5 reasons to be very excited about The Inheritance in the West End

Matthew Lopez's The Inheritance has its opening this month and, in case you didn't notice, we're pretty excited about seeing the show in the West End. So excited in fact that we've got five reasons why this really is an unmissable piece of theatre.

1. The story's pretty stellar

Spanning generations, time periods and characters (with a big dose of EM Forster's Howards End), The Inheritance is the sort of huge, all-encompassing drama that you can immerse yourself in and leave having had a satisfying theatre fix. The story largely follows a group of New York gay men in the aftermath of the AIDs epidemic, reflecting on their history and how their lives differ from those who came before. Past and present in riveting clarity – what more do you need in the West End?

2. The cast is a mix of British and Broadway greats

British legend Vanessa Redgrave (of the famous acting dynasty) may only have a small cameo, but she's the toast of theatre on both sides of the Atlantic. She appears alongside the likes of Tony Award-winner John Benjamin Hickey and British TV star Kyle Soller (Poldark). This is a cast to be reckoned with.

3. It's been called the Angels in America of our generation

With its decade-spanning exploration of homosexuality and identity in the midst of New York, it's hard not to make comparisons to Tony Kushner's epic fantasia Angels in America (which is also a big two-parter). If The Inheritance really is going to be as big as that show ended up becoming, then you definitely want to be in on the ground floor!

4. The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive

The Inheritance started life at the Young Vic, where, it's fair to say, it was met with nothing short of rave reviews. Fours and five-stars littered the outside of the south London venue and, to quote WhatsOnStage's critic Holly Williams, "The Inheritance sweeps you up completely. You root for these characters as individuals, but their stories interlock with each other – and with the past – to form something like an embrace. It feels all-enveloping and deeply generous." We couldn't put it better ourselves!

5. Epic shows are all the rage right now

Close to seven hours in the theatre sounds like too much? Well at the moment it might just mean a sign of true quality. With shows like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Angels in America, Imperium or even Wolf Hall / Bring up the Bodies all with over half a dozen hours of stage time, lengthier plays are the talk of the town. So why not get in on the action with this one? For a limited time if you book with WhatsOnStage you can also save up to £30 when you get tickets for both parts at the same time, which is a pretty neat saving. Terms and conditions apply but now there's definitely no reason not to!