August Preview: The Best Shows To Check Out This Month
- All That Dazzles
- Jul 30
- 7 min read
August is upon us, and as a lot of attention goes to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, there is still plenty of new shows opening in London and all over the UK. Here are some of my top picks for the month:
EVERY BRILLIANT THING (@SohoPlace)
1st August - 8th November
This wildly, popular one-person play debuts in the West End, performed by five exceptional actors. Kicking off with Lenny Henry, followed by co-creator Jonny Donahoe, Ambika Mod, Sue Perkins and Minnie Driver.
THE BADDIES (Cadogan Hall)
1st - 24th August
The brand new stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s 2022 story takes over Cadogan Hall to entertain the kids while they are off school.
Tickets from www.thebaddieslive.com
GREASE: THE IMMERSIVE MOVIE MUSICAL (Battersea Park)
1st August - 7th September
For six weeks only, experience the classic movie like you’ve never seen it before, with Battersea Park transformed into Rydell High. Rub shoulders with the cast as the film plays around you in what promises to be the biggest immersive event in London this summer.
ANNE BOLEYN THE MUSICAL (Hever Castle)
2nd - 30th August
This world premiere debuts in Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, telling her captivating story at the very place where her journey begun.
Tickets from https://tickets.historalia.co.uk/anne-boleyn
BRIGADOON (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)
2nd August - 20th September
Not seen in London for over 35 years, this major new production of Lerner & Loewe’s classic musical brings the Scottish Highlands to Regent’s Park, using their magical outdoor setting.
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (The Other Place)
4th - 31st August
Featuring a talented cast of actor-musicians and a charming furry companion, this show brings a fresh and heartwarming take on the ultimate love triangle.
Tickets from www.rsc.org.uk
PEAKY BLINDERS: THE REDEMPTION OF THOMAS SHELBY (Sadler’s Wells)
5th - 16th August
Following a successful 2024 season, Rambert bring their Peaky Blinders stage adaptation to London for a run of their exhilarating and intoxicating production.
Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/dance/peaky-blinders-the-redemption-of-thomas-shelby-tickets
BE MORE CHILL (Old Joint Stock)
6th - 31st August
The Broadway and West End smash arrives in Birmingham for a new production starring Tom Dickerson and Maya Jade Frank.
Tickets from https://www.designmynight.com/birmingham/pubs/city-centre/the-old-joint-stock-theatre/be-more-chill-the-musical
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (Harold Pinter Theatre)
6th August - 6th September
After touring around the UK, this critically acclaimed production transfers to the West End, with Martin Shaw starring as Sir Thomas More in this play on the greatest, most powerful and dangerous figures who shaped English history.
Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/a-man-for-all-seasons-london-tickets
2:22 A GHOST STORY (UK Tour)
7th August - 4th July 2026
Real-life couple Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton star as Jenny and Sam in the latest tour of Danny Robin’s unstoppable play. Kicking off in Manchester, the pair will tour the production until 29th November, when another cast will step in for the remaining dates.
Dates and tickets from 222aghoststory.com/uk-tour-tickets/
SH!T-FACED SHAKESPEARE: HAMLET (Leicester Square Theatre)
7th August - 21st September
With a genuinely inebriated cast member each night, no two shows are ever the same as the company celebrate their 15th anniversary by taking on one of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies.
Tickets from https://www.shitfacedshows.com/hamlet
TWELFTH NIGHT, OR WHAT YOU WILL (Shakespeare’s Globe)
8th August - 25th October
Prepare to have your world turned upside down as Shakespeare’s dizzying tragicomedy sweeps into the Globe Theatre in an intoxicating whirlwind this summer.
JACK MILES & FRIENDS (The Actor’s Church)
9th August
The OFFIE award-winning composer/lyricist presents a night of brand new musical theatre with guests Rosalind Ford, Morgan Gregory, Molly Lynch and Harry Morrison.
Tickets from https://actorschurch.org/whatson/jack-miles/
THE GATHERED LEAVES (Park Theatre)
13th August - 20th September
A moving, poignant and funny family drama that sees the weight of history, of reputation, and of expectation, all descend on one family over Easter weekend in 1997.
BORN WITH TEETH (Wyndham’s Theatre)
13th August - 1st November
Marking its West End premiere, Daniel Evans directs Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel in a thrilling imagining of the relationship between two literary icons as Kit Marlowe and Will Shakespeare square off in a game of wits, words and powerplay.
FAT HAM (The Swan)
15th August - 13th September
The European premiere of James Ijames Pulitzer Prize-winning play opens at Stratford-upon-Avon in a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy.
Tickets from www.rsc.org.uk
THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL (UK Tour)
15th August - 1st November
Following a London run the musical adaptation of the beloved book series stars Vasco Emaz as the teenager who discovers he is the half-blood son of the GReek God, Poseidon.
Dates and tickets at https://percyjacksonmusical.com/
JUNIPER BLOOD (Donmar Warehouse)
16th August - 4th October
The world premiere of the new play by Mike Bartlett explores the true cost of pursuing ideals in an imperfect world.
Tickets from www.donmarwarehouse.com
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (Prince Edward Theatre)
17th & 24th August
The professional premiere of the Disney classic in London takes over the West End theatre for three performances only on two consecutive Sundays, featuring music and lyrics from the 1996 animated film.
Tickets from www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk
MAKE ME FEEL (Bush Theatre)
19th - 23rd August
The Bush Young Company present this rapid and riotous exploration of how young people find connection, directed by Katie Greenall.
Tickets from www.bushtheatre.org.uk
A MANCHESTER ANTHEM (Riverside Studios)
19th August - 13th September
Following successful sell-out seasons at Edinburgh and VAULT Festival in 2023, Nick Dawkins’ play enjoys a London run with humour, heart and a night out to remember.
THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE (Sadler’s Wells)
20th August - 7th September
Returning to London for a summer season, this stunning show coincides with the 75th anniversary of the publication of C.S. Lewis’ novel, starring Katy Stephens as The White WItch.
Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe-london-tickets
THE ANIMATOR (Southwark Playhouse)
20th - 30th August
Step into the captivating world of Lotte Reiniger, the visionary who created the very first feature-length animation film as this production brings to life this intrepid inventor and her eccentric team.
81 (LIFE) (Almeida Theatre)
21st - 23rd August
Part poem, part game-show and part play, with original music by Alev Lenz, 60 strangers gather at a parl at sunset not knowing why they are there or who invited them.
Tickets from www.almeida.co.uk
TWO (Greenwich Theatre)
21st August - 12th September
Performed by two actors playing all 14 characters, Jim Cartwright’s poignant play takes audiences into the world of one working-class pub over the course of one night.
Tickets from https://greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/two/
INTERVIEW (Riverside Studios)
23rd August - 27th September
Tony Award winner Robert Sean Leonard and Paten Hughes star in the world premiere of this seductive 2-handed psychological thriller about truth, persona, and gender power.
Tickets from www.interviewplayonstage.com
THE PITCHFORK DISNEY (King’s Head Theatre)
27th August - 4th October
Darkly comic and deeply unsettling, Philip Ridley’s seminal masterpiece follows the relationship of two siblings and an encounter they have with an unexpected visitor.
THE TRIALS (Southwark Playhouse Borough)
28th - 30th August
A jury of young people sit in judgement of the older generation for failing to deal with the catastrophe of climate change, deciding who should be punished for not having taken action sooner.
INSPECTOR MORSE: HOUSE OF GHOSTS (UK Tour)
28th August - 11th April 2026
Tom Chambers stars as the iconic detective in the first-ever original stage play in the Morse franchise, kicking off a major UK tour at Birmingham Rep.
Dates and tickets at www.inspectormorseonstage.com
EIREANN BY A TASTE OF IRELAND (Peacock Theatre)
28th - 31st August
This bold new evolution is a reimagined performance that blends tradition with innovation, performed by a cast of world-class dancers.
DEAF REPUBLIC (Royal Court)
29th August - 13th September
The world premiere adaptation of the critically-acclaimed, award-winning poetry book, this is an epic modern fable of war, humanity and collective resistance. Told with a mix of spoken English, British Sign Language, creative captioning and silence.
Tickets from www.royalcourttheatre.com
THE GLAMIFICATION OF LOKI (Southwark Playhouse Elephant)
29th - 30th August
The world premiere of the 2024 New Music Theatre Award (NTMA)-winning musical sees Norse mythology meet modern glamour in this sharp and sassy new musical where the God of Mischief Loki crashes into the glitzy chaos of the beauty industry.
HERE & NOW (UK & Ireland Tour)
29th August - 16th May 2026
After a well-received run in Birmingham last year, the Steps musical heads out on an extensive tour of the UK and Ireland. Featuring all of the greatest hits from the chart-topping band against the story of four friends who work at seaside superstore Better Best Bargains.
Dates and tickets at TheStepsMusical.com
THE PRODUCERS (Garrick Theatre)
30th August - 21st February 2026
After wowing audiences with its run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Mel Brooks hilarious musical gets a West End transfer starring Andy Nyman, Marc Antolin and Joanna Woodward.
GRAVITY (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
31st August
Three musical theatre icons unite as Kerry Ellis, Louise Dearman and Rachel Tucker celebrate the roles that defined them, the songs that shaped them and the journey that made them stars.
Tickets from https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/gravity/
What are you most looking forward to seeing in August?
Let me know in the comments or on all my socials - @ATDazzles on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and TikTok, and look out for reviews of many of them on the website over the next month.
To have your show included in the September preview or any other monthly post, send me an email with details of your show and I’ll include as many as possible.
See you in the theatre!