The Ephemeric

Theatre is in vogue again. We talk about it around the proverbial watercooler. The biggest names in the dramatic arts, all around the world, flock to the London stage. 2023 is set to feature household names, on and off the stage, working their craft. We have world premieres, West End transfers, Broadway hits making their way across the Atlantic for the first time and, believe it or not, still some postponed 2020 shows due to make their long-awaited debuts. 

2023 is an exciting year for theatre in and around London. So without further ado here's our list of the top 10 theatrical productions to keep an eye on in 2023, starting with number 10:


10. "Next to Normal" by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt, at the Donmar Warehouse

We start off with Next To Normal, the London debut of the acclaimed Broadway musical about a bipolar woman coming to terms with her family's history.

With book and music by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt respectively, Next to Normal was a Tony and Pulitzer prize winning phenomenon during its time on Broadway, and a move to the London stage was always an inevitability. 

That this long awaited debut will come at the Donmar, rather than one of London's bigger stages, might come as a bit of a surprise. But this will ensure the ideal intimate experience for those who manage to get tickets when its run begins in August of this year.

9. "Best of Enemies" by James Graham, at the Noel Coward Theatre

James Graham is one those playwrights that demands attention. His recent work reads like a guide to some of the finest work in topical or political theatre, with This House, Ink, and Quiz to his name, among others.

His latest, Best of Enemies, is a fictionalised depiction of the 1968 debates between intellectuals William F. Buckley Jr. and Gore Vidal during the Democratic National Convention, the ensuing fallout and litigation, and the legacy that its coverage left on political discourse in America. 

This latest West End transfer stars two major film actors in Zachary Quinto and David Harewood and has been met with widespread critical acclaim. The current run only extends until the end of February (although another extension or transfer seems likely), so see it while you can.

8. "Free Your Mind" by Sabrina Mahfouz & Danny Boyle, at Factory International

Now for something a little bit different, in many ways. 

Free Your Mind is an immersive theatrical dance adaptation of The Matrix featuring hundreds of dancers, debuting at Factory International in Manchester, taking place over multiple "flexible spaces".

Sound weird, wild and ambitious? Sure. But it's also being directed by none other than Danny Boyle, the legendary film, stage and Olympics director who has won just about every accolade under the sun and produced work tantamount to genius over the past thirty years. It doesn't really matter what Free Your Mind is, with Boyle attached you're going to want to see it.

7. "Oklahoma!" by Rodgers and Hammerstein, at Wyndham's Theatre

I know what you're thinking. Really? That Oklahoma!? The cheesy, schmaltzy aw shucks musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein? Yes, is my answer. But this is Oklahoma! like you have never seen it before.

The original musical is primarily about love triangles, awkward romances and drama, but in an innocent, high school kind of way. This new interpretation, revived for Broadway in 2021 and the subject o widespread acclaim, is a much more provocative piece of work. Darker, more sexually charged, more real.

It's the same play, but reinterpreted in an entirely new light and energy. It should be an exciting watch for any musical fans, but particularly for those acquainted with the original.

6. "The Secret Life of Bees" by Lynn Nottage, Duncan Sheik and Susan Birkenhead, at the Almeida

Another musical, but this time a brand new world premiere. This one looks to be something quite special.

The Secret Life of Bees is a musical adaptation of the award winning novel of the same name. A coming of age story set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. 

The adaptation has a huge amount of theatrical pedigree behind it, including Lynn Nottage, writer of the incredible award winning Sweat, as well as the musical minds behind the Tony Award winning Spring Awakening. This is going to be a big one when it hits the Almeida this April.

5. "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead" by Olga Tokarczuk and Simon McBurney, at the Barbican

A new production from Simon McBurney's legendary Complicité theatre company is always an event to be savoured. Complicité are renowned for their creativity and invention, often making groundbreaking use of technology, minimalism and visual ingenuity.

This latest work adapts a violent, genre defying Nobel Prize winning novel of the same name by Olga Tokarczuk. Set in remote rural Poland, men from the local hunting club are dying in mysterious circumstances and Janina Duszejko – an eccentric older local woman, ex-engineer, environmentalist, devoted astrologer and enthusiastic translator of William Blake – has her suspicions.