Six female-led shows to catch this September

6. Six

Arts Theatre, 30 August to 23 September, then UK tour – tickets here

We had to put Six at number six! After ruling the roost at the Edinburgh Fringe, the six queens of this historical pop musical are coming to London for a full-length run at the Arts Theatre in London. Reclaiming history from the clutches of Henry VIII has never been this exhilerating. Better yet, the show is then heading out on a UK tour.

5. Dust

Trafalgar Studios, 4 September to 13 October – tickets here

After a huge critical and audience reaction in Edinburgh and at the Soho Theatre, Milly Thomas' award-winning solo show Dust arrives at Trafalgar Studios, with direction by Sara Joyce. You can watch our interview with Thomas and Joyce above for a fantastic insight into the production.

4. Women in Power

NST City, 6 to 29 September

Aristophanes' The Assemblywomen, written in 392 BC, is reimagined as a major musical comedy at the NST City in September, with the likes of Wendy Cope, Jenny Éclair, Suhayala El-Bushra, Natalie Haynes, Shappi Khorsandi, Jess Phillips, and Brona C Titley contributing to the script. The show is said to feature "swearing, poo jokes and severe equality."

3. Wasted

Southwark Playhouse, 6 September to 6 October – tickets here

A brand new rock-documentary (rockumentary?) musical about the Brontë siblings has its premiere at Southwark Playhouse next month, featuring a crack cast of Natasha Barnes, Siobhan Athwal, Molly Lynch and Matthew Jacobs Morgan. Why have In The Heights when you can have Wuthering Heights?

2. Company

Gielgud Theatre, 26 September to 22 December – tickets here

Say goodbye to Bobby, say hello to Bobbi – Rosalie Craig steps into the lead role of this major revival of Sondheim's musical, with a reimagined titular part. A long-awaited West End event, Marianne Elliot's show looks set to rewrite the musical theatre rulebook. We can't wait, especially after hearing Craig's rendition of "Being Alive".

1. Sylvia

Old Vic, 3 to 22 September – tickets here

Sylvia Pankhurst (and the wider suffragette movement) are given the musical treatment in this epic new musical from Kate Prince. Featuring dance, hip hop, soul and funk and a raft of historical activism, we saw some of the show in rehearsals and it's looking epic.

Notable mentions

There are, of course, a variety of other shows also opening in September well-worth a mention – Unexpected Joy will run at Southwark Playhouse, the Shakespeare revisionist Queen Margaret at the Royal Exchange, an all-female Lord of the Flies up at Clwyd, The Lovely Bones out on tour and the eagerly anticipated Heathers West End transfer!