Which stage shows are in rehearsals in June 2024?

The Baker’s Wife

A stellar cast (including Lucie Jones, Clive Rowe, Finty Williams and Liam Tamne, among others) is currently in rehearsals for the first major UK revival of Stephen Schwartz and Joseph Stein’s cult classic The Baker’s Wife since its 1989 West End premiere. Set in a provincial French village, where the arrival of a new Baker and his younger wife turns it upside down, the musical is based on the 1938 French film La Femme du Boulanger. Performances begin at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London on 6 July

Barnum

The Watermill is currently rehearsing its summer offering – a brand-new revival of Cy Coleman, Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble’s 1980 musical Barnum, telling the story of PT Barnum and showcasing a plethora of actor-musician and circus performers. Director Jonathan O’Boyle and choreographer Oti Mabuse’s staging will utilise both the auditorium and the gardens of the venue, which previously proved a great success with the WhatsOnStage Award-winning production of The Lord of the Rings. Performances begin at the Watermill Theatre in Bagnor on 2 July.

Chariots of Fire

Kicking off artistic director Robert Hastie’s final season at Sheffield Theatres will be a new production of Mike Bartlett’s Chariots of Fire. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Paris Olympics and showcasing the true story of two athletes and their support for each other’s beliefs, Hastie is set to direct the show himself. Performances begin at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on 6 July.

The Constituent

Anna Maxwell Martin (Line of Duty) and James Corden (One Man, Two Guvnors) are currently in rehearsals for the world premiere of The Constituent. Joe Penhall’s play, directed by Matthew Warchus, is set in a local MP’s office, where a hard-working opposition backbencher is tested by the demands of an ex-serviceman in crisis. Performances begin at the Old Vic in London on 13 June.

The Devil Wears Prada

Gird those loins, folks, because the UK premiere cast are now in rehearsals for The Devil Wears Prada with director-choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots). Featuring a score by Elton John (Billy Elliot) and Shaina Taub (Suffs) and starring Vanessa Williams, Matt Henry, Georgie Buckland and Amy Di Bartolomeo, the musical is based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel and the much-loved 2006 movie. It follows a young woman who embarks on a career at a fashion magazine, where she encounters the fearsome editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly. Performances begin at Theatre Royal Plymouth on 6 July ahead of a West End run at the Dominion Theatre from 24 October.

Hello, Dolly!

Well, hello… Imelda! WhatsOnStage Award winner Imelda Staunton (Gypsy) is currently in rehearsals with director Dominic Cooke (Follies) and the entire West End cast of Hello, Dolly!. Staunton will be appearing opposite such stagey names as Andy Nyman (Fiddler on the Roof), Jenna Russell (Flowers for Mrs Harris), Tyrone Huntley (Jesus Christ Superstar), Harry Hepple (Follies) and Emily Lane (Frozen) in this new production of the classic Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart musical which revolves around everyone’s favourite matchmaker, Dolly Levi. Performances begin at The London Palladium on 6 July.

Next to Normal

Following great acclaim during its UK premiere staging at the Donmar Warehouse last summer, Next to Normal is now in rehearsals for its West End transfer. Jack Wolfe (Shadow and Bone) is set to reprise his WhatsOnStage Award-winning performance alongside his fellow cast mates: Caissie Levy (Frozen), Trevor Dion Nicholas (Hamilton), Jack Ofrecio (From Here to Eternity), Jamie Parker (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Eleanor Worthington-Cox (The Secret Life of Bees). The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey follows a mother struggling with bipolar disorder. Performances begin at Wyndham’s Theatre in London on 18 June.

Oliver!

Please sir, I want some more… More of Lionel Bart’s iconic 1960 musical Oliver!, that is! Director-choreographer Matthew Bourne (Mary Poppins) is currently in rehearsals with an enormous (and enormously talented) cast for the long-awaited return of the hit show, based on Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. The Cameron Mackintosh revival is set to grace stages in both Chichester and London. Performances begin at Chichester Festival Theatre on 8 July ahead of a West End run at the Gielgud Theatre from 14 December.

Slave Play

Jeremy O Harris’ drama received 12 Tony Award nominations following its 2019 Broadway premiere and now a new cast find themselves in rehearsals to present the three-act play about race, interracial relationships, sexual role-playing, power and trauma on this side of the pond. Director Robert O’Hara reunites with original cast members James Cusati-Moyer, Chalia La Tour, Annie McNamara, and Irene Sofia Lucio alongside new additions Fisayo Akinade, Kit Harington, Aaron Heffernan and Olivia Washington for the UK premiere. Performances begin at the Noël Coward Theatre in London on 29 June.

Your Lie in April

The West End cast of Your Lie in April is currently in rehearsals for the manga musical’s first, fully-staged run in the UK, following three concert stagings at Theatre Royal Drury Lane last April. The show follows a young piano prodigy, who is unable to perform after his mother’s death until he strikes a friendship with a talented violinist and Nick Winston (Bonnie and Clyde) is once again in the director and choreographer’s chair. Performances begin at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London on 28 June.

Tickets for select productions are on sale below.