The beginning of June marks the start of the summer, and with that, a whole host of limited summer seasons for different theatres, including the annual Palladium summer musical, and the annual host of programming from Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. This June is dominated by play openings but there are a couple of notable big musical openings for the musical lovers to enjoy. It’s also a month of returns as several previously successful plays have encore runs this summer so if you missed them the first time, you have a chance to catch them again. These are our top picks of shows to see this June.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Bridge Theatre, 31 May-20 August
Just sneaking in there, opening right at the end of May, is the return of the Bridge Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Previously seen in 2019, the production returns with several members of the original company. Nicholas Hytner’s version of the fantastical Shakespearean comedy is immersive, and the standing tickets allow the audience to follow the action on foot around the auditorium, whilst the seating is wrapped around it. For Shakespeare lovers, this will be well worth seeing for a unique take on the classic story.
London Road: National Theatre (Olivier): 6-21 June
For Rufus Norris’ final season as Artistic Director of the National Theatre, he is returning to one of his earlier works and bringing back verbatim musical London Road for a short encore season. London Road follows the story of the 2006 Ipswich murders and the subsequent trial of killer Steve Wright, and the dialogue is all taken from interviews with the community involved, as are many of the lyrics for the music.
Hercules: Theatre Royal Drury Lane: From 6 June
Certainly one of the biggest openings of the summer, Hercules is the latest Disney film to get the stage musical treatment. The production had a run in Hamburg last summer, following initial US runs at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park and the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and is now finally making it over to the UK. Like the Disney film, the show follows Hercules on his journey to becoming a hero and saving the world from God of the Underworld Hades’ villainous schemes. June is set to be a very big month for Disney’s stage division, with the opening of Hercules and the recently announced release of the pro-shot of Frozen which was staged in the same theatre Hercules is going into.
Evita: The London Palladium: 14 June-6 September
Next we have the other big opening of the summer. Jamie Lloyd has been everywhere in the London for the past few years and this year, his revival of Evita (first seen at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2019) is taking centre stage as the Palladium’s annual summer musical. Lloyd has become known for starry casting and his minimalist aesthetic, and at least on the star casting front, this is no different. This production sees Rachel Zegler make her West End (and musical theatre) debut as Eva Peron. This is bound to be a hot ticket due to Zegler’s casting and Lloyd’s notoriety as a director but there are still some £25 tickets left across the run for under 30’s, key workers and those receiving government benefits. This is part of the Jamie Lloyd Company’s commitment to providing accessible tickets to those groups across all their shows.
Who Is Claude Cahun?: Southwark Playhouse Borough: 18 June-12 July
Playing at the Southwark Playhouse Borough’s smaller space, The Little, Who Is Claude Cahun is a new play following queer artist Claude Cahun and their acts of resistance during the Nazi occupation of the island of Jersey in the 1940s, alongside their partner Marcel Moore. The play also explores their discovery of their gender identity, a particularly timely theme given recent events in the UK.
Intimate Apparel: Donmar Warehouse: 20 June-9 August
Lynn Nottage’s acclaimed play comes in a new version to the Donmar Warehouse this sumer, starring The Handmaid’s Tale’s Samira Wiley. The play follows seamstress Esther, who sews beautiful lingerie for women. She dreams of opening her own beauty salon but also of falling in love, and then one day starts to receive letters from a mysterious stranger. The Donmar Warehouse has recently expanded their accessible ticketing scheme to under 35s so those aged 16-35 can purchase £20 tickets to all of the Donmar’s production.
Girl From The North Country: The Old Vic: 24 June-23 August
Girl From The North Country returns to the Old Vic where it premiered in 2017. Since then, it has had a West End run, Off Broadway and Broadway runs, and tours in the UK and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand and North America. The show is a jukebox musical featuring the music of Bob Dylan and follows a small town community in the US during the 1930s Great Depression. If you’re an enjoyer of Bob Dylan’s music and you haven’t had a chance to see this on any of its previous runs, this encore run at the Old Vic may be your chance.
Fawlty Towers: Apollo Theatre: 24 June-13 September
Following a sold out previous West End run, Fawlty Towers returns for an encore limited summer engagement. Adapted by John Cleese, the play adapts three episodes of the television series on stage, so for any fans of Fawlty Towers who missed the show’s initial run, you now have a chance to catch it again. The show will also be going on a UK and Ireland Tour shortly after the end of the West End run, so fans will be able to catch it in a venue near them very soon.
Noughts and Crosses: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre: 28 June-26 July
Malorie Blackman’s bestselling novel Noughts and Crosses comes to the Regent’s Park stage in a new production this summer. The story is a dystopian Romeo and Juliet-esque tale, and follows Callum and Sephy, best friends who have grown up together who find themselves reckoning with the consequences of a divided society: Callum is a pale skinned Nought, a member of the lower class, whilst Sephy is a dark skinned Cross, a member of the ruling class and daughter of a powerful politician. If you were a fan of the book growing up, then this new production is definitely worth checking out this summer.
Words by Jo Elliott
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