Top 5 theatre openings this week: 25 – 31 January
5. Wit – Royal Exchange, Manchester
You may know her as Hayley Cropper from Coronation Street, but Julie Hesmondhalgh is a damn fine stage actor to boot. Here she plays a professor of English struggling to cope with treatment for ovarian cancer. Margaret Edson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play premiered on Broadway in 2012 starring Cynthia Nixon.
26 January – 13 February 2016, Royal Exchange, Manchester. More information and tickets here.
4. The Mother – Tricycle Theatre
Last year the Kilburn venue played host to Florian Zeller's The Father, this year Zeller takes aim at The Mother. Following the widespread praise for the former, we probably don't need to sell this one to you, but if you need a reason to go, it stars the fabulous Gina McKee, enough said.
26 January – 5 March, Tricycle Theatre. More information and tickets here.
3. Escaped Alone – Royal Court
Linda Bassett, Kika Markham, Deborah Findlay and June Watson, four of the country's finest actors in a new play by one of our finest playwrights, Caryl Churchill. A victory not only for those who believe women are underrepresented in theatre, but for theatre fans in general.
28 January – 12 March, Royal Court. More information and tickets here.
2. The Master Builder – Old Vic
Old Vic artistic director Matthew Warchus directs David Hare's new adaptation of Ibsen's late masterpiece. The production stars Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes and whilst in recent years he's known for playing 'he who must not be named', we imagine the critics will be shouting his name from the rooftops after press night on Friday.
29 January – 19 February, Old Vic. More information and tickets here.
1. Iphigenia in Splott – Temporary Theatre, National
In his five star review from the play's run in Edinburgh last year, Matt Trueman praised the 'superb' Sophie Melville in Gary Owen's 'remarkable' monologue. Melville went on to scoop the Stage Award for Acting Excellence at the Fringe. A must see.
29 January – 20 February – Temporary Theatre, National. More information and tickets here.