Listings

Welcome to Musical Theatre Network’s listings page! This is a space where we can keep you up to date on all the new British musicals being produced or premiered in the UK. You can submit the details of your new British musical for our listings here. Listings of musicals produced/hosted by MTN members can additionally include an image, bookings link and short description.

WHAT’S ON, COMING UP AND ANNOUNCED FOR 2023

2nd – 27th August | 13th – 30th September | 5th – 21st October.

Kathy & Stella Solve A Murder!

Underbelly at the Edinburgh Fringe | Bristol Old Vic | HOME Manchester

BFFs Kathy and Stella are Hull’s least successful true crime podcasters. When their favourite author is killed, they are thrust into a thrilling whodunnit of their own! Can they crack the case (and become global podcast superstars) before the killer strikes again…? The hilarious musical from the Olivier Award-winners behind Fleabag, Baby Reindeer and A Super Happy Story returns! Written by Jon Brittain (Rotterdam) and Matthew Floyd Jones (Frisky & Mannish). 

2 September – 25 November 2023

The Little Big Things

@Sohoplace

An extraordinary true story about an ordinary family. When one moment changes everything, Henry’s family are split between a past they no longer recognise, and a future they could never foresee.

Can Mum and Dad rally his three brothers; as the family start a journey to overcome the unimaginable?

Based on the Sunday Times best-selling autobiography by Henry Fraser, The Little Big Things is a new British musical with an explosive theatrical pop soundtrack in a world premiere production.

This uplifting and colourful new musical is a life-affirming reminder about the transformative power of family, and how sometimes it really is the little things which matter the most.

An avid sportsman and academy player with a premiership Rugby club, Henry Fraser’s life changed forever when in 2009 he had a diving accident. From that moment he had a new life to live as a tetraplegic and new circumstances to accept and adapt to. Henry’s defiance and determination to prosper against devastating odds led to him wheeling himself out of hospital a whole year earlier than predicted. Today he is a successful artist, inspirational speaker and best-selling author.

Created by a young team of exciting theatre makers, The Little Big Things has music by Nick Butcher (Loved Before), lyrics by Nick Butcher and Tom Ling (Techies: The Musical), a book by Joe White (Blackout Songs – Olivier Award nominated), and is directed by Luke Sheppard (& Juliet – Olivier Award winner, and Tony Award nominated).

1st September – 1st October 2023 | Oct ’23 -December ’23

Lizzie

Hope Mill Theatre | Tour

A True Crime Punk Rock Musical. 

Lizzie The Musical explores the life of Lizzie Borden, who was accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe in the late summer of 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts. The musical delves into her complex psyche and speculates on the motivations she may have had: loss of inheritance, history of sexual abuse, oppression, and madness.

Lizzie, along with her older sister Emma, maid Bridget, and neighbour Alice, bring to life the infamous story supported on stage by an all-female band.

Lizzie The Musical premiered in New York in 2009 at The Living Theatre, and received its London premiere in 2017 at the Greenwich Theatre with the Danish production. This new production will be the first UK built version of the show and the first UK tour.

The perfect show for any fan of true crime, horror and of course Musicals! 

11th-15th September | 29th September -14th October 2023

The Book Thief

Belgrade Theatre Coventry | Curve Theatre Leicester

“The year: 1940. The place: Nazi Germany. The world is holding its breath, and Death is busier than ever.”

By her brother’s graveside, 12-year-old Liesel steals a book abandoned in the snow – her first act of book thievery. Soon she is stealing from libraries, churches, and book burnings. But these are dangerous times for a girl with a curious mind. When her foster family hides a Jewish boxer in their cellar, Liesel learns that words are so much more than letters on a page – they hold power. As the Nazi regime wields words as weapons, Liesel, determined to fight back, picks up her pen and starts to write…

A mesmerising new musical of Markus Zusak‘s international bestselling novel, The Book Thief is adapted by award-winning bestselling author Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper) and Timothy Allen McDonald (Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, Between the Lines) with music and lyrics by Kate Anderson and Elyssa Samsel (Central Park AppleTV+).

20th – 24th September 2023

Cake – The Marie Antoinette Playlist

Lyric Theatre 

The brand-new musical, come gig, come ballet, is from some of the most exciting figures in modern British Theatre. Cake: The Marie Antoinette Playlist will be lighting up the West End for one week only as a taster of what is to come for the exciting production.
 
In celebration of the central figure, all tickets for the first night of the run (20 September) will be priced at £17.55, which was the year Marie Antoinette was born.

Combining a multi-genre pop score with 18th century France, Cake: The Marie Antoinette Playlist, retells a story that sparked a revolution. Marie Antoinette’s reign was blighted by gossip and scandal. But when she is implicated in a crime to defraud the crown jewellers of a diamond necklace, it is not just her reputation at stake, but the monarchy and France itself.

Cake: The Marie Antoinette Playlist has an award-winning creative team, including Olivier winner’s Drew McOnie (In the Heights; Jesus Christ Superstar), Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Emilia – The Globe) with Tasha Taylor Johnson (The Cat In The Hat) and singer-song writer, Jack McManus.  

14th September – 28th September 2023

Battersea Bardot

New Wimbledon Theatre

Created by Battersea Bardot, a new one woman musical, tells the wild, exciting and tragic true-life story of the forgotten star of Swinging London, who found herself lost in a Hollywood nightmare. By writer and composer, Ewen Moore.

London, New Year’s Eve, 1969. Movie star Carol White has achieved success beyond her wildest dreams, but has paid a high price. As the decade that made her draws to a close, the ghosts of her past, the highs and lows of her whirlwind career, threaten to overwhelm her.

25th September to 7th October

Islander

Theatre Royal Plymouth

There is a girl.  She stares out to sea and dreams of a new life beyond her lonely island. Myth and reality collide when the tide washes a mysterious stranger onto her beach.

BritishTheatre gives ISLANDER “★★★★★,” calling it “A flawless gem. A modern folk tale that is hard not to fall in love with.” Two performers create a world of characters while live-mixing and layering their voices, harnessing looping technology to create a dazzling and unexpected soundscape. This new musical about a community in peril and two young people finding connection inside it, is staged with a contemporary Scottish folk-inspired score and epic storytelling. The Daily Beast touts that “ISLANDER is really gorgeous—sharp, moving, funny, and one of the best musicals in New York.”

ISLANDER is conceived and directed by Amy Draper, with associate direction by Eve Nicol. The book is written by Stewart Melton and music and lyrics are by Finn Anderson. After a celebrated and critically acclaimed run off-Broadway, the ISLANDER creative team is joined by scenic designer Emma Bailey (SIX, Broadway & West End), touring the US and UK with a new physical landscape.  Lighting design is by Simon Wilkinson, costume design by Hahnji Jang and sound design by Sam Kusnetz.

Originally produced in the UK by Helen Milne Productions in association with Mull Theatre and the support of Creative Scotland.

27th – 30th September

Bloody Elle – A Gig Musical

Lyric Theatre

For Ada Harris, day-to-day life is spent cleaning houses. But one day when she is working for a wealthy client in Belgravia, she happens upon a Dior dress that takes her breath away.

In that magical moment, Ada has an epiphany and sets off on a journey that will change her life… From the cobbled streets of post-war London to the magical avenues of Paris and beyond, Ada transforms the lives of everyone she meets along the way, but can she let go of her past and finally let her own life blossom?

30 September to 26 November

Flowers for Mrs Harris

Riverside Studios

For Ada Harris, day-to-day life is spent cleaning houses. But one day when she is working for a wealthy client in Belgravia, she happens upon a Dior dress that takes her breath away.

In that magical moment, Ada has an epiphany and sets off on a journey that will change her life… From the cobbled streets of post-war London to the magical avenues of Paris and beyond, Ada transforms the lives of everyone she meets along the way, but can she let go of her past and finally let her own life blossom?

Flowers for Mrs Harris is based on the novel by Paul Gallico, a musical by Richard Taylor and Rachel Wagstaff, book by Rachel Wagstaff, music and lyrics by Richard Taylor. It will be directed by Bronagh Lagan, starring Jenna Russell as Mrs Harris, with new orchestrations by Jason Carr, and with Jonathan Gill as Musical Director. Casting is by Jane Deitch. Further casting and creative team to be announced.

30th September 2023

Dark Isle: A New Musical

Wanstead Fringe

Dark Isle is a new musical written by Wanstead-based actor and writer Katherine Tripp, alongside Matthew Hessey and composer Ralph Warman. The performance will be a concert version of the musical, with two acts and a short interval.

The musical is based on the true story of the ‘Flannan Isles Mystery’. In 1900 three lighthouse keepers mysteriously disappeared from their posts on the Flannan Isles in the Outer Hebrides. The musical is a depiction of what ‘could’ have happened, and how it affected the women who were left behind.

Isolated on the Flannan Isles, three lighthouse keepers will die, but what sealed their fate – the daily rigours of island life, or each other? Meanwhile, their families must navigate uneasy friendships and decide whether to come together, or fall apart in the face of untold tragedy.

Though the show is suitable for all ages, the complex themes of death, grief, and isolation may be best suited for those 16 and over. Some loud sound effects may be used during the performance.

October – November 2023

The Good Enough Mums Club

Tour

Not perfect? Join the club! Toddle through the highs, lows and sleep deprivation of motherhood with The Good Enough Mums Club, a poignant and hilarious musical produced, written, directed and performed by mums. From peeing on sticks to drooping tits we share the love and dispel the myths with enough wipes to mop the tears and clean away the snotty laughter.

5 – 28 October 2023

Faking Bad The Unauthorised ‘Breaking Bad’ Parody Methsical

Turbine Theatre

Breaking Bad is considered to be one of the best bits of telly of all time (and rightly so!). Similarly our very unauthorised tribute to it, Faking Bad is (predicted) to be one of the stupidest and best pieces of musical theatre to ever grace a stage. Come jump on in our RV for this chaotic and zany tribute to one of the best written binges this century.

The production features actor-musicians who, against the backdrop of an old industrial tunnel, condense the epic story of a lost chemistry teacher into a belly laugh musical comedy.

This all singing, all dancing methsical contains a ridiculous array of musical styles (for apparently no reason at all) and theatrical tropes to speed through 62 hours of television in under 2 hours; and promises to keep the audiences laughing on this joyous ride through the desert! We promise it won’t be dry. There will be Mexican hats (and maybe maracas).

17th October 2023 – 28th October 2023

ADHD The Musical

Camden People’s Theatre

ADHD The Musical: Can I have Your Attention Please is a new, exciting and heartfelt work exploring the highs and lows of having the most common neuro developmental disorder worldwide. The show attempts to unpack feelings of shame and blame that occur when being neurodivergent in a world designed for the neurotypical brain.

Let me take you by the hand and explore: Why are people with ADHD drawn to new experiences? Why have I had so many jobs? Why did I drink enough to kill a small horse before a job interview?

“It’s like Dora jumped into my brain and wrote a play about my life!”

19th October 2023 – 21st October 2023

Mary and the Matrons

Exeter Northcott Theatre

It’s the start of the Swinging Sixties, Harold Macmillan says “We’ve Never Had It So Good” and dauntless Dr Mary Sheridan is on a nationwide inspection tour of “Mental Deficiency Hospitals”, the places many learning disabled children lived out their childhoods.

It’s also the start of the Tricksy Twenty-Twenties, and Millie Moore, a tenacious learning-disabled school leaver, wants to follow her star.

Both Mary and Millie know things never work till everyone sings from the same song sheet. Can Mary change the system in time for Millie to get her chance? Six short decades later, we’ll find out.

Inspired by the inspection reports of Dr Mary Sheridan, this workshop performance of an hilarious & humane new musical-in-development features a band, an infectious 60’s-inspired soundtrack, Makaton signing and integrated cast.

Mary & the Matrons is created by award-winning Northcott Associates, Documental Theatre and is supported by Stage One & Hijinx Theatre, in partnership with Makaton Charity, with funding from Arts Council England.

21st October 2023—17th December 2023

To Wong Foo – The Musical

Hope Mill Theatre

3 drags have come to save America, one show tune at a time!

To Wong Foo The Musical is based on the 1995 cult-classic film, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar, written by multiple Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane and featuring an all-star cast including Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo, Stockard Channing, Robin Williams and Ru Paul.

Set in 90s New York, To Wong Foo The Musical tells the story of 3 Drag Queens, Vida, Noxeema and Chichi, who embark on a trip across America to attend the Drag Queen of the Year Finals in Hollywood. When their car breaks down in Middle America, their lives, as well as those in the town, are turned upside down, in this joyous, heartfelt and high camp musical extravaganza!

Those that know and love the film can expect all of those brilliant one liners, supported by a score that is a little bit club, a little bit country, a little bit musical theatre, but a whole lot of attitude!

25th- 28th October | 31st Oct – 4th November | 8th – 18th November 2023

Treason – The Musical

Festival Theatre, Edinburgh | Sheffield Lyceum Theatre | Alexandra Palace

Treason the Musical is an historic tale of division, religious persecution, and brutality, ending in an ambitious yet fateful plot to bring down both the monarchy and the government.

Set to blow you away with stunning original folk and pop songs, this one-of-a-kind show tells one of the most intriguing tales in Britain’s history as it’s never been seen before.

Garnering a global audience following its streamed Cadogan Hall concert in 2021 and two subsequent EPs on streaming platforms, last August saw the musical take to the stage in a ‘WhatsOnStage’ award nominated concert, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher and Bradley Jaden, which sold out Theatre Royal Drury Lane twice.

1 November – 4 November 2023

KIN
Theatro Technis London

When a controversial cult leader moves into an old ranch in a small town, tensions with the locals reaches boiling point! As the conflict escalates, the shocking depths of their clash are exposed, with a startling revelation: Noah, the mayor’s son, has found himself entangled within the cult’s grip.

Inspired by real life events that took place in 80’s America. Featuring an original new wave, 80s-pop-inspired score. Written and developed by Emil Dale.

1st November – 25th November 2023

I Should Be So Lucky
Manchester Opera House

The Wedding is OFF, but the Honeymoon is ON! Head from the aisle to the isles in the official Stock Aitken Waterman musical featuring the soundtrack of a generation with music from pop royalty including Kylie Minogue (I Should Be So Lucky), Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up), Jason Donovan (Especially For You) and Bananarama (Love In The First Degree).

I Should Be So Lucky features no less than 10 Number 1 singles and over 30 songs from the Hit Factory whose music defined an era.

Ella and Nathan, a young couple, hopelessly in love and about to take the biggest step of their lives – marriage. Until it doesn’t go quite to plan. Will they be together forever, or will he make her cry and say goodbye?

I Should Be So Lucky is written and directed by Debbie Isitt (the hit NATIVITY! franchise), choreographed by Jason Gilkison (Creative Director of Strictly Come Dancing and Eurovision 2023), with orchestrations and musical direction by George Dyer and set and costume design by Tom Rogers. It is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions.

2nd November – 11th November 2023

Seize The Cheese

New Wimbledon Theatre

Loosely inspired by the world-famous cheese-rolling in Gloucestershire, in which people plummet down a deadly hill in pursuit of a speeding Double Gloucester cheese, Calimani Productions’ uplifting comedy features sumptuous songs by Patrick Steed and Mike Stocks, as well as an unforgettable array of characters, who all have their deeper reasons for risking life and limb for cheese.

7th November – 6th January 2024

The Witches

The National Theatre

Everything you know about witches is wrong. Forget the pointy hats and broomsticks: they’re the most dangerous creatures on earth.

And now they’ve come up with their most evil plan yet.

The only thing standing in their way is Luke and his Gran. But he’s ten and she’s got a dodgy heart. Time is short, danger is everywhere, and they’ve got just one chance to stop the witches from squalloping every stinking little child in England.

The Witches is a rip-roaring musical version of Roald Dahl’s timeless tale, filled with wit, daring and heart. With book and lyrics by Olivier Award-winner Lucy Kirkwood, music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominee Dave Malloy, and directed by Lyndsey Turner.

09 Nov – 23 Dec 2023

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Kiln Theatre


Dougal is a naive, impossibly upbeat Brit, flying to New York for his Dad’s second wedding. The Dad he’s never known.

Waiting for him at the airport is Robin, the sister of the bride. She’s a native New Yorker, she’s late for work, and she doesn’t have time to stop and see the sights.

Instant attraction? Definitely not.

But with an extravagant wedding approaching and the city at their feet…anything could happen.

A new British musical from writers Jim Barne and Kit Buchan.

Casting to be announced.

10 – 12 November

Babies

Lyric Theatre

For three nights only, witness the birth of a musical sensation. Catch Babies, a new(born) British musical delivered in concert at the Lyric Theatre this November.

Summer is over. Exams are looming. But Year 11 are only talking about one thing: babies. Not real ones… but the plastic simulator dolls they’ve been tasked with looking after for a whole week.

With a blistering pop-rock score, this brand new British musical follows nine students as they discover that becoming a parent requires changing more than just nappies. Friendships are tested, dreams are questioned, and the true meaning of responsibility rears its terrifying head.

From Jack Godfrey & Martha GeelanBabies is a joy-filled, heart-wrenching comedy about growing out of growing up. With every ticket priced at £25, you can be among the first to see this extraordinary new musical in concert.

13 & 20 November

Billie The Kid

Vaudeville Theatre

Seventeen-year-old Billie Belle is a girl used to having the odds stacked against her. Born in a Bible Belt town to a delinquent mother, Billie spent her childhood saving discount-store coupons and working night shifts to keep the lights on in her grandma’s tiny trailer. Through it all, Billie has had one person by her side: her childhood sweetheart, Brody Benson. Brody’s a redneck with a heart of gold and they have spent years planning their future together, all pinned on Billie’s hopes for a full-ride scholarship to Charleston City College. But their plans are thrown into chaos when Billie discovers Brody has been trading dirty DMs with David Francis – the school queer punk rocker.

Torn between the pain of this betrayal and her love for her boyfriend, Billie reaches out to David and his gang of misfits. While Billie has put all her energy into thriving within the system, they’ve gone the other way, determined to be wild and joyful outsiders with no fear of offending! Inspired by and united with her new friends, Billie finds herself at the heart of a new kind of love story, one where her happily ever after is with herself in her fight for justice and equality; and the chance to ride out into the sunset on her terms.

This new British musical with music and lyrics by Gez Mercer, book by Conway McDermott and Gez Mercer,  directed by Kerry Kyriacos Michael,  is being semi-staged in front of a live audience for the first time.

2nd December 2023 – 6th January 2024 | Summer 2024

The Enormous Crocodile – The Musical

Leeds Playhouse | Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

The ENORMOUS crocodile is weaving his way through the jungle in search of delicious little fingers and squidgy podgy knees.  

Only the other jungle creatures can foil his secret plans and clever tricks, but they’re going to have to find a large amount of courage to stop this greedy brute. 

This new musical version of Roald Dahl’s picture book has tasty tunes by Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab and has a rib-tickling book and lyrics by Suhayla El-Bushra, and additional music by Tom Brady. Directed by Emily Lim, it features a menagerie of mischievous puppets co-director and puppetry designer Toby Olié, set and costume design by Fly Davis. The jungle awaits the bravest of children!

13 March – 7th April 2024

In Clay

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Combining jazz manouche with contemporary musical theatre, IN CLAY is a one-woman musical “bursting with numbers that feel destined to become classics” (All That Dazzles). Based on a true story, this “poignant reflection on ambition, regrets & self-fulfilment” (Fringebiscuit) is told from a quaint Parisian kitchen in the late 1930s. Marie-Berthe Cazin, a ceramist in her early 40s,
eagerly awaits the arrival of her closest childhood friend and now celebrated artist, Henrietta Tirman. As Marie prepares for the evening ahead, she reflects on the great joys and sorrows of a life devoted to making art.

IN CLAY debuted at VAULT Festival to stellar reviews earlier this year, and was nominated for Show of the Week, and an Offies OffFest award. The show has also been shortlisted for the Stiles & Drewe MTI Mentorship Award and nominated for the Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Prize 2023.

18th April – 19th May 2024

42 Balloons

The Lowry

2nd of July 1982.

Using a lawn chair and approximately 42 helium-filled weather balloons, truck driver Larry Walters defied all the odds (and FAA airspace regulations!) to make his lifelong dream a reality and fly sixteen thousand feet above Los Angeles.

42 BALLOONS is an uplifting musical inspired by the highly improbable true story of how Larry, and his partner Carol Van Deusen, convinced their friends and family to help Larry achieve his dream of flying.

Featuring an irresistible, 80s pop-inspired score, 42 BALLOONS questions how far you would go to make your dreams come true. Is the sky actually the limit, and what happens if it doesn’t all go to plan?

Sin by Richard Hough & Ben Morales Frost
Barn Theatre – 18th August – 16th September 2023

The Little Big Things by Nick Butcher, Tom Ling & Joe White
@sohoplace – 2nd September – 25th November 2023

Police Cops – The Musical by Ben Adams, Zachary Hunt, Nathan Parkinson and Tom Roe
Southwark Playhouse – 8th September – 14th October

Close Up – The Twiggy Musical by Ben Elton
Menier Chocolate Factory – 18th September – 18th November

Sinatra the Musical by Joe DiPietro
Birmingham Rep – 23rd September – 28th October

The Time Traveller’s Wife – Joss Stone, Dave Stewart & Lauren Gunderson
Apollo Theatre – 7th October 2023 – March 2024

Standing At The Sky’s Edge – Chris Bush, Richard Hawley
Gillian Lynne Theatre – February 2024

The Devil Wears Prada – By Elton John, Shaina Taub & Kate Wetherhead
Theatre Royal Plymouth – Summer 2024

Fangirls – By Yve Blake
Lyric Hammersmith Theatre – 13 July – 24 August 2024


TOURING PRODUCTIONS

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World – by Chris Bush and Miranda Cooper

Touring 2023-2024

FANTASTICALLY GREAT WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD is an empowering new stage show which will be celebrated by anyone who is prepared to move and be moved, with characters and songs that pack a popstar punch!


LONG RUNNING NEW MUSICALS 

29th March 2023 – 24th February 2024
Operation Mincemeat

The Fortune Theatre

The year is 1943 and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse

Following sold-out runs at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019 and Southwark Playhouse in 2020, 2021 and earlier in 2022, Operation Mincemeat is extending its run at its new home, Riverside Studios.

Previews commence on 3rd May and performances run through until 23rd July 2022. 

Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler?

SixBy Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss

First opened at The Arts Theatre – July 2018

Now playing at the Vaudeville Theatre, West End, as well as playing the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Broadway, touring the UK and Australia and New Zealand, with US tour dates planned.

From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a 75-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. These Queens may have green sleeves but their lipstick is rebellious red. 

SUPPORTERS

Wild Thyme Productions
"A brief note to express our appreciation for the extremely well-organised, interesting and informative Fuelling the Future conference yesterday"
Wild Thyme Productions

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