Stage Watch brings together a curated selection of theatre, musicals and live performances from London and across Oxfordshire, highlighting productions that offer something distinctive, whether through celebrated musical scores, compelling performances or ambitious new writing.

This week’s selection moves from the irreverent comedy of a West End phenomenon and the irresistible charm of a much-loved literary bear to rock opera, a classic study of artistic jealousy and a powerful new drama confronting environmental catastrophe. Featuring major revivals, award-winning productions and an Oxford performance, these five shows offer a varied look at what is coming to the stage.

Paddington The Musical

Savoy Theatre, London.
Booking until 25 June 2028.

One of Britain’s most beloved literary characters has found a spectacular new home in the West End with Paddington The Musical, a lavish stage adaptation inspired by Michael Bond’s much-loved books and the award-winning 2014 film.

The story begins when a small bear from Peru arrives in London in search of somewhere to belong. Taken in by the Brown family, Paddington discovers a new life in Windsor Gardens, although the promise of a warm welcome soon gives way to adventure when a mysterious and vengeful villain threatens his newfound home. The Browns must embark on a rescue mission, discovering just how much their unlikely new family member means to them.

Directed by Luke Sheppard, with original music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher and a book by Olivier Award-winning writer Jessica Swale, the production brings together musical theatre, physical comedy, imaginative puppetry and elaborate staging. James Hameed and Arti Shah share the role of Paddington, with Bonnie Langford as Mrs Bird and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as Millicent Clyde.

A major West End production that celebrates the warmth, humour and enduring appeal of Bond’s original creation, it has also enjoyed considerable recognition at the Olivier and WhatsOnStage Awards.

Best for: Families, Paddington enthusiasts and anyone looking for a feel-good West End musical with plenty of spectacle.

Good to know: Running for approximately two hours and 45 minutes, including interval, the production combines large-scale staging, choreography and puppetry. Captioned, audio-described, BSL and relaxed performances are also scheduled during 2027.

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The Book of Mormon

Prince of Wales Theatre, London.
Booking until 20 February 2027.

A sharp, irreverent comedy from the creators of South Park, The Book of Mormon follows two young Mormon missionaries, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, dispatched from Salt Lake City to Uganda. Expecting to spread their faith and secure a few converts, they instead encounter a community facing far more immediate challenges, including poverty, political instability and a particularly formidable local warlord.

Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, alongside composer and lyricist Robert Lopez, the musical combines outrageous humour, elaborate choreography and an infectious score. Beneath its deliberately provocative comedy lies a more thoughtful exploration of belief, cultural misunderstanding and the stories people tell themselves to make sense of the world.

Winner of nine Tony Awards and multiple Olivier Awards, this long-running West End production has established itself as one of contemporary musical theatre’s most recognisable successes.

Best for: Fans of irreverent comedy, satirical musical theatre and productions that aren’t afraid to push boundaries.

Good to know: Explicit language, adult humour and potentially offensive subject matter are central to the show’s comedy. Contains strobe and flashing lights, as well as gunshot sound effects. Recommended parental discretion.

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Jesus Christ Superstar

Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.
16 October 2026 to 09 January 2027.

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s landmark rock musical returns to the West End in a major production starring singer-songwriter Sam Ryder as Jesus, making his West End debut. Following the success of its award-winning Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre staging and a record-breaking summer season at the London Palladium, the production transfers to Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Told through the perspective of Judas Iscariot, Jesus Christ Superstar revisits the final days of Jesus’s life, examining the complicated relationships, political tensions and shifting loyalties surrounding his growing influence. Rather than presenting a conventional biblical retelling, the musical explores the human personalities behind the familiar story, with Judas’s doubts and disillusionment providing a compelling counterpoint to Jesus’s growing following.

The production features one of musical theatre’s most celebrated rock scores, including I Don’t Know How to Love Him, Gethsemane and the title number Superstar. Director Tim Sheader is joined by Olivier Award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie and designer Tom Scutt, with Desmonda Cathabel as Mary Magdalene and David Thaxton as Pontius Pilate.

With its distinctive musical identity, ambitious staging and contemporary energy, this revival offers a fresh opportunity to experience a work that has remained influential since its original 1970 concept album.

Best for: Fans of classic rock musicals, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work and powerful, dramatic reinterpretations of familiar stories.

Good to know: Sam Ryder leads the production as Jesus, with several performers sharing the role of King Herod on selected dates, including Rob Brydon, Michael Ball, Bob the Drag Queen and Layton Williams. The Judas Iscariot casting is yet to be announced.

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Amadeus

Noël Coward Theatre, London.
17 April to 07 August 2027.

The rivalry between two of classical music’s most compelling historical figures takes centre stage in the first major revival of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus in more than a decade. Starring Michael Sheen as Antonio Salieri and Callum Scott Howells as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, this new production brings a celebrated work of theatrical storytelling back to the West End.

Set in Vienna in 1820, the play centres on Salieri, an established composer whose professional standing and carefully cultivated reputation are unsettled by the arrival of Mozart. Although childish, irreverent and seemingly incapable of conforming to convention, Mozart possesses a musical gift that Salieri recognises as extraordinary. Convinced that divine favour has been bestowed on the wrong man, Salieri’s admiration gradually turns into an all-consuming jealousy.

Shaffer’s drama explores the uneasy relationship between talent and genius, faith and ambition, and the destructive consequences of measuring one’s own achievements against those of another. Its emotional intensity is heightened by a soundtrack featuring some of Mozart’s greatest compositions, creating a theatrical experience in which music becomes as important to the storytelling as the performances themselves.

Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the production brings together two Welsh actors in roles that have become synonymous with one of modern theatre’s most enduring explorations of artistic envy. Sheen’s portrayal of Salieri promises a particularly compelling centre to a story driven by obsession, resentment and the pursuit of greatness.

Best for: Admirers of classical music, psychologically driven drama and ambitious theatrical revivals.

Good to know: Michael Sheen and Callum Scott Howells lead the cast as Salieri and Mozart respectively. The production’s running time and age guidance are yet to be confirmed.

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Darkling

The North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford.
03 & 04 November 2026.

Moving from the West End to Oxford, Darkling brings an urgent and deeply human story of environmental catastrophe to The North Wall Arts Centre for a short two-night engagement. Presented by Actors Touring Company and Bush Theatre, the production is written by Titas Halder and directed by Matthew Xia, with Linnea Berthelsen taking the lead role.

Set in Bhopal, India, in 1984, the play follows a girl growing up with her father and sister in a city once defined by its lakes and open skies. As a vast industrial factory rises above the town, the landscape and the family’s hopes for a better future begin to change. Then comes a night that devastates their lives, leaving a legacy that reaches far beyond one household.

Inspired by the human consequences of industrial and ecological disaster, Halder’s work explores the intersection of family, ambition, progress and environmental responsibility. Rather than approaching the subject solely through political or historical commentary, the production places an individual life at its centre, bringing a deeply personal perspective to a catastrophe that continues to resonate.

Berthelsen, known internationally for her role as Kali in Stranger Things, leads the cast in a production that combines intimate storytelling with a much wider examination of industrial development and its human cost. The creative team includes designer Simon Kenny, lighting designer Rajiv Pattani and composer Niraj Chag.

Best for: Audiences drawn to thought-provoking contemporary drama, socially engaged theatre and stories exploring the human consequences of environmental change.

Good to know: This is a limited Oxford engagement, with performances on 3 and 4 November only. The production is presented by Actors Touring Company and Bush Theatre, with a subject matter rooted in the 1984 Bhopal disaster.

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