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Writer's pictureAll That Dazzles
Jul 30, 20236 min read

August Preview: 25 Of The Most Scorching Shows To See This Month

We are in the heart of summer now, and while August can be a bit of a strange month for theatre with everybody focusing on Edinburgh Festival Fringe, that’s not to say there isn’t some great theatre to enjoy in other parts of the UK with some great new shows and one off concerts taking place. Here are 25 of the hottest shows to see this month:

THE EFFECT (National Theatre)


1st August – 28th September

Jamie Lloyd returns to National Theatre to direct this funny and intimate examination of love and ethics. Starring Lucy Prebble, Paapa Essiedu, Taylor Russell, Michele Austin and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.


LA BAMBA! (Curve Leicester / Peacock Theatre)



1st – 5th August / 21st August – 2nd September


The world premiere of this explosive new musical features breath-taking choreography from Graziano Di Prima. Mixing Latin, R & B and timeless rock and pop, it tells the story of a young girl with a big voice, big dreams, and an even bigger heart. A story of passion and pride and the discovery that every journey starts with that first step.


I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE (Old Joint Stock)



2nd – 12th August

The second longest-running off-Broadway musical in history heads to Birmingham for a limited run. This hilarious and heartfelt musical tackles modern love in all its forms, tracing the overall arc of relationships throughout the course of a life.

STRANGER SINGS (Southwark Playhouse Borough)



3rd – 26th August

Following a sell out run at The Vaults, this spoof of the wildly popular Netflix series Stranger Things features pop culture references, dancing demogorgons and even the odd puppet. Turning what you thought you knew about the show upside down, it is guaranteed to raise a smile whether you love the original show or not.

ANGRY SALMON (Bridewell Theatre)



4th – 6th August

This brand new British musical is a funny, imaginative and tongue-in-cheek show about a salmon farm escaping the clutches of their corporate captors. Inspired by true stories of the eco-crisis gripping our oceans and planet, it is full of hilarity, heart and unforgettable tunes


ALONE TOGETHER (Theatre Royal Windsor)


4th – 19th August

This new comedy by Simon Williams asks in a world where you can be anyone online, can you really escape reality? Driven by the loneliness of a dismal marriage to Colin, Angela finds comfort in a chance meeting with Jonty, a young novelist. Each have secrets to protect and pasts to work through, was it really a chance encounter?


THE VERGE OF FOREVER (The Other Palace)



8th – 20th August

This exciting new song cycle from Olly Novello pays homage to the difficult lives of

aspiring musical theatre performers. The show follows the world of Leo and Marie

- thespian teenagers who balance drama school auditions against their relationship.


THE GARDEN OF WORDS (Park Theatre)



10th August – 9th September


The world premiere stage adaptation of the stereotype-defying Anime and novel by world-renowned Japanese filmmaker, Makoto Shinkai.



NEXT TO NORMAL (Donmar Warehouse)


14th August – 7th October


The critically acclaimed Broadway musical is an intimate exploration of family and loss, and finally receives its UK premiere. With a cast including Caissie Lecy and Trevor Dion Nicholas, this is a show many musical fans have been waiting for to come here for a long time.


CHRISTINA BIANCO: DIVA ON DEMAND (Crazy Coqs)



14th August


On a night off from her role in The Wizard of Oz, Christina brings her unique show to London where the setlist and guestlist are up to the audience. Expect some of her popular impressions and unlikely imterpretations.


A MIRROR (Almeida Theatre)


15th August – 23rd September


Sam Holcroft’s new play interrogates censorship, authorship and free speech. Starring Jonny Lee Miller, Tanya Reynolds and Micheal Ward.


Tickets from https://almeida.co.uk


THE BOY WHO SAILED THE OCEAN IN AN ARMCHAIR (Curve Leicester)



16th - 19th August


The winner of NYMT’s 20222 new writing competition, Jordan Li-Smith’s debut musical as a writer and composer is adapted from Lara Williamson’s hit novel. It tells the story of Becket, whose life is turned upside down when he, his brother and his Dad are running away from home in the middle of the night, leaving behind their almost-mum Pearl without saying goodbye.



DUMBLEDORE IS SO GAY (Southwark Playhouse Borough)



16th August – 23rd September


The winner of the VAULT Festival Origins Award returns to London. A nostalgia-fuelled homage to Harry Potter, coming out and coming of age in the early 2000s.



FAKING BAD – THE UNAUTHORISED PARODY METHSICAL (The Turbine Theatre)



17th August – 23rd September


This all singing, all dancing methsical contains a ridiculous array of musical styles and theatrical tropes to speed through 62 hours of television in under 90 minutes



THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO (Criterion Theatre)


17th August – 19th September


After wowing audiences around the UK, this new play from Ian Hallard and directed by Mark Gatiss hits the West End for four weeks. Telling the story of two school friends who decide to form the world’s first ABBA tribute band in drag.


MACBETH (Royal Shakespeare Theatre)



19th August – 14th October


Reuben Joseph and Valene Kane will play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth joined by a cast of Scottish actors in this new production of Shakespeare’s classic.


IN CLAY: A NEW MUSICAL IN CONCERT (The Other Palace)



21st August


Following a well received debut as part of VAULT Festival, the next outing for this exciting new musical will be an all star concert production for one night only. Written by Jack Miles and Rebecca Simmonds, it tells the story of Marie-Berthe Cazin, a ceramist in her early 40s who reflects on the great joys and sorrows of a life devoted to making art.


DEATH NOTE (London Palladium)



21st – 22nd August

The English language and European premiere of this acclaimed show has a cast including Frances Mayli McCann, Joaquin Pedro Valdes and Adam Pascal. It tells the story of Light Yagami who comes across a discarded notebook owned by Ryuk, a mythological god of death and discovers he can kill anyone by just writing their names in the supernatural notebook.


LOVE NEVER DIES (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)



21st – 22nd August


Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom sequel returns to London in a new concert production with a cast including Norm Lewis, Christine Schoenmaker and Matthew Seadon-Young.


CANDY (Park Theatre)



22nd August – 9th September


A comedy about identity and toxic masculinity starring Michael Waller as Will, a man who falls in love with a beautiful singer… who just so happens to be his best friend in drag.


EVE: ALL ABOUT HER (Soho Theatre)



24th – 26th August


A hypnotising mash-up of queer mythology for the post-Stonewall generation, this show is a fever dream of ambition, fury, fire and song, born from a fascination with the 1950 Joseph L. Mankiewicz movie ‘All About Eve’.


MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (Southwark Playhouse Elephant)



24th – 26th August


Stephen Sondheim’s classic returns to London for 3 days only as National Youth Music Theatre present their production, sponsored by the Stephen Sondheim Society


I WISH MY LIFE WERE LIKE A MUSICAL (Wilton's Music Hall)



29th August - 9th September


This comedic musical revue reveals everything you could want to know about musical theatre, and the people who love it – on both sides of the curtain!



CALENDAR GIRLS MUSICAL (UK Tour)



From 30th August


Gary Barlow and Tom Frith’s musical returns in a new tour, kicking off performances at Theatre Royal Windsor. The cast includes Maureen Nolan, Lyn Paul and Marti Webb.


PRIVATE LIVES (Ambassadors Theatre)



31st August – 25th November


Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge star in the second production of Noël Coward’s classic to be seen in London this year, marking the 5oth anniversary of his death.



There’s plenty to keep us all entertained and out of the summer sun (if we get any) this month. Let me know what you’re planning to see this month in the comments or on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Threads.


As always, for any inclusions in the September or any future previews, send me a message or email and I’ll always try to include as many as possible.


See you at the theatre!

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