Stage shows to see in April 2025

This month, we’ve got invitations to the hottest party in town, a wedding, and the UK premiere of Sondheim’s final musical!

Theatre audiences are spoiled for choice as Moulin Rouge! begins can-canning across the country, Mischief return to the West End with a new show, and there’s even jousting on stage in a world premiere…

Here are our picks of new productions starting performances this month.

Midnight Cowboy

There’s a really impressive team behind this one, based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy. The book is by Bryony Lavery, while the music is by Francis ‘Eg’ White, who helped write songs such as Will Young’s “Leave Right Now”, James Morrison’s “You Give Me Something” and Adele’s “Chasing Pavements”, and Nick Winston directs!

Plays at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 4 April to 17 May

Only Human

Hit illusionist and mentalist Derren Brown returns with his 19th live show, Only Human. Naturally, details are being kept under wraps but he revealed: ‘Each show begins with a blank canvas and the question of what I could do with a thousand or more people locked in a room with me.’

Tour opens at the Swan Theatre, High Wycombe on 4 April

Muriel’s Wedding the Musical

There’s nothing terrible about this news! The much-loved Australian musical – which mixes original numbers with beloved ABBA hits – will receive its UK premiere at Curve in Leicester. Megan Ellis takes on the title role, while Annabel Marlow plays BFF Rhonda. The story follows an outsider who dreams of the perfect wedding but is stuck in a dead-end life in Porpoise Spit – until she moves to Sydney and discovers the importance of being true to oneself. Save the date and read our exclusive interview with the creative team.

Plays at Curve, Leicester from 10 April to 10 May

The Great Gatsby

The Tony Award-winning new musical has had the green light and is transferring to London. Based on F Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel about a self-made millionaire and his quest for the American Dream, it has an all-star cast, including Jamie Muscato, Frances Mayli McCann, Amber Davies, Rachel Tucker, Corbin Bleu, and many more!

Plays at the London Coliseum from 11 April until 7 September

A Knight’s Tale the Musical

Get your joust on – the world premiere of A Knight’s Tale will take place in Manchester this month. Based on the film, it follows a 14th-century peasant squire, William Thatcher, who breaks all the rules when he passes himself off as a nobleman in the hopes of becoming the world champion of jousting. The new comedy will feature chart-topping hits, to make for a fun knight, sorry, night, at the theatre. See how they’re doing the sport on stage, here!

Plays at Manchester Opera House from 11 April to 10 May

The Comedy About Spies

The Mischief gang are back and up to their old tricks! This brand-new show from the “Goes Wrong” pioneers looked fantastic when it appeared at the Royal Variety Show, and has already become a hot ticket. This one has been in the works for a very, very long time, but will see a number of the original Play That Goes Wrong team reunite.

Plays at the Noël Coward Theatre from 14 April

Krapp’s Last Tape

Gary Oldman will return to the stage where he started his professional acting career! Theatre Royal York is staging Samuel Beckett’s one-act solo play Krapp’s Last Tape as part of their spring season.

Plays at Theatre Royal York from 14 April to 17 May

My Master Builder

My Master Builder is a new play inspired by Ibsen, written by Lila Raicek and directed by the consistently enterprising Michael Grandage. It stars Ewan McGregor, returning to the UK stage for the first time in far, far too long. The play follows a couple whose marriage is upended after the husband’s former pupil returns – and exposes some truths that had hitherto remained buried.

Plays at Wyndham’s Theatre from 17 April to 12 July

Titus Andronicus

Max Webster’s revival in Stratford-upon-Avon stars Simon Russell Beale in the title role, alongside Emma Fielding as Marcia Andronicus, Natey Jones as Aaron the Moor, Wendy Kweh as Tamora and Letty Thomas as Lavinia.

Plays at the Swan Theatre from 17 April to 7 June

Here We Are

Stephen Sondheim’s final musical was first seen in New York in 2024, and it’s heading to the National Theatre this month. Inspired by two films – The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel – by Luis Buñuel, it follows a group of guests who find themselves unable to leave a dinner party. The company includes Tracie Bennett and Denis O’Hare (Tartuffe), who took part in the world premiere. They’ll also be joined by an all-star cast including (deep breath) Rory Kinnear, Chumisa Dornford-May, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Richard Fleeshman, Harry Hadden-Paton, Cameron Johnson, Jane Krakowski, Martha Plimpton and Paulo Szot.

Performances run in the National’s Lyttelton Theatre from 23 April to 28 June

Moulin Rouge!

The spectacular spectacular will be can can-ing across the nation on its first tour of the UK. Verity Thompson stars as the sparkling diamond Satine, with Nate Landskroner as Christian, and Cameron Blakely as Harold Zidler.

Opening first at the Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh from 25 April to 14 June 2025

Takeaway

Nathan Powell will oversee this world premiere, set in a Caribbean takeaway that sits right at the heart of an ever-changing Liverpool. Expect a larger-than-life, community-driven examination of what our modern cities look like. It’s very exciting to see what this one might be cooking up.

Plays at Liverpool Everyman from 26 April to 17 May