These 12 West End shows will get you in the holiday spirit!
Updated on 9 October 2023
https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/cabaret-london-ticketsThe most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching. While you might already have your Spotify 2019 Wrapped, the year isn't quite over just yet! Before you get lost in the holiday shopping rush, have a look at these twelve festive London theatre shows to attend both before and after Christmas! See a cheeky matinee while you're looking for the perfect gift to go under the tree. Or better yet, make a fabulous night out in the West End an unforgettable X-Mas present for you and your significant other!
The Snowman
It simply wouldn't be Christmas without Birmingham Repertory Theatre's The Snowman, which returns to London's West End for a triumphant 22nd year! Based on the celebrated picture book by Raymond Briggs CBE, this magical musical is the perfect jolly blend of great storytelling, catchy tunes, and stunning choreography.
Before X-Mas: 20-24 Dec
After X-Mas: 27-29 Dec
New Year: 1-5 Jan
White Christmas
We may not get a snow-white Christmas this year, but at least we have Irving Berlin's White Christmas The Musical. Currently playing at the West End's Dominion Theatre, this stunning classic follows war veterans Bob and Phil, who put on a song and dance act after the Second World War.
Before X-Mas: 17-21, 23-24 Dec
After X-Mas: 26-28, 30-31 Dec
New Year: 2-4 Jan
A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic
Jack Thorne's beloved adaptation of Charles Dickens' literary classic is back at the Old Vic for its third year with Matthew Warchus returning to direct. The miserly old Ebenezer Scrooge comes to grips with reality when he is visited by a series of ghosts that show him his troubling past, present, and future.
TIP: Tickets for A Christmas Carol around Christmas time are about to sell out, but you can still catch the show in the New Year at affordable prices! Booking until 18 January 2020.
Nativity! The Musical
Another West End Christmas classic, Nativity! is back in London for its third consecutive year, in a production at the Eventim Apollo that stars Sharon Osbourne, Danny and Dani Dyer, Rylan Clark, and Simon Lipkin. When Mr Maddens is put in charge of the school nativity play, he is hell-bent on impressing a Hollywood producer who has the power to make it into a feature-length film. Will he get his Christmas wish for the child stars at St Bernadette's School?
Before X-Mas: 19-24 Dec
After X-Mas: 26-29 Dec
The Barricade Boys - Christmas Cabaret
Featuring some of the greatest male voices from the musical Les Miserables, The Barricade Boys are back in London's West End to put on a strictly limited Christmas production at The Other Palace Studio that is out of this world! Featuring operatic arias, power ballads, and rock, pop and swing music, Christmas Cabaret tickets are guaranteed to get you a kiss under the mistletoe!
Before X-Mas: 16-21, 23-24 Dec
After X-Mas: 27-28 Dec
Cinderella pantomime
There's no better time for a fairytale than Christmas! Put on your glass slippers and dancing shoes and get ready to have a ball! Featuring all your favourite characters, from the Fairy Godmother and magic mice to Wicked Stepmothers and Ghastly Stepsisters. Be sure to hop into your pumpkin carriage before the clock strikes twelve!
Before X-Mas: 18-22, 24 Dec
After X-Mas: 27-28 Dec
New Year: 2-5 Jan
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
If you think you know Goldilocks, think again. The latest London Palladium pantomime takes the classic 19th-century Robert Southey tale and turns it on its head! This time its Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the circus! Our blonde-haired heroine and her mother must face off against the Evil Ringmaster and his band of circus acts in this unique new panto production starring Palladium Wall of Fame inductee Julian Clary!
Before X-Mas: 17-18, 20-24 Dec
After X-Mas: 26-31 Dec
New Year: 2-5, 7-12 Jan
Snowflake
This heartwarming new play by Olivier Award-winning playwright Mike Bartlett follows Andy, 43, who hires a hall in Oxfordshire for Christmas Eve where he hopes to reunite with his estranged 21-year-old daughter, Maya. She hasn't spoken to him since his mother died and Andy is in for a rude awakening. The play masterfully weaves a tale of two differing opinions without displaying a bias towards one particular point of view. This festive family drama, now playing at the Kiln Theatre in London, is guaranteed to leave you touched and moved.
Before X-Mas: 17-21, 23-24 Dec
After X-Mas: 27-28, 30-31 Dec
New Year: 2-4, 6-11, 13-18 Jan
The Snow Queen
If you can't wait for Frozen The Musical to hit the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane next year, then maybe The Snow Queen will quench your thirst. Based on the original fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson, this Park Theatre production follows Gerda on her epic quest to rescue Cei from a never-ending winter wonderland. With the show featuring great acting and comedic relief, you're guaranteed to have a great time out in Theatreland!
Before X-Mas: 16-21, 23-24 Dec
After X-Mas: 26-28, 30-31 Dec
New Year: 1-4 Jan
Soho Cinders
A broke student named Robbie falls head over heels for mayoral candidate James Prince. Their 'forbidden love' proves to be more problematic for James, whose stripper step-sisters pale in comparison. He must fight to prove that love knows no bounds when it comes to social class. This colourful rags-to-riches musical, freely adapted from the story of Cinderella, is now playing at the Charing Cross Theatre. Don't miss it!
Before X-Mas: 16-21, 23 Dec
After X-Mas: 27-28, 30 Dec
New Year: 1-4, 6-11 Jan
Curtains
If you're looking for something a little bit different than a Christmas story, Curtains The Musical may just be the ticket! When the leading lady of a new Broadway musical is brutally murdered live on stage, Frank Cioffi is on the case, determined to find the cold-blooded killer. The Tony Award-winning musical is now playing at Wyndham's Theatre in London to rave reviews from audiences and critics alike.
Before X-Mas: 18-24 Dec
After X-Mas: 26-31 Dec
New Year: 2-4, 6-11 Jan
Amelie
The multi-award-winning French film is now a full-blown London musical! Amelie is a quiet young woman living her best life out loud. Secretly performing good deeds for people, her kindness represents the perfect vibe for the season of giving. If her beautiful life and charming story don't get you in the mood for Christmas, then we don't know what will!
Before X-Mas: 16-21, 23-24 Dec
After X-Mas: 26-28, 30-31 Dec
New Year: 2-4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25, 27-31 Jan / 1 Feb
Scout the best West End deals, discounts, and special offers here and get all your Christmas shopping done in one place!
Not sure what London theatre shows your friends and family members want to see? Then why not take the guesswork out of your X-Mas shopping and get a gift voucher instead?
By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
Ephram is a jack of all trades and enjoys attending theatre, classical music concerts and the opera.