The best-reviewed new shows that have opened this year

With so many shows opening up and down the country, it can be tricky to know which one to pick.

While we can’t cover every single one (as much as we’d love to!), our dedicated team of critics does their very best to seek out theatrical treats for our readers.

So with that, we present a collection of the most praising reviews of the year so far! Please note, we’ve only included productions that are new to the UK, rather than returns or transfers.

Note: You can hit the titles to read each glowing review.

Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright

Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith‘s TV smash hit has repeated the same magic on stage. Described as “both a spin-off and a final hurrah,” our critic massively enjoyed seeing the duo on stage and called it “great, all-encompassing fun.” Luckily, there’s another chance to catch the show as it heads on a tour later this year.

Lovestuck

The new musical rom-com from the team behind My Dad Wrote A Porno has turned Stratford East upside down, with numbers that you will love getting conveniently stuck in your subconscious! We wonder if our critic, Alun Hood, is still “struggling to get the soppy grin off his face.”

Much Ado About Nothing

Critics all over the country were making much ado about Jamie Lloyd‘s revival. With Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell playing the central bickering lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, they covered Theatre Royal Drury Lane in pink confetti and filled it with a pop soundtrack. It was “simply sublime Shakespeare”!

The Parent Agency

Imagine you could pick your parents! That’s what happens to 11-year-old Barry Bennett in the stage adaptation of David Baddiel’s book. Dan Gillespie Sells has provided “a score that is consistently upbeat and joyful,” marking the world premiere as a “worthy addition to Chester Storyhouse’s growing roster of productions.”

Pig Heart Boy

One of the shows receiving the coveted five stars in 2025 was the stage adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s Pig Heart Boy. A piece of children’s theatre touring the UK, our critic defies “any older person not to get caught up in the surprisingly sophisticated storytelling, the cheeky humour, the vitality of the performances, and the potent emotional wallop the play delivers.”

Radiant Boy

Across its 100 minutes, “a dark and surprisingly intense investigation that peels back the layers of three damaged lives,” unfolds in Nancy Netherwood’s play. Sonny Waheed, our critic, raved about the ensemble cast, including Stuart Thompson and Renée Lamb, the set design, and anxiety-building direction, all together “creating an experience that lingers long after the lights come up.”

Richard II

In his return to the stage, Jonathan Bailey played a “vicious monarch” who impressed Sarah Crompton. Nicholas Hytner directed the history play, and it was “worth the wait,” with compelling staging and brave performances.

The Seagull

Another starry addition to the list is this year’s hot ticket – The Seagull with Cate Blanchett and co. A contemporary adaptation by Thomas Ostermeier and Duncan Macmillan saw characters vaping and swearing, rock songs, and microphones. Buzz words in the WhatsOnStage review included: “magnificent” and “superb”, while focusing on the unexpected humour that came with the whole thing.

Speed

“Powerful, hilarious and thought-provoking.” That’s what Rachel Agyekum said of Mohamed-Zain Dada’s world-premiere play, set in the basement of a Holiday Inn, where three strangers are summoned to attend a speed awareness course. It played at the Bush Theatre, but we’re hopeful it’ll be on the road somewhere soon.

Stereophonic

Described as “a music studio masterpiece” by Crompton, David Adjmi’s play has rocked into London off the back of breaking Tony Awards records. The long running time is no bother to our chief critic, who suggests that it makes the piece more immersive. She commented: “Of something being made as you watch and listen, means that Stereophonic gradually accrues significance.”

Titanique

The “joyously silly” Céline Dion jukebox musical sailed into the West End this year, and the original cast included WhatsOnStage Award winners Lauren Drew and Layton Williams, and our critic fully got on board – “it is impossible not to have a good time.”

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

A man, on impulse, sets out on a walk from South Devon to Berwick-upon-Tweed, and the famed story in musical form struck a chord with our chief critic when staged in the confined space of the Minerva in Chichester. The best part was the numbers, sung by an all-star cast including Mark Addy, Jenna Russell, WhatsOnStage Award winner Jack Wolfe, Sharon Rose and more.

Wild Rose

At the heart of this new musical is the aspirational story of Rose-Lynn Harlan (“played magnificently by Dawn Sievewright”), a Glasgow girl who’s down on her luck. Up in Edinburgh, our reviewer Simon Thompson noted that the music is centre stage with “the terrific eight-piece band onstage for the whole evening,” performing country classics. “A further life beyond this theatre seems inevitable,” he noted.