As London Theatre rises bleary-eyed from a fairly damp Christmas, we share five of our most highly-anticipated plays in the coming year. The West End has certainly taken a few blows since March 2020 but expect to see a comeback with a vengeance in the next few months! So get booking now before it's too late...
JERUSALEM - Apollo Theatre (16th April - 7th August)
This took the West End & Broadway by storm when it first arrived after a short run at the Royal Court in 2009. In its closing week in 2012, Shaftesbury Avenue saw constant queues of theatregoers desperate for a final chance to see it. In the past 10 years, it's a production that has achieved almost mythical heights. It'll definitely be exciting to see how Mark Rylance - who has since gone on to win an Oscar - slips back into the khaki vest of Johnny 'Rooster' Byron. A must-see production for anyone who missed out last time!
2. The Glass Menagerie - Duke of York's Theatre (23rd May - 27th August)
Amy Adams is one of the most highly-revered actors of her generation, having held her own on-screen opposite acting titans like Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep & Philip Seymour Hoffman. This year, she is due to make her West End debut leading a company in one of the Great American plays, Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie. It'll be a rare opportunity to see a foremost actor in a fairly intimate space - taking on a great part, no less. We recommend booking ahead for this one as it's likely to be a very hot ticket when it hits the West End!
3. The Chairs - Almeida Theatre (4th February - 5th March)
It's a rare-treat to see a production of Eugene Ionesco's absurdist play The Chairs - and you'll be unlikely to find a more enticing cast than Kathryn Hunter and Marcello Magni. Both seasoned theatre actors with careers spent collaborating with Complicité and the great Peter Brook. Kathryn Hunter - the best thing in Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth - can also be seen playing King Lear in Shakespeare's Globe later this year.
4. Cock - Ambassadors Theatre (5th March - 4th June)
Another chance to see a big star on a small stage - one of the smallest theatres in the West End, in fact. Taron Egerton - still riding high from his barnstorming performance in Rocketman - makes a rare theatre appearance in Mike Bartlett's modern classic, Cock. Originally premiering at the Royal Court with Ben Whishaw and Andrew Scott, this is its first major West End run. Directed by Marianne Elliott, whose past theatre successes include War Horse and the critically-acclaimed revival of Angels in America starring Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane. Book now if you can find a seat!
5. The Collaboration - Young Vic (16th February - 2nd April)
And, finally, a brand new play about the meeting of two virtuoso artists - Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, played by Jeremy Pope and Paul Bettany. An intriguing premise and a strong cast - if the play does justice to the creative forces that inspired it, this is sure to be a standout production for 2022. Directed by the Young Vic's artistic director, Kwame Kwei-Armah.
Leave a comment if you have any alternative top picks for 2022. Don't forget - if you're planning a theatre trip to London, let us know and we'll assist in helping you purchase the best seats at the most affordable price available!