TOP PICKS OF
SHOWS TO SEE
CHECK OUT OUR WHAT'S ON PAGES HERE for more shows at London pub theatres
See our selection of shows below including back by popular demand, bold new writing, comedy and award winning drama.
New writing THE VALUE OF NAMES by Jeffrey Sweet at White Bear Theatre 11 February - 1 March 2025
Hollywood, 1983. Up and coming actress Norma is staying with her father, Benny, as she begins rehearsing a project. Benny was a blacklisted actor, and they discover the new director assigned to Norma's show is Leo, the man who gave Benny's name to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and derailed his career. Norma is faced with the choice of giving up a career making role or hurting her father, Benny is faced with the knowledge his daughter is working closely with the man who betrayed him, and Leo comes face to face for the first time with the consequences of his actions so many years ago. The three of them have things to settle, you bet. Funny and confrontational.
“The Value of Names is almost perfect.” Variety
“It’s not often you will encounter a play as rich in depth as The Value of Names.” Chicago Magazine
“Very moving, beautifully written.” Chicago Tribune
Festival GATHER TOGETHER STORYTELLING festival at Rosemary Branch, border of Islington & Hackney until 27 February
World Wars, folklore, comedy, local stories, modern classics, free community events, deals with the devil and the delta blues are coming together this winter at The Rosemary Branch for the second Gather Together Storytelling Festival.
THE ROSEMARY BRANCH: LOCAL STORIES - FREE!
February 19th, 7.30pm
An invitation to get on stage and share stories from members of the local community. Hosted by acclaimed storyteller James Rowland (★★★★★ The Guardian ★★★★★ The Stage)
February 20th, 7.45pm
With Tall Tales & Cocktails and London Playback Theatre
February 27th, 7.30pm
Live music & storytelling mix in the story of a man who wanted to be the greatest musician of his generation & so sold his soul at a crossroads. From storytelling company Weird Folk, this show with delta blues & American spirituals is inspired by the life of America’s most influential guitar player told in an informal style; singing, dancing and foot stomping are encouraged.
New writing ... And If The Surface Tension Breaks at Lion and Unicorn Theatre 11 Feb - 1 Mar
Cheer up. It’s not the end of the world. Is it?
In the split second before a rare (and frankly inconvenient) cosmic event tears Planet Earth to atoms, the last human alive experiences one final moment of consciousness. A one-way rollercoaster ride to the edge of the apocalypse as life, death and the universe collide one final time…
As the atmosphere evaporates, the oceans boil and the world burns, you’re invited to join us to wave goodbye to the past, live in the moment, and celebrate a future that will never come to pass, as one man hurtles from the Last Gasp to the Big Bang and back again.
And you’ll never guess what happened next...
Classic TRESTLE directed by Matthew Parker at Jack Studio Theatre 18 Feb - 8 Mar
Harry feels like life is beginning to tick down, his autumn years spent quietly caring for the community he loves. Denise thinks life begins in retirement and she’s dancing like she’s still at high school. When their paths cross unexpectedly at the village hall, their understanding of the time they have left changes irrevocably. Trestle is a warm hearted, funny and moving comic drama about two retired people brought together each week and who begin to share their lives, loves, hopes… and dealing with a trestle table.
Winner of the 2017 Papatango New Writing Prize, Trestle is written by Stewart Pringle (RSC, Royal Court, National Theatre Studio). The 2021 production, directed by award winner Matthew Parker (Best Director OFFIE Awards 2023), garnered four OFFIE Award nominations including Best Production & was a Finalist at London Pub Theatre Awards.
New writing TOO MANY BOOKS at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate 26 Feb - 16 Mar
Written by award-winning journalist Judi Bevan, Too Many Books is a heartfelt, thought-provoking debut play exploring the complexities of international adoption and the emotional journey of parents seeking to create a family. Set in the 1990s, it follows Daniel and Julia, a couple confronting bureaucratic obstacles, cultural differences, and the pressures on their relationship as they pursue adopting a child from China. As they navigate adoption policies and judgments on their suitability, Daniel and Julia must reconcile their expectations of the adoption process with the stark reality they experience. This intimate production sheds light on issues of identity, cultural displacement, and the emotional sacrifices parents make. It will resonate deeply with anyone touched by adoption or the longing for family.
Read: Back to the Theatre by Judi Bevan
Bread & Roses Playwriting Award Winner 2024
The Queen of Quex Road by Erin Holland at Bread & Roses Theatre, Clapham 4 - 15 Mar 2025
Kathleen and her pregnant daughter Moira fled Belfast in the early 90s, leaving The Troubles behind for a better life in Kilburn, the beating heart of the London Irish Community and Ireland’s 33rd county.
Now 3 decades later, Niamh’s turning 30 and she’s bringing her mystery boyfriend home to meet the family. They're praying to God for a good catholic boy from an Irish family however, this isn’t exactly who Niamh has in store for them. With Moira on the brink of an emotional breakdown and Kathleen concealing a double life, Niamh's new boyfriend is in for one explosive afternoon. Hide the whiskey…
The Queen of Quex Road is a razor-sharp dark comedy about family, identity, and the past that refuses to stay buried.
New writing DOUBLE ACT by Nick Hyde at Southwark Playhouse 9 MAR - 5 APR
(premiered at Lion & Unicorn Theatre)
“What would you do on your very last day?”
When a man takes the day off work and travels to the West Sussex coast with the intention of ending his life, he shifts back and forth between interactions with his boss, mum, ex-girlfriend and various strangers, grappling with his warring thoughts as he confronts the crushing disappointment at how his life has turned out.
Inspired by sad clowns such as Pierrot and classic comedy double acts like Laurel and Hardy, the two competing sides of the protagonist’s personality argue back and forth, with one desperate to reach the final destination, and the other finding reasons to delay what is looming. Mixing clowning with physical comedy, dark humour and classic drama, Double Act explores destructive self-talk and the redemptive power of listening.
★★★★★ “Seamlessly pulls off the tonal switches between hilarity and tears” London Pub Theatres
Comedy MURDER, OF COARSE! at Canal Cafe Theatre, Little Venice 24 March - 4 April
A fast-paced Agatha Christie knockoff full of silly accents & extravagant hats.
Ready for a raucous evening of silliness and extravagant* hats? You need Murder, of Coarse!
Join our intrepid actors as they bale against the most ambious and under-achieving Agatha Christie rip-off since Kenneth Brannagh’s Poirot. Can you keep up as six experienced and ambious actors switch and swap between 15 characters and thirty accents to solve the crime of the century?
Writer Nick Thomas trained at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Murder of Course is his debut play. He has a track record in writing gags and creating hilarious moments, having previously written sketch shows and worked with the team behind The Show that Goes Wrong.
Barstood Theatre Company previously performed a work-in-progress preview of the show at London’s Questors Theatre in January 2024. It was met with rapturous applause with audiences likening Murder of Course to the Edinburgh Award winning Police Cops and (something else here).
Look smart and book now for this limited London run.
*Well there are certainly hats anyway…
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
The Last Days of Liz Truss? Written by Greg Wilkinson at White Bear Theatre, Kennington 18th - 29th March 2025
Join Liz, in her last morning at number 10, on a tragic-comic exploration of the tensions in politics: between ambition and ability, vision and reality, going short and playing it long. Can a fighter ever quit?
New musical FALLEN ANGEL, Book, Music & Lyrics by Sara Eder & Giles Fernando, at Drayton Arms Theatre 25 - 29 March
Come lose yourself at LAX airport for two hours in this new bittersweet romcom, folk-pop musical, Fallen Angel
Angel Keeley is masquerading as a musician. She has a new assignment: take failing musician Zach to Heaven, by getting him on a London-bound flight that’s going to crash. All Zach wants is to write one hit song. And he will, but Keely knows he won’t live to hear it be a hit. She can’t let him get on the plane.
Shortlisted for Stiles & Drewe Best New Musical
Musical ORDINARY DAYS, Music and lyrics by Adam Gwon, at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate 22 - 27 April
Ordinary Days tells the story of four young New Yorkers whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, happiness, love, and cabs. Through a score of vibrant and memorable songs, their experiences ring startlingly true to life.
Ordinary Days is an original musical for anyone who's ever struggled to appreciate the simple things in a complex place. With equal doses of humor and poignancy, it celebrates how 8.3 million individual stories combine in unexpected ways to make New York City such a unique and extraordinary home. A Life affirming and heartfelt musical that will leave audiences laughing one second and weeping uncontrollably the next.
Directed by Karl Steele (Artistic Director of The Old Joint Stock in Birmingham)
Psst ... more shows being added each week
We are very proud to announce that LONDON PUB THEATRES MAGAZINE is now an OFFIE AWARD WINNING publication
A ONEOFF Special Award (February 2024) has been awarded to London Pub Theatres Magazine and Editor Heather Jeffery for providing a vital forum for highlighting the excellent work that happens in rooms in pubs, with sensitive editing, and an acute sense of the importance of tiny fringe venues to the health and development of British Theatre
London pub theatres magazine ISSN 2977-6724