14 Broadway shows we need in the UK

We have a lot of Broadway blockbusters rocking the UK right now – such as Frozen, or, Moulin Rouge! (with Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, Jagged Little Pill and The Cher Show all on the way). But here are a load more that we'd love to see hitting UK shores… after all, we're an insatiable bunch, UK theatre audiences. What would make your must-see transfer list? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook.

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Slave Play

Jeremy O Harris' play has caused a stir since it started running on Broadway, with petitions to shut down the production sparking vocal opinions on all sides. Exploring interracial politics, sexual themes and more in a similar vein to Underground Railroad Game and An Octoroon, it is as uncomfortable as it is uncompromising: we're fascinated to see how British audiences would react to its themes.

Beetlejuice

Its opening on Broadway went down a storm, with stars Sophia Anne Caruso and Alex Brightman proving to be a recipe for success in this movie-turned-musical. We've heard word of a few West End stars making Atlantic trips to see the show in New York, so maybe it's only a matter of time before it arrives here – especially as it was heavily tipped in a recent Variety article.

Anastasia

It has now closed on Broadway, after opening on the Great White Way in March 2017 and running for 800-odd performances, so there's no chance to catch this if you're heading to New York anytime soon (though it is out on tour!). But with its very European tale – the story of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, who may or may not have escaped the execution of her family – it's a prime one for us.

The Prom

We may have no news about the show's arrival over in the UK, but you can watch it now on Netflix. It isn't based on a book, movie, TV show or anything else, offering a genuine, entirely original new musical, and we always need more of those!

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

London had a fabulous mini Dave Malloy moment in 2019, with Preludes and Ghost Quartet both giving audiences a taste of the composer's enchanting, ethereal work. But now we think it's high time for a massive staging of his mammoth take on War and Peace – Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. That, or we see a version of his eagerly anticipated Moby Dick, which was reportedly workshopped at the National a while back, featuring direction by Hadestown's Rachel Chavkin.

Next To Normal

It is almost impossible to understand why this Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, nominated for 11 Tony Awards, hasn't been seen in the UK. Since opening in 2008 it's been seen across the world and wowed audiences with its realistic, educated and thorough depiction of the nature of mental illness in the present day. We're sure it's only a matter of time until it's given a premiere somewhere, and until now we have a cracking cast recording to keep us going, featuring the dreamy voice of Aaron Tveit.

Mean Girls

It was happily drawing in the fans over in New York before it was closed – so it's high time London got a look-in too. Before the pandemic, producers had said that the musical was due for a trip over here, and we're still waiting for more news…

Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus

Nathan Lane was an absolute hoot when he starred in Marianne Elliott's revival of Angels in America, and we'd welcome him back to the UK in a heartbeat. Taylor Mac's (who recently caused a commotion at the Barbican) show, which starred Lane when it first ran on Broadway, is a twisted sequel to Shakespeare, and we'd be chuffed as houses to see it come to the UK.

A Doll's House, pt 2

A Doll's House is all well and good (the Lyric Hammersmith mounted an excellent reimagining of it earlier this year) but we'd be fascinated to see what British audiences make of this sequel, penned by Lucas Hnath, which picked up eight Tony Award nominations after first appearing in 2017. Laurie Metcalf won for her performance as Nora Helmer, and we're sure there are dozens of Brits ready to take on the role here.

The Band's Visit

This show, based on the Israeli film of the same name, has an extraordinary premise. It's the tale of what happens when a police orchestra accidentally gets sent to an isolated desert town, as opposed to the city of Petah Tikvah. It cleaned up at the Tony Awards in 2017, winning ten including Best Musical. We think it's unfair of Broadway to keep hold of it!

A Strange Loop

Okay, hear us out on this – it might not have opened on Broadway just yet but the Pulitzer Prize-winning piece is an absolute storm of a show (you can listen to the cast recording now) that explores the life of a queer black writer working front of house at The Lion King.

The Little Mermaid

We've had one bona fide Disney Broadway hit come in 2021 in the form of Frozen, but we'd love to go "Under the Sea" and have The Little Mermaid land upon our shores in the near future. With a live-action film in the works featuring new music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the unquenchable creative talents of Lin-Manuel Miranda, any savvy exec would know that timing a movie with a stage show might mean big bucks.

Special mentions

The Music Man with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster is already causing a hugh-ge sense of anticipation. Diane Paulus (Waitress) is directing a revival about the American Revolutionary War (another one!) called 1776, while James Lapine is overseeing a show about artists experimenting with LSD called Flying Over Sunset.