© Mark Douet

2. The Woman in Black

Fortune Theatre, West End

The Woman in Black has become a firm fixture in the West End, delighting and haunting audiences since 1989 at the Fortune Theatre. But this year the show has something extra special up its sleeve, having cut its interval thereby turning into a punchy one-act experience. For the uninitiated, the show sees the audience haunted by a floating, malevolent presence.


Adam Garcia, Ian McKellen and Jenny Seagrove
Adam Garcia, Ian McKellen and Jenny Seagrove
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

1. The Exorcist

Phoenix Theatre, West End

There couldn't be any other for number one could there? The reigning monarch of horror movies comes to the West End for the first time, with a cast including Adam Garcia and Jenny Seagrove. What is more, the show recently unveiled Ian McKellen as the voice of the demon in the production, infecting the body of a young girl.

See the Ian McKellen announcement here.

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