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 this month with absurdist thriller THE UNKILLABLE MIKE MOLLOY, tragicomedy PRETTY, WITTY NELL, and with CAMDEN FRINGE coming up fast, we've also added a selection of shows for August.

Crime Thriller THE UNKILLABLE MIKE MALLOY at Bridge House Theatre, Penge 8 - 26 July

Based on the astonishing true story of “Iron Mike” Maloy — an Irishman who famously survived numerous attempts on his life in 1930s New York — this new production explores the extremes of human desperation during the Great Depression. When three struggling businessmen take out life insurance on a seemingly doomed barfly, they expect a quick return. But Mike proves maddeningly resilient, forcing them into a downward spiral of ever more outrageous murder plots. Inspired by the tone and style of classic film noir, and laced with gallows humour, The Unkillable Mike Maloy is part crime thriller, part absurdist comedy, and entirely unforgettable. This production continues the Bridge House Theatre’s tradition of bold storytelling and inventive staging, bringing a nearly unbelievable real-life story to the stage with trademark wit, style, and theatrical flair.

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Tragicomedy PRETTY WITTY NELL by Ryan J W Smith at Barons Court Theatre 22 - 26 July 2025, 7.30 pm

Returning to Barons Court Theatre as an OFFIE award winner, Smith’s 7th verse play, Pretty, Witty Nell® is an original one-woman tragicomic history, written entirely in rhyming iambic pentameter, that tells the true story of Nell Gwynne, the famous actress and mistress of the wild British monarch, King Charles II.
The show is a celebration of both women on the stage; and of Nell, “a one-woman force of nature.” Smith asks, rhetorically, “what better way to celebrate the life of this absolutely amazing woman than by writing her a tribute in the style of theatre (rhyming iambic verse) that made her famous?” Pretty, Witty Nell® is indeed the first ever play about Nell Gwynne written in iambic verse.

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Festival CAMDEN FRINGE 28 July to 24 August

Here are some of the highlights:

I’m Fine, It’s Just the Wine (29 Jul – 31Jul Etcetera Theatre) a fast-paced, witty feminist two-hander .

Rabbie Burns Bottom Drawers (28 Jul – 2 Aug, Barons Court Theatre) imagines the Scottish poet’s erotic fiction.

The Musical Medea (29 Jul – 3 Aug Upstairs at the Gatehouse), a new folk musical retelling the Greek myth with an original score and actor-musicians.

MISS (7 – 9 Aug Lion & Unicorn Theatre), a day in the life of a secondary school English teacher navigating her highs and lows.

Magic & Sex (4 – 6 Aug Rosemary Branch Theatre), Kathryn Haywood’s comedic exploration of magic, sex, and mentalism.

Fruitcake (7 - 10 August The Hope Theatre) is a fun queer coming of age mystery.

Operation Blank (12 – 15 Aug at Hen & Chickens Theatre, 17 – 20 Aug at Canal Café Theatre) is a comedy about a junior government staffer trying to trigger a response to an atomic bomb threat via Microsoft Teams.

Pup Play (12 - 16 August Barons Court Theatre) A Queer Pseudo-Lecture (of sorts) is controversial, provocative, hilarious, and surprisingly introspective journey into queer fetish subculture

Please Shoot the Messenger (13 – 15 Aug The Hope Theatre) a show mixing Shakespeare, clowning, and physical comedy about a cursed royal messenger during a plague

(Un) Shakespearean Nightmares (15 – 17 Aug Old Red Lion) looks at the bard’s minor characters and underdogs.

Dirty Laundry (14 – 19 Aug Etcetera Theatre) a visceral exploration of sex, shame and faith set in a Catholic laundrette

Four Women and a Funeral (15 - 17 August Upstairs at the Gatehouse) Grave matters unravel in this intriguing dark comedy with a highly talented cast and creative crew, produced by Ovation, the award winning ex-Gatehouse resident company.

Fickle Eulogy (16 – 18 Aug The Hope Theatre) at The Hope Theatre is a solo show confronting grief and loss following a mother’s death from COVID-19.

Power Power (20 Aug – 24 Aug Hen & Chickens Theatre) is a silly situational comedy about hospitality and superpowers in a budget hotel

LISA! The Mona Lisa Musical (22 – 24 Aug Hen & Chickens) is a comedy musical that fictionalises the story behind the world’s most famous painting.

Maybe you Should Know (22 - 24 August Barons Court Theatre) Two strangers thrown together confront the ghosts of their past and the baggage of their present, in a witty and emotional journey

Click on the link below for shows at these venues:

Etcetera Theatre Camden

Hen & Chickens Islington (Highbury & Islington)

Old Red Lion Islington (Angel) SHAKEFEST

Barons Court Theatre West London

Lion & Unicorn Theatre Kentish Town

Upstairs at the Gatehouse Highgate

The Hope Islington (Upper Street)

Canal Café Theatre Little Venice

Rosemary Branch Theatre Islington