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Never been, or hardly ever? These are the London shows that make an easy, enjoyable first night, picked by hand and grouped by the kind of evening you want.
There is no wrong way to start. The simplest rule is to pick a show you already know something about, whether that is the film, the songs, the book or the television series, because it takes the effort out of following the story. A musical tells its story through songs and is usually the easier first night; a play is spoken, and the best of them grip you just as hard. Below, the picks are grouped by the kind of night you are after, and each pick shows the theatre, the run dates, the cheapest price and the best current deal, all read from our listings.
For the practical side, from booking and where to sit to what happens on the night and getting home, see our guide to your first time at the theatre in London.
If you want to be swept along, start here. The story is told through songs, so there is little to decode, and the scale of the staging does a lot of the work. Six, the shortest musical on this page, is in the last section.
Lyceum Theatre · 2hr 30min (incl. 1 interval) · from £38
Simba’s story, told with puppetry that shows you the performer and the animal at the same time. If you know the film you will know the songs, and the opening is the kind of thing people remember for years. It is one of the safest choices in London for a first visit, and for a mixed group of ages.
Worth knowing. Recommended for ages 6 and over.
Tickets and dealsApollo Victoria Theatre · 2hr 45min (incl. 1 interval) · from £25
The untold story of the two witches from The Wizard of Oz, who begin as university roommates. It is funny early on, moving later, and has the songs people hum afterwards. You do not need to know the film well, though it helps.
Worth knowing. The theatre recommends ages 7 and over, and children under 5 cannot be admitted.
Tickets and dealsSondheim Theatre · 2hr 50min (incl. 1 interval) · from £25
A sung-through epic: Jean Valjean, the relentless Javert and a barricade in revolutionary Paris, with the whole story carried by the music. It asks you to settle in rather than dip in and out, and rewards it. The big numbers are some of the best known in the form.
Worth knowing. Recommended for ages 7 and over. It is a serious story with deaths in it.
Tickets and dealsVictoria Palace Theatre · 2hr 45min (incl. 1 interval) · from £42
The story of Alexander Hamilton, told mostly in rap, with jazz, blues and R&B in the mix. It is sharper and faster than a traditional musical, and works well for people who think they do not like musicals. Listening to the cast recording first is a good idea but not essential.
Worth knowing. Suitable for ages 10 and over, as it contains some strong language.
Tickets and dealsNovello Theatre · 2hr 35min (incl. 1 interval) · from £17.50
A wedding on a Greek island and an ABBA song every few minutes. The plot is a pleasant excuse, and almost everyone in the audience knows the words. If you want the least demanding evening on this page, it is this one.
Worth knowing. Recommended for ages 5 and over. Children under 16 must be seated next to an adult aged 18 or over, and the production contains flashing lights.
Tickets and dealsCambridge Theatre · 2hr 35min (incl. 1 interval) · from £20
Roald Dahl’s clever little girl, with songs by Tim Minchin. It is a children’s story, but the humour is sharp enough that adults who have come without a child enjoy it as much as the ones who brought one. Warm, inventive and well made.
Worth knowing. Recommended for ages 6 and over, and children under 4 cannot be admitted.
Tickets and dealsGielgud Theatre · 2hr 40min (incl. 1 interval) · from £20
Lionel Bart’s Dickensian classic, in a new production directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne. Food, Glorious Food and Consider Yourself are songs you will already half know, and Fagin and his gang give it plenty of comedy as well as menace.
Tickets and dealsNobody needs background knowledge to enjoy these, and a theatre full of people laughing at the same moment is a good introduction to what live performance does.
Duchess Theatre · 2hr (incl. 1 interval) · from £20
An amateur drama society stages a murder mystery and everything that can go wrong does: the set falls apart, the lines are dropped and a dead body will not stay dead. It is a farce in the plainest sense, and a good test of whether live comedy is for you.
Worth knowing. Recommended for ages 8 and over.
Tickets and dealsFortune Theatre · from £60
A musical comedy about the true Second World War plot to fool the Nazis by planting fake plans on a dead body. It is quick, silly and cleverly built, and a good pick if the idea of a huge, famous musical feels like too much.
Tickets and dealsA play can feel like a bigger commitment than a musical, so these three each come with a hook you will already know: a murder mystery, a Netflix series, a wizard.
St Martin's Theatre · 2hr (incl. 1 interval) · from £35
Agatha Christie’s murder mystery, which opened in 1952 and has been at St Martin’s Theatre since 1974. Seven strangers are snowed in at a country guesthouse, and one of them is a killer. It is a classic that has become part of the London experience, and the tradition is that you leave without telling anyone who did it.
Worth knowing. The production includes a gun and a murder, and addresses some sensitive subject matter.
Tickets and dealsPhoenix Theatre · Until 23 Dec · 3hr (incl. 1 interval) · from £25
A prequel to the Netflix series, set in 1959 and showing how Henry Creel becomes Vecna. Fans get the references, and it is a prequel rather than a rerun of the series. Check the run dates above: this production’s London run has an end date.
Worth knowing. Recommended for ages 12 and over.
Tickets and dealsPalace Theatre · From 9 Oct · 2hr 55min (incl. 1 interval) · from £25
Harry, Ron and Hermione’s story continues 19 years later, with their children at the centre. The magic is done in front of you, and it won nine Olivier Awards, including Best Play. From October 2026 it is presented as a single performance rather than in two parts, which makes it much easier to fit into one visit.
Worth knowing. It helps to have read the books or seen the films, since the story picks up after them.
Tickets and dealsIf you are not sure you will enjoy a whole evening of theatre, try one of these. Each runs under 100 minutes by the running time in our listings.
Vaudeville Theatre · 1hr 20min (no interval) · from £34.50
The six wives of Henry VIII as a pop concert, with an all-female band on stage. It started as a student show in Edinburgh, it is funny and loud, and it moves too quickly to get bored. A musical for people who think they do not like musicals.
Worth knowing. Recommended for ages 10 and over. The theatre notes strobe, haze and loud music, and themes including miscarriage and personal trauma.
Tickets and dealsTrafalgar Theatre · 1hr 20min (no interval) · from £25
Cole Escola’s Olivier-winning comedy about a foul-tempered Mary Todd Lincoln who wants only to be a cabaret star. It is outrageous and fast, and the title role is played by a named star, so check the show page for who is in it now and until when.
Worth knowing. An adult comedy about a hard-drinking, unhappily married First Lady.
Tickets and deals
